Ardeche Restaurant

2.5 Not Recommended

Food  2      Ambience  4      Service  2      Value  2     

Probably one of my worst dining experiences. Our garlic bread was forgotten. My $12 glass of wine was less than a standard drink and our food was rubbery and not freshly cooked. A comment about the wine led to the owner asking coming out to question us... some sarcasm followed & to their credit a top up of wine. We felt like we were the offenders. Never complained inn my life st a restaurant before!

Apr 23, 2012 

2.3 Not Recommended

Food  5      Ambience  2      Service  1      Value  1     

Average food which lacks fresh ingredients. Terrible services and if at all possible, worse coffee.

Mar 03, 2012 

8 Recommended

Food  7      Ambience  10      Service  9      Value  6     

I've been to Ardeche twice in the past 6 months or so and thoroughly enjoyed the first visit, but found the food a little lacking on the second.

I have to mention, while the decor and ambience are not 10/10 in the sense of being swish and upmarket, I think they're a great fit for the feel of the place and set the scene perfectly. Not sure what the service of the owner is normally like but you know a little French and he really warms up to you, seemed to really care about your experience and has time to have a little chat.

I also used the entertainment card for one of the visits, making it even cheaper!

Food was great the first visit, some really good French/Maghreb fusion dishes and there's always a few different options I'd be happy to pick. Second visit we took the set menu and weren't amazed by one of the mains but the rest of the meal was quite nice.

Been a couple of times now and would still consider going back (especially considering the great lack of choice for both French and north African style restaurants in Canberra).

Feb 15, 2012 

8 Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  7      Service  9      Value  7     

Don't be put off by the bad reviews. Every restaurant is not going to be perfect all the time and, unfortunately, for those with a negative experience they never went back. What I can say is that over several visits we have always been well taken care of and the food great.

BTW I just used the Entertainment card and the service and food were as good as ever just $25 cheaper!

Aug 09, 2011 

1 Not Recommended

Food  1      Ambience  1      Service  1      Value  1     

By far the worst service I have ever received at a restaurant. We were not served after waiting 20 minutes with our menus closed and trying to make eye contact with the most outwardly arrogant French waiter I have ever encountered, even though there were other patrons around me being served who had come in after us. Being much younger than all the other restaurant-goers, I felt completely discriminated against, despite the fact that my partner and I eat out quite regularly and are always willing to pay for good quality food and service. This place just doesn't make the cut - not by a long shot!

Jun 02, 2011 

5.8 Average

Food  6      Ambience  6      Service  7      Value  4     

Service was really good. Entree was awesome, main average and dessert yummy.
Don't feel like the standard of food is in line with high prices.

May 15, 2011 

10 Highly Recommended

Food  10      Ambience  10      Service  10      Value  10     

My husband and I frequent this restaurant quite often, it is a great "date night" restaurant, or great with a group of friends. Has a lovely quiet atmosphere allowing conversation.

This food here is absolutely divine. I have never been disappointed with the food here, we always leave with bellies full and absolutely content and satisfied in our meals. The berry stack dessert is especially to die for.

The waiters and waitresses are wonderful, they are very friendly and make for a very enjoyable meal. They are also knowledgeable in the menu so they can help in making a decision and explain the dishes. They also provide great bar facilities. The wine and the spirits are always very nice.

Please disregard all previous not recommended feedback. This is our favourite restaurant and would and do recommend it to everyone.

May 15, 2011 

1 Not Recommended

Food  1      Ambience  1      Service  1      Value  1     

This place has the worst food and service. The escargots were a put off, as they contained sand/pebbles. When this was mentioned to the senior staff, he turned the situation into a joke and ridiculed the entire scenario. What he should have done, was apologise and made other arrangements. However, he only kept mimicking the same line over and over again, and laughin out loud. Seriously, who can accept that sort of service?

Mar 04, 2011 

2 Not Recommended

Food  1      Ambience  1      Service  5      Value  1     

I walked out of this restaurant completely disgusted and taken advantage of. My sister recently got engaged and we thought we would try a more upmarket restaurant than we usual to celebrate. Being a uni student money is a concerned but because we had one of those entertainment cards (that provides a 20% discount on the bill) we decided to give Ardeche a try.

Ardeche ask that you show the card upon ordering and that's what we did. Big mistake, as soon as they saw this card the night begun to go down hill. We ordered the boeuf bourguignon (a French classic that I've always wanted to try) and the prawns and scallops with asparagus and saffron risotto (normally an entree but we asked if we could have it as a main).

When the meals came out we were left a little speechless. The prawn and scallop dish had a total of six prawns, 4 scallops, 2 pieces of asparagus and a cold mold of so called saffron risotto one a bland cream sauce.

The beef bourguignon looked a little better but tasted like it had been sitting around all day. An assumption that soon proved to be correct when we heard one of the staff tell another table that they we all out of the dish we had just eaten. Explaining to them that they had finished it all in the lunch service. So what had we just ate? The bottom scrapings of the pot! Cause that's what it tasted like.

A little downhearted by the food we asked for the bill and were yet again left speechless. They were charging us $36 for the prawn and scallop dish (which was $18 for the entree size). Making it the most expensive item on the whole restaurant's menu. $36 for 6 prawns and 4 scallops! Still in shock we paid and left the restaurant knowing that as two young women we had been taken completely advantage on. Thanks Ardeche for making my sisters engagement celebration a great one.

Mar 04, 2011 

1 Not Recommended

Service  1     

We saw the menu out the front and thought it looked like a pleasant enough place to eat, the menu looked quite appealing. We ordered a few drinks and bread and I went to the toilet where one of the kitchen staffs slammed the door in my face and was extremely rude to me, and even abused me as he left the toilet. I complained to the senior staff and asked for an apology. The senior staff just told me that the kitchen staff thought that I wasn't a patron in the restaurant and that I would not receive an apology.

Therefore, the group I was with left and we never got to try the food. Never experienced anything like it in my life, including time in Europe, Asia and Australia.

Jan 10, 2011