a’VERT Brasserie

Attended the Unilocal Elite event here a couple of weeks ago and honestly I can’t wait to go back with friends and experience this place again!
We were treated to cocktails and appetizers and of course a sampling of some classic French dishes.
The owners were friendly and explained everything to us from the menu to the concept to how to open the escargot! Everything on the menu food wise was on point. The coq au win was on point and tasted like it had been cooked all day.
The outdoor atmosphere was charming and a perfect place to have a bite on a summer evening.
It really was the perfect night to be shared with my fellow Hartford Unilocalers.

Avert’s happy hour is fantastic! My boyfriend and I went last week and our server, Will, was exceedingly attentive and a great conversationalist to ourselves as well as his other patrons. His attention was equally divided and recommendations welcomed. My boyfriend and I thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and will be visiting again! The happy hour mussel dish was so delicious! Next time I’m trying the escargot! Their happy hour drinks are very delicious and marry well with their menu options. I highly recommend Avert has a happy hour, lunch, dinner or evening out with the girls destination!

It’s so crazy to me how un-​crowded a’Vert always is. It’s not empty, it’s just that when I walk in I always expect a crowd of people at the bar. Whether you sit indoors or outdoors, a’Vert is sophisticated and airy and a wonderful place to spend some happy time. Not to mention, the happy hour is 4−7pm, daily!
Reclaimed wood floors, white-​porcelain wall tiles, caged chandeliers, a marble-​topped bar, zinc-​clad counter tops and a handwritten menu on a massive antique mirror — walk in and you are immediately transported to a quintessential cozy French brasserie.
Appetizers include classic escargots in shell, wholesome and full of flavor; duck leg confit to die for; delectable mussels that you could dine on for forever. Interested in the classic cheese and cured meat tray? A nice choice of fromages and charcuterie are offered. Large plates like the sea scallops, half chicken, and beef short rib are a must-​try. Service is always polite and attentive and the food is consistently dependable. Find some European charm and a taste of France in both the food and the mood at one of my favorite eateries in WeHa.

a’VERT is a wonderful place to visit. They have great drinks and the food is just incredible ! I highly recommend getting the escargot and their brunch on the weekend is fantastic. You cannot go wrong with this establishment, enjoy the patio outside with the beautiful summertime weather !

Went here for a happy hour tour. Definitely liked the place, and the bartender was really friendly and helpful. You could tell he enjoys his job. Chill little place, and an excellent option for those looking for a calmer happy hour experience. All the apps we tried were good, haven’t had a chance to try more than that yet.

My fav restaurant in weha. Great any time of the day — brunch, lunch, happy hour, and dinner. Amazing food but not stuffy and reasonably priced. I like avert more for just about everything except for dessert vs treva it’s sister restaurant.

I was struck by the need to conquer Coq au Vin at home a week or so ago. Haven’t tried it yet, but when the plan was to grab an early dinner in W Hartford and the mood was French — I knew I could do some tasty research on whether or not I’ll bother to make this dish at home. Well, I am still unsure about tackling the dish at home but i am positive I had a amazing serving at a’VERT. Sooo deeply rich and savory. This dish will make your dinner companions regret their alternate (but delicious) choices once they catch the drift of the steamy deliciousness wafting from your plate. Which gives everyone a reason to go back again and again I suppose (we will). My mouth waters as I write this the next day.
Anyway, we snuck in right at the hour of 5 PM and we scored a table for 2 during the transition from Happy Hour to dinner service — not an easy feat so always call for availability on a Saturday night for sure. What else. Hmmm… Pan Roasted Sea Scallops for my gf were amazing if a bit on the small side. The asparagus and mushrooms served on the side were simple and delicious… stealing that little idea for the next time we serve up scallops at home. This was all after indulging in some shrimp cocktail, an asparagus starter that was to die for, and baked goat cheese croutons… throw in a few glasses of a crisp white, and maybe pack in some macaroons and… well, you get the idea. Very pleased!

Wow this was as good as we expected. We were returning from Massachusetts and stopped for a late lunch. I had the frisee salad and the mussels and fries — every bite yummy. My husband had the onion soup and the croque monsieur — it was like we were back in our beloved France except the croque monsieur was better than the ones we had there. Highly recommended but make a reservation if a weekend. We were lucky to get a table.

I brought my girlfriend here and had made a reservation in advance. We got here a little earlier to do the happy hour and just decided to stay in the bar area. I started off with the peach tea, which was a little on the tart side. I got the bartender to add a little more simple syrup and it was perfect.
The food came soon after. There was the duck confit sliders, escargot, and the pommes frites. The buttery garlic escargot was really delicious and the fries were good too, but I found the sliders to be disappointingly dry and bland. As the happy hour came to a close, I ordered another drink, the French martini. The martini was strong, but good. We then ordered from the menu and each got a foie gras and shared the scallops. The foie gras came with toast and diced apples. I loved how it came together, but the crispiness of the sear was a little lacking. Not the best foie I’ve had, but pretty good.
When the scallops came out, we were surprised because we each got a plate with 3 scallops each. When we told the waiter we only ordered one dish, he told us that the chef split it into two plates for us. That was definitely a surprise because each of our plates could’ve been an entrée in and of itself. The scallops were great. The mushrooms were buttery and the scallops were perfectly done.
Even with the drinks and food from happy hour, our total wasn’t too much. Overall, I found the food to be pretty good, but it didn’t knock me off my socks. The happy hour food and drinks were decently priced so I’d recommend stopping in for that.

Delicious– from appetizers, soups and main dishes– all is exquisite. The waitstaff is attentive and sophisticated. The desserts are unique– I got the financier cake– an almond cake– delish.
Wine served cold and crisp!
Salmon main dish is full of flavor.

This place is located at most happening area and near by you can see lot of young crowed. Its filled with lot of French appearance and beautiful ambience look.
We went for weekday happy-​hour for couple of drinks and here Bellini’s are more popular drinks so we started with «Deconstructed Bellini» then some cocktails drinks. Every thing is perfect combination of juice and kalochacal mixtures. We enjoyed it and there starters also yummy!

Mari K and I met here for happy hour, and I definitely dug the French brasserie ambiance. We sat at the bar for about half an hour, and the bartender, Joe, was just the right amount of attentive.
Once we sat down at one of the high tops in the bar area, we were ready to chow down. I’d say there were some big hits and some misses. I loved the fresh chevre on a toasted baguette with balsamic — rich and pure — but the mussels, while in an awesome saffron sauce, were teeny.
I would have liked more interesting beers on tap, but the happy hour wine list seemed to have at least some interesting options.
I definitely look forward to coming back and trying more of their food!

Type of order: Lunch /​Dinner /​Late night
Food Quality: Bar none in the area. Everything I’ve had here is hand made with sincere care for the craft.
Beer Selection: Small selection, but nice couple beers. More of a wine pairing style venue anyway.
Service: Excellent. All of the service staff and bar tenders are well versed with the menu, and can offer insight to what you’re looking for. Management is always responsive to needs.
Atmosphere: Romantic, Prohibition style tiling and booths. Exactly what you’d expect out of a French brasserie.
Prices: High end. Be ready to spend. Although, there are good specials that run regularly for the savvy buyer.
Entertainment: Late night acoustic music and DJs. Nice fits for the venue.
Overall Experience: Being a sucker for French food, this is probably my favorite food in West Hartford center, combined with a great staff.
Recommend Rating: So many places in the center to choose from. Try them all only AFTER you eat here.

Great food. Great service.
True French Bistro experience in the heart of the shopping neighborhood.
Wonderful for a bit of champagne and an omelette (the crab!)
Thanks, West Hartford!

A true French experience! Ever since Pastis left Hartford, we’ve needed a place like this.
It’s always a tough choice as to what to order. The salads are all delicious. But the fish is very fresh and cooked to perfection.
A’Vert is always a great place for happy hour. The $ 5 appetizer and drink specials are great and you can enjoy them on the patio as well.
If you’re looking for a quiet dinner on the weekend, this is not the place for you. It’s a place to enjoy the true Parisian experience– cozy tables next to others where you can meet new people share experiences.
Let’s not forget the drinks! Plenty of delicious wines and champagne to choose from, and hand crafted cocktails.
Santé!

If you are looking to recreate the culinary experience of a trip to France, this is the place to go. The interior design, ambience and menu are all perfect. The food is excellent. Escargots, oysters, salads are great ways to start. The entrees at our table: slow cooked lamb was a spicey version of osso bucco, boeuf borguinon and steak frites were all found to be delicious. An ending of crème brûlée rounded out a perfect evening for me. I could easily have imagined being in Lille, France where I lived for two years.

Martinis and macarons. Je suis amoureux – I am in love, with a’VERT.
a’VERT is perfection in every way when it comes to drinks and desserts as well as service. My friends and I decided to take a chance not having reservations and stopped in for a little something on a Saturday evening, and we left with a very positive impression and experience.
Every table (save one) was full, with a few marked as reserved. After snagging the last free seats at a comfortable community counter/​table in between the bar area and the dining area, we ordered a couple of cocktails – an espresso martini and an Irish coffee – along with a regular coffee, two macarons, and a pot de crème.
Cocktails: spectacular, mixed perfectly
Espresso martini: garnished with three coffee beans on top – a nice detail and finish to one of the best and most perfect espresso martinis I have ever had. You could also see the fresh espresso at the bottom after drinking it and having it sit for a few minutes. I was warmed with each sip.
Pot de crème: wonderful and rich in flavor, paired perfectly with a slim and delicious slice of graham cracker/​biscotti like cookie and a slice of a fresh strawberry
Macarons: (made in house) perfect in texture and chocolate flavor; very well-​made with a smooth buttercream between two crisp shells. Each bite I took, I chewed and went «mmmm!!»
In addition to the delicious drinks and desserts, I was also very impressed by the service. It was nothing short of spectacular. The hostess, Danielle, accommodated us on such a busy night and even thanked us for being flexible about where to sit. Our server, Christopher, was efficient and made sure we had everything we needed. He checked back on us and boxed our unfinished treats (which were very few and did not last minutes when arriving at home) within minutes of scooping them up from our table. For as busy as it was, and for the number of tables he had, he did a fantastic job taking care of each party! Both our hostess and server did not question or treat us any differently because we came in just for drinks and desserts, and it was around peak-​dinnertime. Their efforts made our visit a positive and excellent experience.
While we only went for drinks and dessert, a’VERT has a wide selection of meals and cocktails. I was very impressed by the range offered – including brunch on Sundays. We thoroughly enjoyed our treats so much and had such a positive experience that we will undoubtedly be back – and soon – for an entire meal. (I also plan on coming back many times for coffee and macarons!!)
If you are questioning if you would like French food, or if you think you can only really do a whole dinner here, do not shy away – a’VERT accommodates and takes care of whatever you would like! Be sure to secure your spot on OpenTable and make reservations, especially on the busier nights [Thursday through Saturday]. You will know why you need it after you have been here.
What is better than perfectly mixed martinis and well-​baked macarons, served by an outstanding staff?

If you’re looking for high-​quality, French-​inspired food in the Hartford area, look no further than a’VERT Brasserie. My family and I went there for my brother’s birthday, and all four of us were blown away by our experience!
When I think of France, I immediately think of cheese, so we started off our meal with a sampling of four varieties. My personal favorite of the four was the Rocastin Brie; it was perfectly smooth and tasted delicious. Paired with a smoky duck salami and house-​made Dijon mustard, and it was the perfect start to our meal.
Their menu had a few interesting options, but I opted for the roasted ½ chicken. I know some people say that chicken is on every restaurant’s menu for people who can’t make up their minds, but the chicken was made to perfection and shouldn’t be looked over. The skin was salty, crispy, and simply amazing.
My brother went with the roasted duck breast, and from the one bite I had of it, it was by far the best duck I had ever tasted.
To wash down my food, I went with the classic French 75 cocktail made with an unknown brand of champagne, but whatever brand it was, it worked.
I look forward to coming back again, even just for some apps and drinks. If you are truly into great tasting food, make sure you visit a’VERT!

I cannot get enough. Best happy hour by far! I don’t even care that I take the same picture every time.

a’VERT made a very good first impression on us.
We came in for lunch today (a Friday) just as the restaurant opened. The hostess asked if we had reservations (we didn’t) because they were booked for the start of the day. We were offered the bar high-​tops or bar stools at the bar. We went the bar stools and were served by a nice engaging guy who made the meal very pleasant.
I started with a cup of the soup special– a carrot soup with red cabbage for $ 6. It was very good– had a great creamy taste with little bits of red cabbage on the bottom. It was served with 4 baguette slices and a ramekin of butter.
I also had the Moule Frites (Mussels with fries) for $ 13. The mussels were served in a broth of white wine, Dijon cream, and saffron. The mussels were great, as was the broth. But the real star of my plate were the french fries — thin, crisp, golden brown, cooked to perfection. Tres magnifique!
I also sampled some of my wife’s Chicken Salad Sandwich ($ 12 for Roasted chicken breast, Dijon aioli, smoked bacon, green apple, and gruyère, served with baby greens salad). I liked the sandwich a lot– a great combination of tastes on crisp bread.
By the time we left, a’VERT was crazy busy.
Our lunch ran around $ 37 without alcohol, so a’VERT is pricey. But given the quality of the food, the very nice atmosphere, and the establishment’s zip code, it was an OK value.