Ghyslain

We couldn’t make up our minds so we ordered 3 entrees. Everything was fantastic and the portions are huge. We will definitely take the few extra minutes to drive over off of 70. We loved the crepes and chicken pot pie as well as the poutine.

For Richmond, what can I say, this place is some of the best they have to offer in fine dining and cuisine. With that being said, I usually love the chicken salad on croissant, though at times, it can be hit or miss.

Food was phenomenal … That is after my grandmother, my Aunt and myself waited 1 hour for 3 sandwiches (2 of which were the same) …
While eating the gumbo I pulled out of my mouth a 2 INCH CHICKEN BONE… After passing it to a waiter the manager or owner (not sure which) came over to ask what meal it came out of and then proceeded to blame it in an outside vender that makes the soup and provided no apology to us !!!
Our meal was comped. Thank you for that, but still no apology :(

I’ve only eaten here once, and don’t usually review until I give it a few more goes. But. I can’t not write about what I had here. I was in Richmond last year, and noted that Ghyslain’s had veggie potpie. Finally came back to try. Everything about my meal was so delicious! The bread on the side was fresh, crunchy– chewy and served with butter you could actually spread. Don’t you hate it when you’re served rock hard butter you have to chip away at? I started out with the tomato stack made of thick slabs of fresh tomato, mozzarella, & basil topped with a smidgen of olive paste, dressed with olive oil & balsamic. Most enjoyable! And then. the pot pie. Oooooh. Fabulous. Creamy sauced veggies, flaky pastry, served hot & steamy from the oven. M’m M’m good! Really impressed with the portion sizes; if I weren’t such a glutton, I would make two meals of it easily. I’m planning on going back when the weather gets chilly to enjoy this treat again.

Thought I had died and gone to France! What a lovely surprise in Indiana!!!

We stopped in for lunch on Saturday, August 16. Meal came with the best bread and butter ever. I had the meatball sandwich. It was fantastic. My wife had the Mediterranean platter. Also great. I had the sweet potato salad. Fantastic! My son had the curried chicken wrap. Not as good as the rest. A little bland. Service was great, too. We shared a hazelnut dessert. Great!
Service was also very good.
We’ll be back next time we’re passing through Richmond. It was worth the drive from I-​70.

This was a much better experience than past ones. The service was great, the wine prices are reasonable. I had beef stroganoff and it was wonderful. It was served with Brussels sprouts (which I hate), but butter and bacon make anything eatable. We will come back!

First off, this is a review of Ghyslain’s restaurant… and NOT a review of the wonderful assortment of deserts and chocolates available. I have nothing but positive statements to offer regarding the deserts and chocolates. However, I must be candid about dining at Ghyslain’s.
My wife and I have dined here several times, starting our visits shortly after the intial opening of this facility. Our first experiences were delightful… More recently, our visits took a distinct downturn. Our second from our last visit was truly dreadful, and I swore to myself I would not return. Time changes things though, and recently my wife and I were asked to join another couple to dine at Ghyslain’s. The selection of the restaurant was the choice of the other couple. I should have known better, and should have politely declined from participating.
Our most recent visit was dreadful. Our waitress greeted us with a Ya… Hooooo…as if we were old pals. We’re in our 60’s and the other couple is in their late 70’s. All four retired professionals, and dressed very well. Once seated, we all looked at each other and asked if any of us knew the waitress… no one did. When she came back for ordering drinks, she again acted as if we we’re in Domino’s pizza… no finesse, virtually no introduction, and lots and lots of giggling. Her knowledge of the fare was minimal. Bad sign.
Three of us ordered the shrimp appetizer special. The shrimp were so overcooked that they resembled jerky moreso than seafood. After the waitress finally checked back, we commented to the waitress of our overcooked shrimp. Her reply was that she «would tell the cook»…no more was heard back.
Two of us ordered the petite filet mignon… both ordered medium rare. Our meat was virtually raw… now don’t get me wrong, I love rare meat… but this was slightly warm, truly uncooked core. We would have commented to the waitress, but she never returned during the meal… and would have likely only «told the cook» anyway.
One of us ordered a grilled shrimp meal — similar to the appetizer. The shrimp were inedible, and remain mostly uneaten.
One of us ordered the Chicken weekend special… it was good… except for the snap peas. Each and every meal came with snap peas — tough and stringy. No one ate theirs. Each meal also came with mashed potatoes, gluey and cold. Two of our members declined to participate in their potatos.
The total bill for our four meals and drinks was just under $ 200. Rated for value, we agreed our meals ranked a solid «1» out of «10». Service: «2». Ambiance: «2» (horrid music fighting 75 db HVAC system)…and lastly, Food «3».
On a more positive note: There is a lesson to be gleaned here: Stick to your initial impressions carefully gathered over time. This time I state with conviction: I will never return.

Wonderful pastries and chocolates! The equal of any in the world!
Dining area is a favorite for outstanding food and attentive service. World class dining right there in Richmond. Other locations have good reputations as well. The quality and service are outstanding.

Great surprising Richmond find! Greeted warmly by 2-​day old staff member. Suggested several tastings of Gelato (chocolate is amazing!)
I had white chili and decadent chocolate dessert. A little on the high side for what I ate but it was really good.
If weather permits I strongly urge the patio. FYI, no outlets so have tech charged up.
I would certainly visit again!

Have to knock a couple of stars off. Weekend dining was a bit of a fiasco. Service was slow and not very knowledgeable. Was almost funny watching her struggle with the wine bottle. I had to navigate the list myself as she knew nothing about it (and admitted to that fact).
Where was my favorite waiter?

This is such a wonderful restaurant in Richmond. The food is delicious and the chocolates and desserts are out of this world. They have cases of hand crafted chocolates and fancy desserts, as well as gelato! You can also get a French-​pressed coffee here. It’s like escaping to Europe!

I’m giving this four stars based on a very good meal in a small town. It’s a little more exotic food than I would expect in a smaller location. Perhaps eastern Indiana has a sophisticated palate.
I started with the french onion, which was good, but needed more rich brown flavor. I liked the cheese and bread served with it, but the soup itself needed a little something. But what really shined was the charucuterie, which was very good. What I felt was a quite reasonable price for I think 7 meat selections, some good goat cheese, blue cheese, and manchego, some delicious fresh pears (for this time of year, exceptional) and strawberries, plus some fig marmalade preserves. To top it off, several of the meats were duck based, playing right to my taste. All were very good, even the extra garlicky ones, which typically aren’t my style. Black pepper duck pâté was particularly good, and the goat cheese and pear was great. Really really enjoyed this. It was also a large helping — I was stuffed. I’d be hard pressed not to get this if I ever return. I know there’s not much prep involved in something like this, and it comes down to just having good ingredients. But some places can’t even do that.
They have a great looking dessert counter — I just had gelato, which was very good, but did not indulge in some very impressive looking housemade chocolates and pastries.
This looks to be a small chain — I think it’s kind of a gem. Based on my one meal, it’s honestly something I would be happy to find in a large city, so it’s nice to find it while on the road. A welcome change from the usual suspects.

I have to admit that it’s been quite awhile since I’ve dined at Ghyslain. But when I have, the food has been excellent, and the service great.
I came on this occasion to pick up some chocolate for a gift. That is where Ghyslain really shines. Chocolate!
It’s also worth a trip here just to see the desserts in the display cases up front. They are true works of art. You almost feel bad eating them because they’re so gorgeous.

I really, really want to like this place. It’s quaint, not a franchise and I can’t pronounce the name; all the qualities I love. But the food and service just don’t cut it.
I’ve eaten there 4 – 5 times. Lunch was fine. Nothing to rave about but satisfying. Their quiche was very good. Tonight I ordered off a take home menu the California Salad for $ 8.00. Along with that I ordered a pecan bourbon tart and latte for $ 3.50. My bill was $ 21.00 before tip.
Apparently the menu (which was given me from the hair salon located in the same building) was dated. The salad had gone up to $ 11.00. It was comprised of mixed greens which looked like the Dole Salad bag mix, sliced strawberries, sliced pears, and bleu cheese. Again the pecans were missing. Everything in the salad required a knife as pieces were too large to eat. Some of the greens were bigger than my hand. While it wasn’t a chopped salad, some chopping on their part would have been appreciated.
The server explained to me their lattes and coffee were different than «most restaurants» and then announced the coffee was french pressed. She said this slowly as if explaining the splitting of the atom to a four year old. I’m …well, old enough to know what french press coffee is. So I get the latte, tart and salad, pay the bill (choke) and head home, sipping my coffee. There was no steamed milk or vanilla syrup in my latte. Basically it was f-​r-​e-​n-​c-​h p-​r-​e-​s-​s-​e-​d coffee only. The salad was meh, and the tart okay.
Each time I’ve visited Ghyslain there is a new server who has no clue about the menu or proper service. The newbie is constantly running to the back or getting assistance which gives you the feeling that your order isn’t right in more ways than one. When you receive the food you realize this is more than a feeling.
Will I go there again? Probably not — just too many flaws.

First off, I agree with every past review that speaks so highly of this place, I did too. We went here about one year ago to experience some phenomenal dinner options, well worth the trip. This place was a destination in itself. Now, sadly, it’s little more than a dressed up soup and sandwich café with some nice desserts. I have no idea why anyone in their right mind would have radically changed the menu so much to become so generic?
Unfortunately, we won’t be returning. It’s far too inconvenient to get to compared to the quality of dinner (sandwiches) they now offer. I will miss this place.

Te owners of Ghyslain emigrated from France in 1942. After years of surveillance from the Vichy French, the parents of the founder of this restaurant snuck out the brilliant recipes that now make up the menu of this enchanting luncheon spot. The name of this restaurant, Ghyslain, comes from the Ghyslain Town in Bordeaux, France.
This is the same region featured in the wonderful Johnny Depp film «Chocolat» and the wondrous flavors showcased in this film come to life in the fine turtle desserts found here. Ghyslain is a French name meaning dragon slayer, something the town in France was known for.
The head chef of this restaurant, Pierre, fuses local organic vegetables and rare Bavarian Mink meat to make the Croque Monsier Panini accented with Leek Scalloped Potatoes and a bubbly Champagne «breezer» touched with Promegranate. The entire meal is wonderfully produced with a local Cellist trained at Julliard school of music.
I’ll go back here again soon, and when I go I’ll find myself sitting once again in Paris.

My husband and I visited Ghyslain for our 17^th Anniversary. In a nutshell, I’m happy he took me there; it was my first time and I enjoyed it.
But let’s crack that nutshell open, shall we?
The service: Great! Everyone was friendly, knowledgeable and helpful… best of all our server didn’t bother us by hanging around too much.
The atmosphere: Nice. It’s a small, old space but it’s got charm. We felt free to get up and roam around to browse the decadent desserts at our leisure.
The prices: Not too bad. They weren’t any more than I expected!
The food: Well, here’s where we run into a little snag. I’d ordered the chicken pot pie. I don’t know why I ordered the chicken pot pie; I don’t typically eat pot pies. But I thought I’d give it a shot. In the end, it apparently didn’t matter what I’d ordered because they brought me the wrong thing. I was given the veggie pot pie instead, which basically consisted of peas. Lots and lots of peas. I hate peas.
I had torn the thing apart looking for any bit or morsel of chicken before realizing it was the wrong thing, so I figured it was moot to return it.
Other than that, everything was dandy! My tea was awesome! Dessert was even better! I’m pretty certain you can’t go wrong with dessert (since that’s what they’re known for).
So… I’d go again. But I’m not ordering that pot pie!

Dear Ghyslain,
We used to be friends. Quite frankly, the best of friends. We’d see eachother at least twice a week for some of THE best lunches. And then you took off — for fancier friends and greener pastures.
Oh, how I miss your gourmet chicken salad croissants, dark chocolate dipped cookies and delicious soups. However, I do not miss your sub par service and lack of friendly smiles. Yes, I would like a smile with my croissant.
I am happy to see you doing well in Richmond, but would love to see you serving your hometown community of Union City.
A bientot,
One jealous Unilocaler from your humble beginnings

My mother-​in-​law suggested we try a chocolate shop on a recent trip to Richmond… what an understatement! We had lunch and more. Service was good… not great… but the food more than made up for any shortcomings in the service. I enjoyed a bowl of white bean and chicken chili… probably the best bowl of this chili that I’ve ever had the privilege of eating. Great bread, great dessert, great place to eat!