A La Provence

This was our second trip here but first one not celebrating any occasion. Upscale and dressy place. Spotted a handful of government folks here.
Ambiance is amazing and the waiters really polished/​classy. Menu is really interesting but the food quality did not live up to the hype.

I am not a snob but I have a hospitality education and I have traveled the world eating great food, drinking great wine, smoking great cigars, etc… Having said that, A La Provence only has one real positive going for it in the form of a server named Charlie. He is as accommodating and attentive as any server I have encountered, And sadly, that’s where it stops. I took two friends there and I found a very dated business who’s clientele that evening average 60 years of age as an estimate. It is clear these folks love coming here and seeing each other but if they don’t find a way to attract a younger crowd, well, it won’t be long before the crowd starts to disappear. All I had heard was wonderful things and I found none of it. The pheasant that two of us ordered was bland, dry, and just not good. I could find no sign of the foie gras that was said to be a part of the dish. Simply not good… neither was my friend’s. Crab cake appetizers was ok, escargot was a TINY portion… Wine list was weak and the book it was presented in was beat up and appeared to have been used for 20 years and choices (while many) were not great. I do not recommend this place unless you get Charlie as a server and then he can’t cook it too so it’s a tough sale. I won’t be back. Sorry… you have to earn new/​my business and not live off and aged reputation.

This is a $$$$$$ restaurant. It is a French cuisine at the Market Center. It has a lot character for the cuisine. The menu change 2 to 3 times a week. Only a few items in the entrée are remaining the same.
They have two dinning halls and a outside seating. The interior decoration similar to the Mediterranean setup. Dim light in the dinner time. Very high society dinning with table cloth and table set up.
Tonight I started with the Lobster Bisque. The Lobster Bisque came with the lobster meat in the creamy soup. The base is from the lobster stock with sherry, spice and finish with brandy. This is a very quality soup. The chef also have complement dish with steak and pickle veggie.
My entrée is the Pheasant Salmis. Pheasant is a wild games meat. I never have pheasant before. I want to try this. The breast is braised and stuff with mousse of pheasant and foie gras. It accompanied with pan roasted Brussels sprouts, pepper pork belly confit, apple and sweet potato in cranberry salamis glacé. Peasants is compact meat since they are wild bird ant not much of fat. Good to try. The stuffing is is good and unique. I like the veggies and pork belly in the sweet sauce.
The service is very good. My waiter Lee did a very good job to explain the items in the menu. I would said the only thing for the owner to improve, put some money to remodel their bathroom since this is high class dinning in capital of Florida. They do has Pre-​fixe menu for 4 courses meal ($ 47). One soup, salad or appetizer, one cheese items selection, one entrée with allowance to $ 27 of type choice and dessert. They close on Sunday.

We went to La Provence for my birthday, the food was delicious. I got the lamb chop and duck with Vidalia onions and mashed potatoes. I would definitely recommend for a nice meal and great service!

While we haven’t been there lately, I was very disappointed. We did reservations on line thru Unilocal, but upon arriving «on time» we were treated as if by being there was a big bother. Next after being seated, we waited several lifetimes before a waiter showed up with menus. The selections were in a word poor. After another lifetime the waiter begrudenly took our order. Need I go on. Bottom line. Rude greeting, poor service & menu, food not so good. We had taken a very special guest and were terribly embarrassed. Won’t go back.

$ 55 for the Delmonico! Ask the price before you order for items that are“market price”. Tonight, if it were not for good friends and flowing wine, would have been an extreme disappointment. The mashed potatoes and 3 asparagus spears were bland at best. The waiter did not offer the market price or those delmonicos would not have been ordered.
The Cobia on the wild rice risotto was perfectly cooked but the broccoli rabe needed flavor.
I have made better lobster bisque at home with a mix. No lobster and bland. The bread pudding was great. If not for the good company of tonight’s meal, this would be a one star review.

The absolutely best lobster ever and we’re from New England. Lee at the bar created a Lee-​side Manhattan (don’t forget the St. Germaine)… Great service, great drinks, great food, great atmosphere… Bill and Mercedes and Lee… great job!!!

I hosted my wife’s birthday party here for 25 people and the restaurant was very well prepared to cater to the needs of each guest. The food was wonderful and the service went above and beyond.

We made reservations here mainly because it was available after our daughter’s FSU commencement. The plaza it is in in older but nice. I suppose that the inside ambiance and décor could be a bit more plush and upscale but it was nice.
WOW! Did we get lucky. The food was FABULOUS, and our waiter Chris was very attentive after a slightly slow start. We ordered the lobster bisque, the escargot (which was excellent) and the crab cake with the fried green tomato which was just divine and everyone’s favorite! For entrees we ordered the salmon, the yellow fin tuna, the duck and the lamb. There was not one complaint and there were many OMG’S during the meal. I ordered the salmon which was very buttery tasting and moist with a tomato-​type topping. The flavor was superb. My mom and son ordered the lamb which is my Mom’s favorite and she was not disappointed. The wine list was nice and we had three bottles during our meal. My husband and Dad wanted to start with a beer and the beer list is quite limited. We ordered the flour less chocolate torte, the crème brûlée and a blueberry apple cobbler served with ice cream. The crème brûlée was by far the best, creamy and luxurious tasting, the cobbler was good but not spectacular and the flour less chocolate torte was so rich that I could only take one bite.
Our overall experience was terrific and the food did not disappoint on our special occasion. If the building and décor were just a bit more upscale I would have given five stars. Excellent menu, food and wine!

What a gem in Tallahassee. Incredible menu and well done. Food is high quality and service is incredible. Full bar and wonderful wine menu

The restaurant was located in a shopping center, that was at its peak circa 1988. Ther few people who were in there were older. The crab cake was not good. The bread was fresh. The quail was the best part! My husband orderd beuf (can’t spell) du jour which was a NJ strip but the waiter brought out a fatty piece of prime rib. We were charged for the NJ strip. Waiter Lee knew the menu very well.

I was pretty let down by this restaurant for the price point. I had the seafood tagliatelle and it was unbelievably bland. The ambiance is fine, but there are plenty of other places in town where you can have an equal or better experience and the food is much better. I doubt I will be going back, however I have heard some good things.

We have been several times and always had an outstanding experience so perhaps we were due for a letdown. Food was ok but not great, service was disappointing, and the loud dance music from next door every time the door opened was distracting.
Our server seemed over worked and was not interested in our experience. I mentioned it was my wife’s birthday and didn’t even get a Happy Birthday in return. And when he asked how the meal was, my wife commented that her dish had to much garlic, and he challenged her until she pointed out all the garlic pieces.
Time for us to try someplace else and give A La Provence time to get back to it’s normal excellence.

Probably about as French as it gets in the Florida pan-​handle. I read some of the other reviews of this place and I found that most of the negative ones focused more on décor and less on food. Well I got over the décor (which was actually pleasant) as soon as the food arrived. While some of it seems a tad pricey, you can tell the restaurant makes an attempt at accessibility with its fixed courses menu; this is a pretty good bargain given the quality of the food. One criticism though would be that for a French restaurant «specializing in fine wine» the wine selection was not unique, French, or up to par. Overall though, I had a great time here and the service was good.

The best meal I have ever eaten in my life.
Came here with a groupon and got a seven course meal with my girlfriend. It is beyond words to describe how delicious it was, but I would go back to Tallahassee just to eat there.
The service was good and we sat outside, which was also very pleasant. our whole took 2 ½ hours so come prepared to endulge!

A La Provence was the most disappointing dining experience I’ve ever had. It’s not that it was bad, per se. Nothing was cold, or undercooked, or made me wretch. It’s just that everything I had — from the escargot to the duck — was flavorless. It really tasted like nothing. Considering the price, there’s no excuse for this. If you want a nice dinner in Tallahassee, go to Georgio’s, Andrew’s 228, or Mozaik. Avoid A La Provence at all costs.

So I decided to come back and give this restaurant another shot after my New Year’s Eve experience.
The owner actually remembered me, which I thought was awesome. He mentioned that he’d seat us on time this time and indeed we were — we had to wait for a good 15 minutes last time to be seated. We ordered a bottle of wine and he gave us a better one for the same price. The food was great as usual and the service was top notch. I wasn’t expecting any of this and didn’t come back to this place to see what I’d get in return. I came because the food was great and we weren’t disappointed.
It’s great to know that Tallahassee is finally getting some quality service and cuisine after several years of decline. More importantly, it’s good to know that there are owners who care about their customers instead of taking a «my way or the highway» attitude when things don’t go smoothly .
I hold this restaurant in very high regard and strongly encourage readers to go to this place if they are looking for a fine dining experience for any occasion.

I’d rate 70%
Came here for a weeknight dinner with two other companions.
We ordered scallops, duck confit raviolis, and lobster bisque for appetizers. We had a NY strip steak, requested rare, and salmon for main course. We also had a gran marnier soufflé for dessert.
Food was good overall, but a little hit & miss.
Nothing was truly spectacular other than the soufflé dessert
The bisque was okay. Decent, but I’ve better. Served not as hot as I’d have liked, but not lukewarm either.
Scallops were cooked good, were tender, and fresh.
However, I felt it was over-​seasoned.
Duck confit ravioli were a solid appetizer, and had good flavor. It was the best appetizer in our meal.
The NY strip was cooked perfectly rare as requested and was a pretty good quality cut. Some of the sauce (Demi-​glacé?) was a bit too salty for me. I just brushed most of the sauce aside, no problem. Fries and creamed spinach were not bad.
Two of my companions both ordered salmon, which I felt were slightly over-​cooked and lacked flavor. Would probably avoid.
Soufflé was excellent! Very light and flavorful. Portion size was reasonable enough that the three of us could share it. Keep in mind this has to be ordered well in advance.
Ambiance is a little old-​fashioned & cheesy. Feels like dining in the 1970’s. It wouldn’t hurt to get a more modern makeover. It is pleasantly quiet however, and has a very comfortable atmosphere.
Service is above average and very attentive.
Prices are slightly high considering the quality and consistency of the dishes, but not unreasonable. Our dinner, with two glasses of champagne and tea was around $ 200 after a well deserved 20% tip.

They also have a 4-​course prix fix dinner for around $ 45-​ish/​head that might present a better value.
It’s really not a bad restaurant. I’ve just been spoiled with some great French places, so that reflects my 70% rating.

Wanting to take my daughter out for her Birthday dinner, and visiting Talley so many times it is very hard to find a good restaurant. My car was ready at the dealership and the shuttle driver came to get me so I could pick up my car. As we were driving to dealership, he was such a great guy we started talking about my evening plans with my daughter. He told me about this restaurant and said I would not be disappointed. Excited, that they had some reviews on Unilocal because it did not come up when I searched.
We called to make sure we did not need reservations. It was a Wednesday night so none were needed. The location was strange. You can not see it from the street, thank goodness for GPS. It sit’s back in a strip mall that really does not have much going on. As we walked toward the restaurant, they had a nice area outside for dining. The hostess was very gracious and walked us through saying we could take our pick on where we wanted to sit. The décor was neutral tones, soft dim lights, nice fireplace, a private room for parties, very nice.
Our waiter Matt greeted us immediately and took our drink order. Then they brought out some kind of goat cheese with other ingredients on a spoon for clearing your palate. Neither one of us liked it, probably because of the goat cheese. Next, an olive dip with bread. OMG, this olive spread was to die for. We did start with an order of Calamari. Long heavily breaded strips of calamari, very good flavor but very dry and super crunchy. Asked Matt if he could bring out a side of marinara for dipping and wow when we tasted the marinara sauce, it was excellent. Made the calamari that much better tasting.
We also ordered a bottle of wine «Meiomi» Pinot Noir from Belle Glos (Sonoma Coast). It is their new Pinot Noir and it’s very good. Nice ripe black cherry flavors, with good body, and silky finish.
Our main entrée, we both ordered the same thing Surf and Turf. They had it on the menu with a Rib eye steak so I asked Matt if they could substitute a Fillet Mignon instead. So we got a 7 oz. Fillet with crab meat stuffed shrimp and a side of creamy spinach. Both of our steaks were cooked a perfect medium rare, great flavor, juicy and awesome. Shrimp with the crab meat was fabulous, and the spinach was heavenly. Both of us really enjoyed our wonderful dinner. Yay, finally a good dinner in Talley.
And woah, for the price of $ 20 per entrée, heck this was an excellent price. We ate slowly enjoying ever bite, which of course we could have shared because we had so much left over. Great evening with excellent food, excellent service, very good food, and spending my girl’s Birthday with her. Matt was terrific. If you are looking for a great meal, great service at reasonable prices, by all means come here. This is my favorite restaurant in Talley and I will be back again and again. Lovely evening!

I can’t be super enthusiastic about Provence, but it was, overall, a good dining experience, marred only by presentation and décor.
Service was great, nothing at all to complain about there, and the food tasted good, but when a restaurant supposes itself to be fine dining, you expect everything about the experience to be of that caliber.
Unfortunately, the details of the place are a little lacking.
Examples?
The ceiling is a drop ceiling with plain old acoustical panels that one would find in an office. I’m not expecting the Sistine Chapel here, but again, if you’re gonna be a fine dining ‘experience,’ the entirety of the experience ought to be engineered.
Or, when the mise en bouche was served to us, though it was fantastic that they even served us one (and it tasted great as well), it was served on a plain white plate with some wilted dill garnish — it was bit lacking in presentation. A simple bit of crushed ice under the clam or a slightly decorative plate woulda done the trick just fine to spruce things up. As it was, it stimulated my palate, but not my imagination.
I feel bad that I can’t be gung-​ho about the place; they are obviously lovely people and the food’s good, but if you’re going to do something, do it all the way. If you’re going to be a Mom and Pop shop that serves amazing food on chipped stoneware, GREAT! I’ll be the first one there.
But if you’re going to be fine dining establishment, go for it with all the panache you can!