Le Gourmand Restaurant

Indulgence, setting, presentation, and pacing: these are elements that an elevate a dinner into a «dining experience.» And Le Gourmand delivers on these. And as of right now, you have one more week to experience it, because they’re closing up shop on June 30.
Immediately, I loved the setting of the converted house. It’s an intimate space for dining, not too crowded, but small enough to make you feel – just upon entering – that you’ve stumbled on something sort of exclusive. One of those hidden-​in-​plain-​sight places.
Service is top notch. These are professionals, who take pride in their work in the service industry, without taking themselves too seriously or putting on an aire of pretension. Our lead server had the right combination of professionalism and casual rapport. Deft and efficient but without seeming dry or robotic. She participated in our table’s antics, or at least passively encouraged whatever conversation was leading to occasional bouts of uproarious laughter. And though we did not interact with our assistant server as much, she kept rolls on our bread plates, water glasses filled, and even provided a bit of club soda when I inevitably dribbled something on my shirt.
The standout, though, was the sommelier, David Butler. He presented each paired wine with a tale that tied together the flavor profile of the course being presented, the history of the wine region, the winemaker himself, the winemaker’s family history, and his reasons for selecting that specific wine for its paired course. He did this in a manner so adroit, polished, and genuine, that one felt a connection to the wine before it’d even been sipped. He connected all the dots between wine and food and origin and philosophy like a skilled painter. Truly a man with a deep knowledge of wine, food, and their interactions with one’s palate, I was glad to learn that he will be opening his own wine bar in the downtown area this fall, after Le Gourmand’s closure.
Maybe you’re wondering about the food. Well, the food is delicious. The chef’s seven-​course tasting menu is clearly the way to go here. I did not opt for this, since it included several courses that I don’t eat because of my adherence to a pescetarian diet, but seeing my companions being served the tasting menu was so enjoyable that I experienced a contact high, just being near and along for the ride, as it were. My companions offered me tastes of their courses that suited my dietary preferences, and they were resplendent. The nettle soup was the best I’ve had, with nary a trace of the overly-​bitter flavor that can sometimes infect an otherwise good nettle soup. Other courses of the tasting menu included a foie gras course, a vegetable course, a ling cod course, a pork medallion course, and a salad, to finish.
My own menu was a more basic three course affair, for which I selected a mussel course and a halibut course. Mussels prepared with wine, butter, and garlic are always a treat, and these were no exception. I would have eaten all the broth, but it would have required far more bread than I would have been comfortable eating prior to even receiving my first course. The halibut was a tasty preparation with wild mushroom sauce, and a light and refreshing salad followed. The real standout on the menu, though, for me, was the strawberry soufflé that I had for dessert. It was a thing of beauty, light and airy, and perfectly flavored with strawberry. I am glad to hear that pastry chef Sara Naftaly will likely be pursuing a shop of her own in the Ballard area.
All this said, focusing on the specific aspects of the evening sort of misses the point, because an experience at a place like Le Gourmand is so much more than the sum of its parts. It’s not a science, it’s a faith. It’s about taking a journey away from your regular life for an evening, stepping into a realm of effortless, unhurried pleasure and indulgence, away from concern about anything else for those four or five hours. Indeed, it’s not an experience to be entered into whimsically or without conviction, but you will know, when you bid fond and heartfelt evening farewells to the staff that took complete care of you for the entire evening, and exit into the cool 1:00 AM air, that taking such a detour from the everyday was exactly what you were supposed to be doing that night.

I was fortunate to try Le Gourmand for the first time earlier this month, and alas, due to its impending closure, for the last time as well. Having enjoyed the top-​notch food, the impeccable service, and an intimate ambience, this is a great loss for Seattle.
The restaurant is in an out-​of-​the-​way location, in what appeared to be a converted house. Half of it was a more casual bar area that you can approach through a garden door, and the other half was the formal restaurant, with starched linens and tasteful artwork on the wall. We sat in the more formal side.
I was one of a party of three. As two of us were waiting for the third, the waitress offered us some frites with garlic aioli to accompany the beers we were drinking. This was most welcome, not just because I am a sucker for frites but because these frites were very good. Hot and moist on the inside and that touch of crunchiness on the outside that suggested that they had properly par-​fried and re-​fried the potatoes. The garlic aioli was a true aioli of whipped olive oil and tasted unctuous, but not greasy.
Our third joined us, and we offered him the dredges of our frites (truth be told, those small pieces at the bottom of the paper cone are my favorites because they are the crunchiest). We then ordered our meals — two of us (myself included) ordered the full tasting menu of 7 courses with the wine pairing, and the other ordered the «classique» menu, which had 3 courses.
For those few who are reading this and will go to Le Gourmand during its last few days, I have one very strong piece of advice — get the wine pairing. This is because the sommelier, David Butler, was the star of the show. He was unpretentious, down-​to-​earth, incredibly knowledgeable, and clearly a master at his craft — not just in choosing the correct wine pairing, but also building a story around each wine. He clearly loved wine — tasting it, studying its history, studying the geography around it, explaining it. And we were the beneficiaries of this love.
As far as the food, it was well and thoughtfully made. Our tasting menu started with a stinging nettle soup. While touching a stinging nettle is unpleasant, eating this soup was quite the opposite — lush, green, creamy and warm. We had an Alsatian white wine to help balance the lushness, while also complementing the herbiness (is that a word?) of the nettles.
Following the soup was seared foie gras, and again, the sommelier flexed his muscle. While explaining to us that a Sauternes is typically paired with foie gras, he had selected for us a wine from the same Grave region of Bordeaux, but just across the river, in a small area called Sainte-​Croix-​du-​Mont. It was a revelation, for while I do enjoy Sauternes, I often find it too cloying after a few sips. The Sainte-​Croix-​du-​Mont that he served, on the other hand, had that wonderful taste of sweet sunshine as a Sauternes, but there was just enough of a crisp green flavor to balance out the sweetness.
Next came asparagus with a cream sauce, and cod with fiddlehead ferns. I stop here to dwell on the cod dish because I love both cod and fiddlehead ferns (I’ve had dried ones all my life, but fresh ferns is a recent discovery), and this was a spectacular dish. After this came our meat dish, which was pork tenderloin wrapped in grape leaves, and paired with a pinot noir. I am not a fan of pinot, but I had to admit that this was a great addition. It tasted sour at first, but tasted more mellow when balanced against the pork.
Our companion — who did not eat land animals — enjoyed dishes from the sea. Halibut and a killer steamed mussels dish, the broth to which I wanted to drain into my maw. I had to refrain, of course, because we were sitting in the formal side of the restaurant. :-)
There was a palate cleanser in the mix somewhere — which was a sorbet of strawberry, rose petals, and some form of Chinese berries that were more peppery in flavor. I cannot recall the name, other than it sounded somewhat like «fo-​shizzle berries.» So that’s what I’ll call it – a sorbet of strawberry, rose petals and fo-​shizzle berries.
The desserts were on par with the meal. Early on, I saw a nearby table being served a soufflé, and I was determined to have one, too, as I love the egg-​y better of souffles. Le Gourmand’s version did not disappoint. Warm, comforting, egg-​y, with a small container of warm, sublime strawberry sauce, and some sliced strawberries atop a caramel squiggle. I thought that I would go classic and forego the strawberry sauce, but it was so good, I ate the whole things. One of my dining companions ordered profiteroles, which were decent, but I’m glad I got the soufflé.
We were there for over 5 hours, eating, drinking, laughing — both among ourselves and with a staff that was professional, yet warm. (And if my companions and the waitress are reading this, that crab leg was, indeed, as thick as a baby’s arm.)

I am deeply saddened to hear that Le Gourmand is closing it’s doors. If you have never been, GO NOW.
No, seriously, get off the damn computer and go make a reservation immediately.
This place is everything you could ask for in a fancy restaurant. The food quality is unmatched in Seattle (and most of the United States, for that matter), the atmosphere is cozy and welcoming, and the staff is simply astounding at what they do.
I hear the sommelier will be opening up a new place downtown in the fall, and I will be there with bells on, provided he’ll still tell me wonderful stories about the wines as they arrive at my table.
Adieu, Le Gourmand. Et merci beacoup.

A wise man once said that all good things must come to an end, and this place is too perfect to last, so you know what’s coming. It might have been too perfect to exist in the first place. The sommelier is opening a new place downtown this autumn, and even Seattle food lovers who must live without the Naftalys from now on will wish them well, but it’s hard to say goodbye.
For almost thirty years, this has been the tiny place that did amazing things in cramped quarters tucked away in obscure, sleepy little Ballard. When they started in 1985, there were precious few places in town to eat this well, but now Ballard is grown up around them and places like this are here and there throughout town. Last night, they made perfection seem routine, again, and did it with no apparent strain.
It’s pretty inside, clean and bright, with a very pleasant western exposure down Market, letting in plenty of sunset. Everything’s just formal enough, and the staff is charming, funny, and welcoming throughout. To save us while we waited for the tardy, our server offered us frites with garlic aioli.
Between the three of us, we had the tasting menu with paired wine flights, and also the classique menu. They say to allow three hours for the tasting menu. We did. We ended up needing five and a half. We started with stinging nettle soup, which balanced herbaciousness and earthiness against a pleasing vegetal tang. It was garnished with chive flowers and paired with a beautiful Alsacian white.
And let’s talk for a moment about those pairings – or, rather, let’s talk about their presentation. The sommelier clearly regards wine and food pairings as a complex and subtle challenge worth solving (as a professional) only when you can draw on deep reserves of knowledge. Some pairings he made clear were chosen years ago, others he frankly admitted stumped him for a time. He always explained why. He thinks carefully about what Bruce puts on each menu, knows his signatures, and knows how to complement them with the cellar. Thankfully, he’ll be back this fall when he opens Le Caviste at an as-​yet TBD downtown address.
We moved on through seared foie gras, asparagus in herbed cream sauce, and on to a line-​caught ling cod. All of these things came out at a leisurely pace. By the time we were in the fourth or fifth course in the tasting menu, some lovely penn cove mussels had emerged for the classique diner, who was carefully selecting beer pairings from the other side of the cellar as he went. Our cod had fiddlehead ferns on top – so many flower petals, grape leaves, fern heads, and nettle vines were clearly local and clearly native. By this point we’ve had four of our fives steps in the wine flight, and we’re giggling like we’re in junior high when one of us tells a story about a truly dramatic crab leg he once ate, complete with pantomimes that reminded the rest of us of films about making love. The waitress finally couldn’t resist asking us what was so funny. Thankfully, I managed to make it out of there without proposing marriage to her.
Our meat entrée was pork medallions wrapped in grape leaves picked from the arbor behind the restaurant, paired with a 100% pinot noir bourgogne rouge. We got the lowdown on why so many bourgognes rouge are considered barely qualified as table wines, but some are truly extraordinary – this one had notes of campfire and bacon fat that complemented the pork masterfully, as did the pork bring out subtleties in the wine that it couldn’t show on its own. Our classique companion called for a wine pairing for his halibut at this point, and was poured a beautiful rose.
Between the fish and the meat we had strawberry and rose petal sorbet accented with schizandra berries. There might be no such thing as snozzberries, but these gave the sorbet an unexpected and beautiful pepperiness. In China they’re known as five flavor berries, for having «all» five flavors, and they’re served all over Asia and Russia. There was a salad after all this.
The dessert list had amazing options and specials, but we were out of room. The waitress kindly stood in our laps and shoved her foot down our throats to tamp dinner down and make space. Two had the soufflé, which was unbelievably light and airy and doused with strawberries and strawberry sauce. I had the praline, filbert, and chocolate profiteroles, which were spectacular, and infused with magnets and gravity – they bolted me firmly to my chair.
This is not just food made and served well, but in total a social welcoming served with extraordinary attention to detail by people who care – and care zealously. Everything here is planned and executed with deep love of food, wine, beer, and guests. Dinner this good can’t be served by mere showoffs. You can only make people this happy if you know what it is to be deeply pleased by food, and then set out sincerely to please others so deeply. To the stars, my love. Let this pleasure wash over me.

After long considering a trip to Le Gourmand, my wife and I were finally kicked into gear when we heard news to restaurant would be wrapping up service in the Summer. Our biggest regret is waiting so long.
Classical French technique and flavor profiles combined with modern style and season Northwest ingredients is the theme, but what you’re getting at Le Gourmand is incredible food hand crafted by a single chef with a love of French cuisine.
As with most good restaurants in France, the meal is meant to be your evening. The menu recommends 3 hours for the tasting menu, and our meal came in at around 3.5 hours with dessert added (dessert is not standard on the 7-​course tasting menu).
The dishes were spaced nicely, allowing us time to savor and digest a little before the next delight arrived. The menu changes regularly, so the courses we had are unlikely to be around long enough to be helpful, but it is worth mentioning our third course was asparagus with an accompaniment of salsify and herbs that we were both still talking about the next morning.
We ordered the wine pairing for the tasting menu and highly recommend the experience. The sommelier has put a lot of thought into each course and draws on a deep knowledge of French wine, culinary tradition in addition to an acute understanding their interplay with local ingredients. $ 50 may seem steep to some, but the wine flows generously and takes the food to another level. While I am a believer that only a small percentage of wine pairings go beyond good to great, the Sauternais he paired with the fois gras and rhubarb sauce was incredible — an experience I’ve only had one or two other times.
Some Unilocal users don’t seem to care for the tasting menu experience, preferring faster meals or a la carte dining options. While I understand that perspective, I respectfully disagree. More importantly, Le Gourmand will only be open for a few more weeks and is already fully reserved until closing. If you have one of those reservations and think you are likely not to enjoy this kind of 3 hour dining journey, Le Gourmand is probably not going to be a restaurant you love and you may consider changing your plans. Your time and money might be spent elsewhere, and your Le Gourmand table could be filled by someone who is looking for exactly that kind of evening. We would happily take your place if another table for 2 were available.

Le Gourmand is like no other restaurant that I have ever been to. For starters, the restaurant is a very small and intimate setting. I think the restaurant has only 7 tables total, but I could be mistaken. Secondly, this is not the type of restaurant that you come to if you want to just eat and leave. This is a type of restaurant where you sit, enjoy the atmosphere, enjoy your company, and above all else, enjoy the food. A party of two took almost 3 hours from start to finish, and I would not have it any other way. We came in after some people were already seated and left before they finished their meal, so I could only imagine how long they have been there.
Some might say the service is slow, but I see it as them setting the pace for us to relax and take the time to fully absorb the atmosphere, and the fully enjoy our meal.
The waiter (I Wish I remembered his name) took the time to explain anything on the dish. Including where the ingredients came from, and where the chef gets his inspiration for some of the dishes. I got the vibe that he absolutely loves what he does at the restaurant.
I agree that it took a while to finish our meal for the night, but it was also because we took the extra time to savor the rich and complex flavors of each of our dishes. We ordered the Veal Quenelles to start off with. My girlfriend ordered the Lamb, and I ordered the Boeuf a la Ficelle (Beef tenderloin). I felt like each dish was an artwork that deserved to be appreciated for all it’s complexity.

One of the worst dinning experiences of my life.
My wife and I went here for my bd dinner and the service was HORRIBLE. We waited 25 minutes before being offered something to drink. 25 more mins and finally some bread and our order was taken. We received our salad 20 minutes later. Our entrees arrive 40 minutes after that. All told we were there for 2.5 hours and felt neglected the entire time. Never once did our server ask how we or the food/​drinks were. At one point (the 40 mins between salad and entrée) we asked for more bread and the waitress went around to literally every table but ours to replenish bread.
My beef tenderloin was very good. My wife’s pork tenderloin was overlooked and dry. The salade composeé was extremely overpriced and underwhelming.
During the long wait for our check I remember thinking to myself, «I can’t wait to get out of here!» Something you would never expect from a high end restaurant.

Nice Ingredients, Horrible Service. Thought we’d have a nice anniversary dinner at Le Gourmand as my wife had good memories of it from years ago. Unfortunately, it turned out to be a long drawn out tortuous evening interspersed with fairly yummy bites of locavore.
The tone of the evening was set by the particularly arrogant and rude head waiter who made it clear from the beginning that we were simply lucky to be there. Thankfully, there was a very nice female server who tried to make up for his poor service.
Then we made the mistake of ordering the Chef’s Tasting menu when we were actually hungry. On the upside, the seven-​courses were interesting and fairly tasty though extremely rich and heavy on the cream. As foragers ourselves, we did appreciate the delightful baby chanterelles and very nice morel and lobster mushrooms. However, that did not make up for the fact that there was an average wait of 30 minutes or more between small plate courses or that the waiter evidently did not find us worthy of the nice presentation and description of each course as he provided to the other tables surrounding us.
Granted we were forewarned that the Tasting Menu would be «2 hours or more», but drawing out the small plates for over 4 hours on a weeknight when the dining room was not even close to full was simply poor execution. To be fair, we were satiated by the end of the meal but the dining experience was horrible.
The owner of Le Gourmand says they pride themselves on being an upscale restaurant with excellent food and customer service. Unfortunately, they did not even come close for us last night. Thumbs down. Not recommended. Oh yeah, I almost forgot, we got the accompaniment of fruit flies throughout the evening. Yum.
P. S. I should’ve read other reviews before going as my complaints apparently have been an ongoing issue for years and are reflected multiple times by other reviewers on this and other sites. Double thumbs down since evidently the restaurant has done little quality assurance/​quality improvement and is apparently living off of its false reputation as a boutique dining experience. Too bad, as Seattle has many restaurants that are much more deserving of your money.
I also can’t help but notice that Bruce (the owner I’m assuming) doesn’t respond to any of the negative reviews and only the positive ones. If you were truly interested in improving your business, wouldn’t it make sense to acknowledge the criticisms as well as the compliments?

I can’t believe this place only has 3.5 stars. I go here for my sister’s birthday every year and am ALWAYS impressed, always. The staff remembers us, the service is exquisite, and the food is to die for. I really want to know what happened to everyone who gave this restaurant anything less than 5 stars.
Le Gourmand is not a dining experience. It is an event. If you are planning to squeeze in a quick dinner before, say, a show, this is not the place to go. This is a minimum of 3 hour dining event, so plan accordingly.
We get the tasting menu and wine pairing every time we go. As far as tasting menus go, I’ve seen more expensive per person fees (i.e. Rover’s, Tilth, etc.). At $ 80 it’s not bad. However, what quickly adds to the bill is alcohol, so be careful. We spent $ 600 for 4 people here once, so be mindful of your alcoholic spending if you are trying to experience this restaurant without going into debt.
Let me dive into the service before the food. Really, the sommelier MAKES Le Gourmand. He is absolutely amazing and no matter how much he gets paid, it’s not enough. He always takes us on an adventure through the different wine regions in France, giving detailed anecdotes to his wine pairing picks. He bleeds enthusiasm for wine, which in turn makes you excited about it. He’s just so knowledgeable. I am determined he has the coolest job ever.
Now, the food. If I had to choose one thing you can expect from Le Gourmand, it’d be «sauces.» Seriously, it makes the most FANTASTIC sauces on every dish. I was embarrassed because I literally CLEANED every plate. I would have picked up the plate and licked it if it wouldn’t have been socially awkward. The exemplary sauces make sense, since the French are known for their expertise in sauces like bechamel, veloute, etc. My advice to you is to just take in the amazingness of all the sauces and remember to try it sans the rest of the food on the plate, you won’t be disappointed.
I can’t really comment on what I would recommend as my go-​to dishes since the menu constantly changes, but I would always recommend the tasting menu. You’ll get the full service and culinary experience Le Gourmand has to offer. Oh, and if you like mixed drinks, Sambar is attached, so you’ll be happy. Overall, this is the perfect place for a true French fine dining experience that you will remember for a while.

This is a traditional way of French eating. Growing up with French grandparents and all, eating is not something that takes 30 minutes at Applebee’s. We have had the 7 course meal with the 5 wine parings several times and it feels like a NICE restaurant. Don’t be in a hurry here, and remember it is all about the sauces.
I have seen people come in wearing jeans and t-​shirts and get «pissy» because it is taking too long. As I said this is FINE dinning. They are not here to turn tables over and get more people in. They are there to make the best food possible. I believe that Chef Bruce only has a dessert chef to help him and no sous chefs.
There is a lot of love in his food. If you don’t have the time for a nice, freshly prepared dinner, or don’t have the money, don’t go.

As one of Seattle’s oldest extant fine dining tasting menu restaurants, Le Gourmand has had the blessing/​curse of being on our «list» for a very long time, and of us steadily passing it up for the parade of exciting newer entrants on the Seattle food scene.
We finally went on a recent weekend — completely serendipitously in response to a 2+ hour wait at Walrus And the Carpenter which had been our original destination. Le Gourmand had space, and even though we hadn’t planned on a 7-​course tasting sort of evening, we went for it. And wow, are we glad we did. :)
As is frequently mentioned, Bruce is a stunning master saucier. Everything is delightful, the wine pairings are delicious and inventive, but it’s the sauces that steal the show. Keller, Ripert, etc. genuinely have nothing on Bruce in that department.
Despite what would typically be a formal setting, we felt completely welcome in casual clothes and just relaxed into a deliciously fun evening.
Courses were as follows:
1) Strawberry, lavender, and rose soup — this was (surprisingly) a hot soup, inventive and complex with sharp green tomato acidity and a savory background of veal stock. Not a soup you’d drink deep bowls of, but a very intriguing and memorable dish.
2) Foie Gras with local sour cherries — perfectly seared, buttery foie with a stunning sauce of sour cherry and layers of well-​seasoned richness.
3) Porcini in cream — simple ingredients, the intensely fresh mushrooms were the star in a (admittedly rich and heavy) but deeply comforting background.
4) Ling Cod in Stinging Nettle Crêpe with Bamboo and Fiddle Fern — coudln’t be more local or seasonal. Perfectly moist and aromatic cod wrapped in a light, fluffy crêpe infused with local nettles. On top was shaved fresh bamboo shoots (crunchy, verdant, and green)
5) Intermezzo of Apricot, Champagne, and Sage Sorbet — light, tart, a bit effervescent from the champagne, and a back plane of herbal notes from the sage
6) Seared duck breast with local Morels — another masterful sauce and perfectly forest floor imbued morels were the star of this dish. The duck itself was just about the only thing all meal that was just «ok». Not enough caramelization, felt as if it had been sous vide rather than seared and too one-​note. But i’d take two platefuls of the morels and die happy. :)
7) A simply dressed salad of local greens — light, crisp, palate-​cleanser of a salad rounded out a truly superb meal.

When doing the 7 courses, plan on an entire spending the entire evening here. The food and the company makes for the entertainment for the evening. Le Gourmand is not place to go if you’re at all in a hurry. Expect a very casual pace. I’ve had the pleasure of terrific company which made the time between dishes seem like no time at all.
The dishes change frequently depending on the season. Every dinner that I’ve had here has been an amazing feast full of fresh flavors.
I love the décor and location — though it’s not for everybody. It’s all white inside — it’s to bring more attention on the food. The location is a little outside of Ballard. There’s no parking lot and it can be easily missed if you’re not familiar with the area.

3 ½ stars
I have wanted to try Le Gourmand for years. With my living social in hand, I finally went to try it. They had a special 3 course set meal for $ 45 in honor of their 25^th anniversary (July 2010). We ordered the pâté, rabbit seasoned with mushroom & sage, and the last course was a non memorable salad. It was good, but none of the food items were wow. It was great value with the living social deal but otherwise it would not have been worth the money. I have had better French food elsewhere.

I can’t remember the last time I’ve had worse service. On entering we got a gruff greeting as the server begrudgingly took us to our table. After 30 minutes of waiting we eventually had to ask for them to take our order. When we asked for bread rolls we were told in a condescending tone, «You’ll get bread rolls when you order your food».
At which point my friend and I walked out. Even though we’d bought $ 80 worth of coupons to dine here, I refuse to accept service this bad from anyone. $ 80 wasted and a lesson learnt.
I can only recommend that you avoid this place at all costs. No food is worth being treated like trash for.

One of the best restaurants in Seattle.
Service is top notch. Attention to detail all around, from the food, to the décor, the china, to the theatrical way the sommelier would talk about each wine. We had the tasting menu with the wine pairing — and everything on the menu was spectacular. A delightful culinary journey.
Highly highly recommended!

I was really excited to come here after hearing about the locally sourced ingredients — but I was very disappointed by the service.
We had reservations, so we were seated quickly. The dining room is small, but beautifully and sparsely decorated. Not in a French style, but beautiful nonetheless. However, that did not make up for the snooty atmosphere and uptight feeling I got from being in the place. I felt uncomfortable and the waitstaff were offstandish and did not once ask how the meal was, if we needed anything, or give comments/​suggestions while we ordered.
The service did not match up to the price at all, and I’d expect a lot more for how much I paid. Too expensive for slow service — I checked my watch several times, never a good sign. If I’m going to pay $ 200+ for a meal, I don’t expect to be waiting around.
It’s the kind of place you go for an intimate date, on the quieter side — you speak just below your normal talking voice. There were plenty of 2-​person tables. It’s not really a ‘celebration’ restaurant, it has a more serious atmosphere.
The salmon still had bones in it, which left me awkwardly spitting them out onto my plate. The portions were between small and medium — but it’s a French restaurant, so I expected that. The lamb was great, but I thought it was overpriced. I felt that I shouldn’t leave a tip, but I’m too nice not to, even though I was not happy. By the end of the meal, I just wanted to get out of there.
Overall, I have had better French food elsewhere, with better service, for much less.

after reading some of the recent reviews, i was eager to try the food but apprehensive about the service. BOTH blew my mind.
We were immediately greeted and seated (we had Saturday night reservations) and w/​in a few minutes had our cocktails from Sambar in hand.
Ordering our food was wonderful — we didn’t have enough time for the tasting menu but the waitress let us pick and choose from it.
Service was prompt, efficient and friendly. The food was really phenomenal. Really enjoyed the whole experience.

Some meals offer slight glimpses of what heaven must truly be like– and I got a glimpse at Le Gourmand last Friday. First off– the place is really quaint and cozy inside– this was a special occasion and it lived up to my 10^th anniversary quite nicely.
The bare white walls, some Serge, and a waitress that was so fricking cool, complimented the cuisine that took on a simple yet elegant form.
We were first told by our waitress that a new Prix Fixe menu has been put out– three course meal for $ 45…the ode to the Depression Era we were told… Well, please take me back to 1929!!!
My wife and I ordered two Prix Fixe meals and shared evenly so we could sample six dishes– this was the way to go. We started off with Sheep’s Milk Cheese Blintzes and Rabbit Liver Pâté, which set the mood– perfection from each of these dishes. The sweet/​savory pâté was perfectly chilled and the Blintzes were light and balanced nicely with a cream and lavender sauce that was practically lapped off the dish.
Next Course: Chicken with Jerusalem Artichoke Sauce and Rock Fish in a Fennel sauce. The chicken was a knockout dish– perfectly crisp and juicy. The rockfish was a little fishy– but that goes with the territory– I should have liked to try the sausage instead.
Lastly: The rhubarb crisp with ginger ice cream was refreshing and the crème brûlée with fresh raspberries was to die for — die, die NOW… note to self: don’t die.
The waitress also obliged to a surprise gift to my lovely, lovely wife– very off the cuff and delivered with perfect execution. This was a fantastic meal and a great setting. My wife and I marveled how much it reminded us of some great meals we had in Provence a few years back… and if you close your eyes– you will be transported directly from 6^th and Market to France aka Heaven.
Tres Bön!

I’ve been steadily eating my way through the fine dining establishments in Seattle and Le Gourmand popped onto my radar, courtesy of fellow Unilocalers.
The drive to the restaurant from the I-​5 is quite an adventure — a roller coaster experience as N 45 St turns into N Midvale Pl, then into N 46 St, then into NW Market St, where Le Gourmand is to be found. It’s definitely a destination restaurant, being located rather off the beaten track.
As I was quite hungry, I declined to have a drink at Sambar next door and was seated in the restaurant. They have these strange tables with legs at each corner, making getting in and out if you’re sitting on one of the benches against the wall a little hassle. The decoration is also quite eclectic!
The service was excellent with the servers friendly, fast and knowledgeable about the menu. As is my habit in fine dining places, I opted for the tasting menu.
Well, the good thing about the food was that it was packed with flavour. All the courses were built around a single named ingredient that defined the dish and the dishes all carried a good punch. The ingredients were top notch — foie gras, fresh foraged mushrooms. However, I found some of the sauces a little heavy for my palate and the food presentation didn’t always match that on the website.
I enjoyed my meal here but it doesn’t quite make my top echelon of dining experiences in Seattle.

My boyfriend took me here for a fantastic birthday dinner. After a moment of deliberation, we settled on the seven-​course tasting menu since we reasoned that we probably won’t be back again for awhile. We also decided to split the wine pairing for an extra $ 40.
Our server was extremely knowledgeable about the menu. He was able to describe the method of preparation and where the food/​wine was sourced from down to the most minute detail. Each of the wines he chose for us to accompany each course had a story behind it about why it fit with the food we were eating. He practically had us salivating in anticipation of each course.
The tasting menu changes very often (if not daily) and they source all the ingredients locally according to what’s in season. The food I had was quite creative but in a harmonious way — among them, radish soup with dark chocolate, fatty Copper River salmon cooked in fragrant oolong tea leaves, vibrant organic flower petals in the salad. I don’t eat foie gras, and they graciously substituted a delicious sheep cheese blintze for one of the courses. Each of the courses was very small, but we were stuffed by the end of the meal.
My boyfriend preordered a flourless chocolate cake for me and it was among the best, richest, densest, and most intense chocolate cake I’ve ever had. It was basically pure ganache, and we could only finish half of the small cake before we couldn’t stomach another bite.
It took us 3 hours to finish our meal, but we enjoyed every minute. Le Gourmand may be pricey, but it’s a worthwhile experience. They have a recession special going on right now — $ 45 for 3 courses — which may warrant a return visit.