Tourterelle

I have eaten here at least once a month for about four years. It used to be a fabulous restaurant but it has really declined in recent months. The menu is much less appealing and gone are the special touches like seasoned rolls hot out of the oven served with herbed butter. Now they serve plain rolls and foil wrapped butter pats. There used to be a wonderful green salad with dried cranberries and chevre which was perfect every time. Now the chief’s taste is toward pickled vegetables. When I dined here recently both my soup and my steak were served cold. Disappointing.

My husband and I had an appointment in Middlebury in the afternoon, so we reserved for 7 p.m. Saturday dinner. We were seated promptly by an attentive and professional maitresse d’ and servers. The only quibble I had with the service was a very slow arrival of the wonderful bottle of featured Malbec we ordered. The appetizers of a venison meat pie and tuna tartare were first rate, full of subtle and assertive flavors. Very accommodating about our salad sharing. Outstanding bouillabaisse for me and delicious duck duo for my husband. And for dessert we shared the most delectable giant wedge of chocolate cake with salted caramel I have ever tasted. This was, all around, a wonderful meal, and we will go back. If I could give 4.5 stars I would, and it would be 5 if not that we had to ask for our wine after the appetizers had arrived.

We have been here a number of times over the past couple of years and have never been disappointed. The bouliabasse (sp) is amazing. The crepes are always delicious abd interesting. Service is fantastic. Thus is a wonderful special occasion establishment.

Elegant, not overdone, wonderfully balanced menu, and absolutely top-​notch atmosphere. I loved this restaurant and will look forward to returning for the best of occasions.

Made reservation for a Friday evening and mentioned it’s a birthday dinner and that we would like to have a quiet table. Got a table right between bar and dining room with non-​stop traffic. Unfortunately, returned from restroom when I joined the table, otherwise would have insisted in getting more comfortable placement.
Food was cold except one dish. Two rabbit dishes had to be sent back to the kitchen because the meat was less than room temperature! Received plates back in about 5 minutes with comment «cook said that meat cools down because of bed of cold corn (which is not true when pre-​heating plates and served promptly)». And on replacement plates, no vegetable decoration just corn, meat, and two wedges of potatoes.
However, food was tasty which is only positive. Rest was AWFUL! Making the story really bad is that we had a waitress on her second day and the service was accordingly. Had to wait for bread, wine and food was served the first time that belonged to another table. NEVER AGAIN.
No WiFi which has become a 21^st century necessity, whether you use it or not.
An over-​priced, overblown hype just because of the white table cloth and classy interior?

We eat at Tourterelle often — the food is great and the hospitality equally wonderful. The décor is relaxing and intimate — I love the fireplace in the main dining room and wide pine floors. We often sit at the small bar off the lobby, where the staff are gracious and professional, but very friendly. Seasonal cocktail specials are unique, such as a sour cherry martini with housemade infused vodka from cherries grown on site.
Favorites include the escargot appetizer, grilled mozzarella salad, and in the springtime be sure to look for the asparagus appetizer. Bouillabaisse is a great standby — always on the menu — but specials often include a local filet mignon or other steak that is always wonderful, especially with green beans and local potatoes done various ways. For lighter appetites, several savory crepes paired with a small salad are a nice option, as are the burger and mussels.

Going away the best restaurant within 30 miles of Middlebury. A true country French restaurant deeply appreciated by area residents and visitors lucky enough to find it. Local ingredients are treated with care and imagination and guests are warmly welcomed, first visit or «regulars». Charming décor and friendly, competent servers.
The bouillabaisse is always a delight, the moules frites a treat and the rest of the menu an array of good choices. Maybe not a fit for the gluten-​free/​vegan crowd but a joy for the rest of us.

I’ve been here a few times. The first time was soon after it had opened, and I was quite impressed (there was some amazingly cooked and seasoned salmon). I was pleased enough that it has been a place that I’ve gone back to for a few times, all for brunch. It has always been pleasant for brunch, but I’ve never been as impressed as I was the first time. The food is good, fresh, but sometimes I feel as though the portions are a bit small/​could be a little more interesting. The atmosphere of the restaurant is lovely, though; it is beautiful on mornings when the sun streams in through the windows. So in short — it isn’t a truly amazing, place, but it is still good enough that I would go back.

After hearing rave reviews about this unique French restaurant, we set our expectations high. Unfortunately, the restaurant failed to deliver and we left feeling moderately satisfied.
I will begin by saying that the atmosphere is quiet and intimate, the menu sounds delectable with an interesting twist on classic French fair. The service was just ok, our waitress was young and seemed a bit unsure of herself. We began the meal with a nice, crisp bottle of Pinot Noir which was very good for the price. The wine was likely the best part of the meal as the food when downhill from there.
Being gluten and dairy free makes it difficult eating out, but I have found that many restaurants in the VT area are quite accommodating and more than happy to whip something up for me that may or may not be featured on the menu. This was not the case here, they had very limited options (no gluten free starches existed on the entire menu and there was not even the slightest inclination that the chef would be willing to make something special). Ok, now onto the food:
For a table of four we split two crepes and three Tourterelle salads. The crepes were good, one sweet and one savory, but the salads left much to be desired. As advertised on the menu it features artichoke hearts, toasted pecans, dried cranberries and goat cheese (which I sadly had to pass on). When the salads came out there were no cranberries on any of them, but rather it feature dried currents (smaller raisins, ew!) and we were never alerted to the change. Not a good idea for people with food allergies or for people who LOVE cranberries on their salads!
Our entrees were fine, we had their house BBQ which was good. The pork was cooked well but lacked the umph I was hoping for, and the wild mushroom raviolis were very actually tasty.
All in all, it was an enjoyable meal but not because of the food. The atmosphere and people made the evening and I don’t think I will be heading back there anytime soon. I would advise looking for alternatives if you want to eat underwhelming, overpriced French food.

I love this place. Try the Seafood boulibase it is the best!!!

Especially after my surprisingly great experience at the top of a remote mountain, I would’ve thought that this bustling French inn and restaurant was going to blow me away. Alas, my expectations were too high.
We were a large group eating brunch on Sunday; we had made reservations ahead of time so when we showed up we were escorted right to our table. The brunch menu is unimaginative, all basic variations on eggs: omelettes, crepes, frittatas, etc. but no unique combinations or ingredients. Several of the party ordered the one thing that sounded interesting, the burrito crêpe but it was pretty much an omelette wrapped in a crêpe. I had the sausage frittata which had seasonal vegetables in it. It was meh; it could really have used some fresh herbs — tarragon, thyme, rosemary, to kick the flavors up. There were pancakes and french toast on the menu, but when they were brought out, I was aghast at the portion size. Two pancakes the size of my fist, with a sprinkling of apples? We had to ask for maple syrup.
The service was spotty. Right after taking our drink orders, I saw that our waitress packed up and left, apparently done for the day. Another waitress came out and asked again about our drinks; we told her we had already ordered. We ordered food; a different waitress brought it out and handed the wrong plates to the wrong people. Because of the aforementioned similarity among all the food items, it was hard to tell whose was whose until the waitress returned with the rest of the plates and could identify the plates.
It’s a cute place, and maybe it’s better for different meals, or when you stay there and can eat whenever you like. Compared to other experiences, it wasn’t worth it. But the tea was very tasty.

On the road, looking for takeout — and staff were very accommodating. The salmon did not disappoint. A bit pricy, but very delicious.