La Foret

we are certain there are dozens and dozens of five star reviews for this amazing restaurant.Recently dined there with another couple and were highly impressed with every aspect of the meal. Yes, tres cher.

I have been going to La Foret since 2001 for special occasions like birthdays and anniversary. It used to be a true fine dining restaurant with attentive service. Last night we went there for birthday celebration and it was a huge disappointment.1. My seat was back to the bar/waiting area and some guests left the front door opened, I asked a male staff to close the front door because it was getting cold. The staff responded, "Oh, I am sorry." I saw him walking immediately towards the bar/waiting area but the door was never closed. 2. Ambiance was really bad. It was very noisy and could hardly hear what the person was saying. 3. Food quality, although it is still good compare to other steak house, has gone down in general. Especially for the famous dessert. The sauce of the grand mariner soufflé has changed. It used to be thinner, creamy with a good touch of the liquor. Last night, it was basically a chocolate sauce that is too thick, and could hardly taste any liquor in it. 4. Our server almost flung the leftover mash potatoes on my Chanel jacket as she was collecting the plates and was struggling to stack multiple plates with one hand. After that scary moment, all she said was "Opps, that mash potatoes!" as it was funny. It WASN'T funny at all! 5. On the reservation, I put down it is a birthday celebration, while we were sitting, the host asked if we were celebrating for anything and we responded it was a bday celebration; when the server came, she acknowledged it was a bday celebration. In the end, we DIDN'T get the usual birthday dessert plate but we saw other waiting person serving birthday dessert plates to the table next to us. My daughters asked us "Why we don't get the birthday complimentary dessert plate?" I never had such experience before. Last night, it was a call to myself that while it is still a good plate to eat, La Foret is no longer a place for fine dining and celebration.

I've eaten at La Foret a couple of times, and in my opinion it's a place that is living on it's reputation.The decor is dated and a little run down.The menu is classic French - no surprises.The food is very good, but I've yet to have a dish that really blew me away.Which brings us to the service. It is, in a word, terrible. It is very, very slow. On one visit, we wanted to get another round of drinks, and our waiter had disappeared. We flagged down another waiter, and he said he'd tell our waiter that we needed help. When our waiter returned several minutes later, he asked "How are you enjoying everything?" He clearly had not gotten the message. We gave him our drink orders, and by the time he returned, we'd finished our meals.The last time I was there, our waiter seemed annoyed when my friend had questions about the menu. La Foret isn't a BAD place... it's just not the really special place it pretends to be. And for the price, they should do a lot better.

We went here back in August 2024 for our 13th year wedding anniversary and we have no regret. The food was sooo good. I been wanting escargot and I was so excited to eat it and was not disappointed. Like picture said we were happy with everything. It's such a cute place and intimate. Just a gorgeous restaurant. The service is amazing! Everything was just so good and perfect way to celebrate our wedding anniversary.

Since this establishment describes itself as fine dining, I am going to be reviewing it based on such. My husband and I went during the the weekend after Valentine's Day, so they were still running their multiple course Valentine's Day meals. The place is stunning for sure, and the whole ambiance felt very classy. Our server was friendly as well. However, I have stars docked off because (1) The food really does not compare to other fine dining restaurants I've been to for its price, and (2) We stayed there for a total of 2.5 hours, which is a looong time... For the food, I actually had to stop eating the salmon ordered at one point because it was tasting a little too slimy to not trigger a gag reflex. I don't know if we just went on an off evening or what, but the food was not that impressive and this restaurant had one of the most ridiculous wait times ever for food to get to the table when the restaurant was not filled with customers. Not entirely sure if I would return again, as nice as the place was. I got some nice photos though !

Came here to celebrate my birthday. We made a reservation for a Friday night at 5pm. They require a credit card for a reservation as they are a nicer restaurant. They open at 5pm so when we were greeted and seated we basically had the restaurant to ourselves. Our host was very friendly and helped serve us a bottle of wine as well as open a bottle we brought with us. Corkage fee is $50/bottle which is a fair price if you're planning on doing a couple of glasses. We had the escargot, quail, boar, elk and a sampler of the desserts. We really enjoyed our time here. The staff is really nice and not snobby like you might expect. Parking is great and the bathroom is big and really clean! They even have a cute little bar area that you can do cocktails at. Overall it was a very romantic vibe and I would love to come back.

Everything I've ever had here is amazing although the scallops are my favorite as they're always cooked too perfection. The ambience is pleasant and it's really nice to sit outside with the creek noise in the background.

The ambiance is beautiful even despite being seated at a not great spot in a seemingly empty restaurant. The service was great however and our waiter made sure to explain every course to us, and check in consistently. For a multiple course meal a lot of these courses did not satisfy, the escargot was the only dish that I left feeling good about and I feel that is only because it was drenched in butter. I'm not sure if I see myself coming again.

La Foret is an absolute gem tucked away in San Jose, making it the perfect spot for a romantic date night. The location is charming and inviting, setting the stage for an unforgettable dining experience.To start, we each enjoyed a glass of Pinot Noir and a glass of Merlot. We're not sommeliers, but these were perfect choices for a chilly night.I ordered the Prawns Meuniere, and I was blown away by how fresh and flavorful they were. Each bite offered a perfect blend of rich butter and a hint of lemon, creating a dish that was both decadent and balanced. He ordered the Veal Tenderloin, accompanied by shiitake mushrooms and a calvados brandy cream sauce. It was nothing short of exquisite--the tenderloin melted in his mouth, and the sauce added a rich depth to the dish.Since we were celebrating his birthday, the staff surprised us with a complimentary crème brûlée, which was the icing on the cake! To top off this culinary journey, we indulged in the "I Can't Decide" dessert. This delightful combination of dark chocolate torte, amaretto cheesecake, and crème brûlée was a sweet lover's dream. Each component was rich and satisfying, making it the perfect ending to an already incredible meal.The service matched the ambiance--attentive, warm, and professional. La Foret is definitely my new go-to for a perfect evening out. Highly recommend!

4.5 STARSDate: Friday, September 6th, 2024Time: 5pmMeal: Double Birthday DinnerParty of: 3Reservations Made: via OpenTable about 2.5 weeks priorTasting Menu 1 - Five Course ($115)*La Foret Salade*Tortellini La Foret*Quail*Tournedos of Beef Chanterelle*Creme BruleeTasting Menu 2 - Six Course ($150)*Prawns Meuniere*Salade Francaise*Sea Scallops*Elk*Rack of Lamb*Chocolate Truffle TorteTasting Menu 3 - Seven Course ($220)*Tsar Nicoulai Caviar*Beef Tartare*Ahi Tuna*Lobster Tail*Wild Boar*American Wagyu*Souffle Grand Marnier*Barrel Aged Manhattan ($19)*Jordan 2017 Cabernet Alexander Valley Bottle ($120)*Full Glass Bella Union 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon ($30)For my birthday this year, I was turning a very large increment of 5. I was originally going to do a solo dinner here, but my parents said they wanted to join, so we made it a family affair. Also, my Dad's American bday is the day after mine, so why not have a double celebration?!What I love about this spot is that they let you do different tasting menus. Most restaurants make everyone order the same thing, so it's awesome La Foret does not. We were able to try all three tastings. I'd say we tried about 80% of the menu because we did one of each. And they coursed it out really well.If I had to choose one tasting, I'd say the middle one is the best. The salad francaise was bright and fresh. The lamb was juicy and tasty. I actually enjoyed the torte, even tho I don't really care for chocolate. It was the best dessert out of the three. For the 7 course, I enjoyed the caviar and wagyu. The wagyu was not A5 obvi, but I don't like my steaks too fatty, so it was nice for me. Meaty, buttery, but still a slight chew. For the smallest menu, I think my fav was the quail. Nice flavor and texture. It's been a while since I've had quail.The menu reminded me of my dad's old french resto. He had buttery rich sauces which I don't see much any more. Overall, the dishes were pretty good. Most were a good portion and plated nicely. I did find most of the seafood heavy on the citrus. So there was a sour element to everything. To me, it overpowered the delicate seafood and sauces. The meat dishes all seemed to have a very similar brown sauce. I guess that would have been fine if we didn't order three different tastings. But it got a little repetitive since my fam shared everything. Dessert wise, the brulee was eggy and the souffle wasn't fluffy since it wasn't served in it's cooking vessel. A little bit of a bummer since these are two of my favorite desserts in general.Service was amazing. Our server was the sweetest. Friendly and attentive without being overly so. In fact, everyone was great. From the host to the sommelier. Made for a fun night.Although I'd give the food about 3-3.5 stars, the experience was lovely. And being able to order different tasting menus makes it a huge plus. So bumping up due to that.Definitely a nice place for a special occasion meal.REVIEW #3556