Bistro At L’auberge

Since they recently closed, it is a minor loss to me. We used to visit frequently and enjoyed the meals and atmosphere. A few years ago, that all ended when I was refused entrance to the bar because I was not wearing «proper» shoes.
We had just attended a Broadway Series show at the Schuster Center and wanted to stop for an after show drink. I was dressed in casual attire with a cashmere sweater and wool dress slacks with a pair of Salomon running shoes. My wife was wearing a dressy sweater and pants with flats. This apparently did not meet some unspecified dress code and we were denied entrance to the bar unless I had some «proper» shoes.
That was the end of any visits for us for any purpose.
I wonder if they ever open again, they will adapt to the times or remain in the 1970’s (or maybe 1950’s)

The food is very interesting and delicious. The service is top notch. When I compare it with similarly priced restaurants in L.A., it’s quite impressive.

Décor and ambiance is a bit dated, but everything else was more than acceptable. Despite being a bit slow at taking our order (I guess they wanted us to enjoy our conversation), service was otherwise attentive and personable. Food was very good and appropriately portioned as you might expect for this caliber and style of restaurant. Each component of every dish had its own texture and taste, and all seemed to blend well together for a terrific overall experience.

I had heard so much about L’Auberge through the years, as I am a Dayton native. It used to be the only place given 5 diamonds by AAA in town. They have since been demoted, and duly so. They won some awards in the 80’s and it must have really went to their head. The place is so pretentious, that it is not one restaurant, it is 3 *rolls eyes* They have decided to split the restaurant into 3 sections, not including the patio. My wife and I went to eat there one beautiful spring evening. The food was good, but completely unmemorable, and not worth the price. Our chablis was drinkable, but not good. The best part was, our waiter, a total j@ack@ss. I cannot remember being served by someone who was so arrogant, and at the same time so incompetent. He ignored us all evening, and was rude and condescending when he was at our table. I usually leave 20% for a tip, no matter how large the bill is, but I left him 15% to the penny, and a note explaining how pathetic he was. Looking back, I wish I would have just left nothing. If you want fine dining in the Dayton area, I suggest… hmmm, Jay’s Seafood, J. Alexander’s, the Pine Club, or maybe Coco’s. You will be treated much better, and get a much better value.

As one of the most renowned restaurants around Dayton, after we found out about their $ 13 prix fixe weekday lunch, we had to give it a try!
The décor is awesome– Walls painted with can can dancers in the style of Toulouse Lautrec, vintage furniture, endless wine racks, a grand piano, and an area that appears to be available as a dance floor for special occasions, too. The only weird thing was that we were literally the *only* people in there. Economic hard times don’t call for fancy lunches, but if you’re looking for a place to go where you have the place to yourself around lunchtime, this is your spot. We had two servers all to ourselves.
For the special, you get your choice of an appetizer (either a salad or a cup of lobster bisque) and main course. I chose the lobster bisque and the grilled chicken for my main course out of about 4 selections. It was absolutely delicious! Starting from the beginning of the meal though, they brought out hard rolls with butter that were so good. Luckily the bisque arrived before I could forget that I had more food coming that I needed to save room for. The bisque was equally delicious. Though the portion was quite small, it was all I wanted considering the generous portion of the grilled chicken that came next. There was a thin «jus» that covered the dish that included chicken, pureed potatoes and brussel sprouts. I can’t call myself a fan of brussel sprouts, but these fit so perfectly with the whole plate, that they tasted amazing.
The chicken: parfait! The potatoes: parfait! The brussel sprouts: parfait!
Merci, l’Auberge, pour un dejeuner fantastique!

Meh. That is how I feel about L’auberge Bistro. The lobster bisque is great. Lots of butter, cream, and salt. I would like to have some actual pieces of lobster in my soup though. The service is efficient but not all-​together friendly. Very prompt and professional but no personality.
The Bistro is currently offering a «recession-​proof» special which is an amazing deal w/​a soup or salad, small entrée, and dessert for $ 30. Great deal. The food is OK but I would like to see more variety and something to set the food apart. They play it safe with standard offerings. Boring.
Everyone should try the main dining room at least once for the experience, it is good for a special occasion. Once you have done that stick to the Bistro.

Fine dining at it’s best. For food and service it doesn’t get any better than this. It doesn’t matter if your in the main dining room, private room or bistro you’ll find no better food in Dayton. The attention to detail in every aspect of service and food makes dining here a delight in every sense and makes it worth the price.