Cafe Provence

*** CLOSED *** Nov 2014*********************
Café Provence seemed like such a classy place and the owner was really nice. Sad to see it closed.

What a horrible experience. I ordered the veal. It was salty so I sent it back. The manager /​owner tried to explain why it was salty. I asked for something fast to replace it. Was served $ 15 frozen ravioli. My husband ordered the scallops and prawns. The prawns were small shrimp. The manager /​owner suggested we don’t know our shrimp size. Um… bad move. We feel like we learned that we will never return when we move here permanently. Low quality food at fine dining prices.

I’m giving this place two stars because the owner is very nice and so are the servers… Food not so great. The selection is minimal and the spices they use makes everything taste the same. They need a makeover like yesterday.

This restaurant is the best fine dining in Anthem. We have eaten there several times and the food is the best. The service is great they look after you and now to all your needs. Not many people for a Saturday and I hope it was just a slow night. You have got to go there you won’t be sorry.

We have visited this establishment many times and have yet to have a bad meal. Tonight being our anniversary my husband gave me the choice of anywhere I wanted to go, he thought for sure we would be heading south into Scottsdale at a 5-​star restaurant. Why travel 30-​min when we have a 5-​STAR restaurant 5 min from home?
Everything was exquisite from the soup, to the main course to the dessert. Does it have the romantic ambiance, No, but does the food rival any higher, fine end dinning in the North Phoenix area… YES, it does, it is so worth the drive. So if you are out for a different place to dine, that has exceptional food, then you need to try this little place in Anthem. I can assure you that you won’t be disappointed. And, it is easy off the freeway and back on! Bön Appetite !!

We had a five o’clock dinner reservation on a Thursday night, although the reservation wasn’t necessary based on the low customer volume at that time. Café Provence is tucked in the corner of a strip mall backing up to Daisy Mountain road. When we arrived, we were promptly greeted by a friendly gentleman behind the bar, who came around to seat us right away. While the atmosphere didn’t transport me to the rustic charm of Provence, the dining area was pleasant just the same. It is a small restaurant, having approximately ten tables and the same number of booths. The walls were painted in warm tones, giving a feeling of comfort. The walls were tastefully decorated with interesting pieces of modern art and the tables and booths were comfortable and good quality. I surveyed the dining room to see that it was kept very clean; all the tables were set uniformly and the glasses and flatware were polished. There were only two other guests in the restaurant at the time, and one patron at the bar.
The bartender, who ended up being our server, was a seasoned professional. His timing was perfect and his attention to detail was flawless. We never went without full water glasses – which is essential in Arizona – and he was conscientious about properly spacing our courses, since we had mentioned we were in no hurry. He was also very knowledgeable about the menu, and offered several recommendations.
I had hoped that the wine list would consist of unique French wines, but was disappointed to find the limited list had primarily domestic, mass produced, grocery store wines. We settled on a Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc ($ 40) which I could have gotten for $ 17 at the Fry’s across the parking lot.
While Café Provence offers several meat based dishes, such as lamb osso bucco, veal oscar, and beouf bourginon, we opted for the seafood menu items to keep things on the lighter side. We started our meal with two appetizers; the mussels and clams ($ 14) and the calamari ($ 11). The mussels and clams came in a heavenly beurre blanc broth seasoned with roasted garlic and fennel. Our server brought us a warm toasted baguette to soak up the broth, so none of it would go to waste – it would be criminal to throw any of this broth away! The calamari was dusted with a light, crisp breading that complimented the tender and moist calamari. The squid was tossed in a lemon sauce and topped with diced tomatoes and herbs, this acidity paired perfectly with the sweet calamari meat. My husband ordered a small Caesar salad ($ 5) which was very reasonably priced for the amount of salad he received. The romaine was bright and crisp and the salad was tossed with the perfect amount of house made Caesar dressing.
Based on the impressive start to our meal, we were anxiously awaiting the arrival of our entrees. Unfortunately, this was the low point of our dining experience. Upon our server’s recommendation, I ordered the Fruit de Mer au Gratin ($ 23). The menu description said Scallops, Prawns, Crabmeat, Mushrooms, Potato Purée, Asparagus and Lobster Sauce. The server raved about how exceptional this dish was, so I couldn’t pass it up. However, when our food arrived, I was presented with a plate holding two ceramic dishes covered with greasy melted cheese – presumably mozzarella, an unsightly dollop of dried out mashed potatoes and a side of unremarkable zucchini. First of all, in traditional French cooking, cheese and seafood do not mix. There is a reason for this – its not good! The cheese over powers the delicate seafood and detracts from its flavors. The menu description does not mention the cheese either; when I read «gratin» I expected a breadcrumb topping, which is traditional. However, after pushing the cheese aside as best I could, I was pleased to find the seafood below was perfectly cooked and the lobster sauce was rich and smooth. The «pureed» potatoes were lumpy, dry and void of any flavor. Instead of asparagus, as the menu promised, I received overcooked, flabby zucchini. My husband ordered the Halibut special ($ 32) which came with the same disappointing potatoes and vegetables as my entrée. His fish was cooked to perfection, pan seared with a lightly brown, crispy crust and delightfully moist and flaky on the inside.
When it came for dessert, our server suggested the tiramisu ($ 5), which is scratch made in house. I love tiramisu, so this was an easy decision for me. I did not regret it! This was the lightest, fluffiest and most delightful tiramisu I can ever remember eating. The top layer of mascarpone was so light, it tasted whipped. The lady fingers were perfectly saturated with espresso and rum. My husband ordered the key lime pie ($ 5), which proved to be just as enjoyable as my dessert. It was made from real key limes, giving it a perfect balance of tartness and sweetness. The graham cracker crust was buttery and rich.
As a whole, our dining experience at Café Provence was a positive one.

By far our best dining experience anywhere in the North Phoenix/​Anthem area since moving here in December. We dined there last night and the food was a-​ma-​zing. It was that good. First, they offer their pasta dishes with a gluten free pasta option. This was important to us and very much appreciated. Gluten free pastas are not that easy to find on menus. On top of that, the pasta dish was terrific. The hit of the night, however, was the Fruits de Mer au Gratin. I would never have ordered this based on the menu description and name, but luckily my sister did. It was basically a huge plate with two smaller dishes filled with seafood in a creamy sauce, topped with melted cheese. Wow. I cannot wait to go back again and order this for myself. I am honestly already craving it.
We topped off the great food with a bottle of chianti and two different desserts — the lava cake and the crème brûlée — both very good.
An excellent dining experience — sadly, our first really, really good one in Anthem.
PS They have a good kids’ menu, too. My 7-​year old had the penne with marinara (a very large portion!) and loved it.

Excellent service! Great food presentation with a variety of choices. Very we’ll prepared. We will make this a regular place.

We eat here often. The flavor is fantastic. I would give it 4 stars if they would just heat the plates before they put the food on them. Big cold plates make food cold in minutes.

Tap water !?! :/​try filtering u r food and ice tea will b much better… farm fish. is Disgusting..

Not sure where all of Conrad’s complaints come from. My wife and I went to Anthem on January 2 to visit a long-​time out-​of-​state friend who was staying in Anthem and decided to have a leisurely lunch at Café Provence. It was our first time there and our friend had actually fully enjoyed eating there twice during the prior week and wanted to go back to try more items.
During the 3 hours we sat, talked, and ate, we had great service to fit our desired slow pace. The food was great and plentiful. Onion soup, the signature calamari, portobello ravioli, Fruits de Mer au Gratin, crème brulee, chocolate mousse cake and one of our favorite wines.
We watched other satisfied customers come for lunch and go – noting this was likely a light post holiday day.
If we fine ourselves at that (far for us) end of town, we would definitely eating there again.

I could eat here every night! My favorites are The escargot, the calamari, salmon arugula salad, potato encrusted salmon, and my kids love their cheeseburgers and grilled cheese sandwiches. The service is awesome! I’ve never had a bad experience there. They are all so nice and friendly. 6 stars!

Phenomenal. The soup, the filet au poivre, the wine, and the service were beyond comparison.

The bartender was awesome! I believe he has some stake in the place because he acted like I was a guest in his home! After a perfect martini I enjoyed the best frog legs I’ve had. Crispy but succulent… Great restaurant and close to home! Can’t wait to come back with my wife!

Best French Onion soup ever!!! The service was wonderful, the atmosphere delightful, and the food superb. What a great find!!!

We were in Anthem for my partner to see an Oral Surgeon. When we were done he was hungry and I came across Café Provence on
.
Knowing he loves French food I made the executive decision to try it out and drove right there.
The place was empty except for a couple other tables, but that’s not surprising for a place like this on a Monday afternoon at about 1:00 PM. We were seated right away by what I believe to be one of the owners.
The only server was really busy with the few tables she had so the same gentleman who seated us took our order. We both had the same thing, French Onion Soup and a Chopped Salad. The food was good albeit a little pricey.
I would have rated them higher, but they had left the doors open to the restaurant. Okay, no big deal, but at the same time the landscapers were just outside the restaurant running their leaf blower to clean off the sidewalk. That’s just gross. Then when we left I noticed the AC was set at 85 and it was 82 degrees in the restaurant. IMO it was time to turn on the AC. I get the idea of having fresh air, but it really was time to turn on the AC.

For the Preamble I decided to give this place a second chance because I know some people that patronized this restaurant and really enjoyed it. Everyone deserves a second chance. I went here with my wife and our friend Billie Sue.
I would like to acknowledge the service here. We walked in without a reservation and was seated immediately because we went there midday so there was no crowd. After being seated our waitress Vanessa took our beverage order and gave us ample time to review the menu and select our entrees.
We started our meal off with an appetizer of Calamari Provencal — made with fresh Herbs, diced Tomato, tossed in Lemon Butter. The lemon butter sauce stole the show here. I would have totally licked my plate to get every last drop it was so good. My wife loved it and like me commented how delicious the lemon butter sauce was. Our friend Billie Sue never tried calamari and was apprehensive about tasting it. One bite and she was hooked.
Next up my wife and I got a dinner salad. It had a Balsamic Hazelnut Vinaigrette that was amazing delicious. For our entrees our friend ordered tilapia — Sautéed Tilapia, Flour Dusted, Smashed Red Potatoes, Carrots, Asparagus, in Lemon Beurre Blanc. She really enjoyed it and offered my wife a bite to try it. My wife told Bilie Sue she didn’t like tilapia but Billie Sue insisted she try it. Guess what my wife thought it was remarkably tasty.
For our entrees my wife and I ordered the halibut. This dish was truly the highlight of the of our visit. The halibut was beautifully served in addition to being moist and tender. «Magnifique» !!
We finished off our meals with dessert. Billie Sue decided on the Tiramisu Carol and I ordered the Carmel Cheesecake. I normally don’t order desserts or sweets, but the cheese cake was calling my name. It was divine. words cannot describe how stupendous this dessert is.
FOOD: Was super scrumptious. The flavors and texture combined perfectly without overwhelming any of the fish dishes. The portions look small, but they aren’t that small as you dig in. We all left the restaurant very satisfied and full. The food is fantastic, everything we ordered was tasty and exceeded our expectations. AMBIANCE: Rustic atmosphere. If you have people visiting from out of town, you should take them here. Its a unique experience that everyone should know about! PRICE: The prices are real reasonable for French food. The bill for the three of us came to $ 133.42. SERVICE: I cannot emphasize enough the wonderful service experience we got from Vanessa. The service here is top notch and extremely attentive. Vanessa was polite, professional, and courteous. CONCLUSION: If the way to that special someone’s heart is through their stomach, take them to Café Provence and they’ll fall madly in love with you. This snug, lovely restaurant offers an intimate alternative to the rest of the restaurants we normally frequent. Perfect unpretentious French restaurant that offers excellent service and affordable prices. Café Provence s definitely deserves the high praise. I will be most certainly coming back, hungry and yearning for more! RETURN FACTOR: 100%
*************** What does my OVERALL rating mean?*************************
5 stars –Highly recommended. I would be willing to drive out of my way to this business. It is that good. This place represents their industry or cuisine very well!
4 stars — Highly Recommended. I would frequent this business.
3 stars — Not that good but not that bad. Just average. I wouldn’t mind going again.
2 stars — I would not recommend this establishment to friends or family.
1 stars — DO YOURSELF A FAVOR AND DO NOT patronize this business. I would RUN AWAY from this place and you should too! DON’T WAST YOUR HARD EARNED MONEY AT THIS ESTABLISHMENT

The early signs weren’t good. Iffy Unilocal reviews, dead on a Thursday evening, tucked into a strip mall in WASP-​y Anthem… But I had it bookmarked so we gave it a shot and I’m glad we did.
The service was great. Our server and another gentleman (the owner, perhaps?) checked on us regularly and were extremely friendly. Dubiously, I ordered the tilapia and it was exceptional. My companions greatly enjoyed their meals as well (osso bucco and more tilapia). Were I not an adult with a driver’s license and a mortgage, I might have licked my plate clean.
For dessert, we had the caramel cheesecake and the tiramisu. The cheesecake was a little disappointing as it was essentially plain cheesecake with caramel sauce on it. The tiramisu was quite tasty.
The place is very cute inside although the giant TV’s above the bar look a little out of place. We will definitely return.

Wonderful food — the chef is superb! We love the homemade soups and ice creams,
portabello mushroom ravioli, seafood, thick and juicy pork chop — calamari — we have
never had a bad meal. They have a more casual side and a fancier diningroom. We had a fantastic New Year’s dinner with piano music. We love Café Provence for lunch, dinner or for a special event.
The only downside is that sometimes the service is slow but lately that has
improved as well. We moved outside the other night as a party of 10 with children
sat nearby and we wanted a quiet meal — and it was enjoyable, too.

It seems this little restaurant tucked into a strip mall on Daisy Mountain Drive can’t make up its mind whether it is a fine dining restaurant or a casual/​bar restaurant. It was quiet when we went there, but got busier as the night went on. I imagine kids would be welcome because it’s the kind of place where the TVs are on over the bar.
I would also like to caveat my review with saying that I’m not the kind of person to send my food back or complain in the restaurant. Perhaps this is unfair to the owners and employees who seemed very pleasant and nice and consistently asked how everything was because it doesn’t give them a chance to make it differently. But I make my determinations based on the way the food comes out the first time.
My companion had a nice meal — the escargot and steak au poivre. My meal was okay, but not fantastic. The risotto was slightly undercooked and, while it had a good flavor, it was extremely mild. If it weren’t for the crispy shallots on top, it would have been virtually flavorless. Next was the portobello ravioli which tasted good, the sauce was excellent and creamy and loaded with butter, just like good french cooking. However, the temperature inside the ravioli was a little cool.
Desserts, I’m afraid were the biggest disappointment. I love a good tiramisu. It is my favorite dessert and it’s Italian instead of French, but it was on the menu and I was told it was house made so I gave it a shot. I was not impressed and I’m fairly certain the chocolate sauce draped over the top was regular old Hersheys.
The Strawberry Crème Brulee was also a little strange. It wasn’t set inside, but rather runny and lukewarm.
Overall it was definitely not the worst meal I’ve ever had, but I don’t think I’ll be going back. For the price tag, I hoped for more.