If you are looking for fine French cuisine, La Provence is a spot for you to try. It is located in an old railroad track stop right on Butler Pike in Ambler, PA. The restaurant has both indoor and outdoor seating available, and reservations are suggested.
We were first greeted by our server and offered an array of water. We chose good ole’ tap. The liquid delight was delivered along with some freshly baked, warm French bread with a room temperature whipped butter. Very comforting indeed.
The Hubs is a true fan of escargot and whenever we go to a French restaurant, he is sure to order the edible snails. The escargot was served traditionally prepared baked with parsley-garlic butter for $15. He described them as “very good”. I on the other hand am not a fan of escargot so I passed on trying this dish. I do like eating out but there are a few things that I just won’t eat, and snails are one of them. I have tried them, and I just don’t like em’ but hey I’m not yuckin’ your yum. If you like them, get them!
Mmmmmmmm pate’ now you’re speaking my language. I know, I won’t eat snails, but I’ll devour a plate of pate’. To each his own my foodie friends! “Pate’ De Campagne” was on the appetizer menu so of course I had to partake. The pate is a pork and chicken country pate, served with a petite salad, cornichons, mustard, and red wine shallots for $14. I really enjoyed the array of flavors and textures. It was quite satisfying. My only critique would be that it only came with one little, tiny crisp of toast but the server brought me some more of their delicious sliced French bread and I didn’t even have to ask! I wonder if I made a face or said something to my husband and the server overheard me? Well, it’s for sure possible but I call that being super observant and that is perfect when you are dining out. Good job server friend!
For my entre I had “Mussels Marinieres” which is mussels served in white wine and garlic with a side of thin, crispy frites. Honestly, I cannot remember the exact cost but I believe it was $22. I went back to their website and I don’t see this on the menu so it must have been a special that evening. Anyway, they were the most tender, soft mussels I ever had. They were grand quality and cooked perfectly in a lovely broth which I sopped up with even more French bread and my salty fries.
My Husband ordered a chef special for the evening. It was a blood orange crispy duck served with braised purple cabbage and mashed potatoes. I tried this and it was mouthwatering. The duck was perfectly cooked, and the potatoes were so creamy just to die for. This was a pure masterpiece for I believe $29.
To finish off this fine meal we decided to share a creme brulee…of course we would get this, it is a French restaurant after all. BUT THEN the server described a dessert special that sounded fantastic, so we decided to try it. I don’t remember what it is called, and I have search and searched online. I have found numerous photos of this dessert but NO NAME! With the number of photos, I have seen online, it makes me believe it’s a “special” on many nights. So I guess you could say it’s “the not so special special” 😆…for $10 bucks.
The dessert was smooth and creamy (almost flan like) vanilla pudding served with a very thin (almost too thin) vanilla sauce. It was good and it was nice to try something different, but I think next time I’ll try the creme brulee for sure. Don’t fix it if it ain’t broken I guess. But no, seriously, it is important to try different dishes I truly believe.
So here are a few tidbits I think are important to mention. First and foremost, it does not seem like the best place to bring kids (or babies – gotta mention that too) so get a sitter and leave them at home. It is a very quiet, dark and romantic place. The outside is decorated so lovely with candles on the tables and lights strung about. So, save dinner at La Provence for a date night or even a nice evening out with some special friends. Second, its BYOB so be sure to bring your favorite French vin to your special dinner. And lastly, brunch is offered on Sundays. Perhaps if you must bring the kiddos, brunch could be an option but I’m not too sure yet as I haven’t experienced it myself. In closing, I give La Provence 3.75 out of 5 forks. Not the best but not a bad score. The food was good but not spectacular. The fries were a bit underwhelming and the dessert wasn’t my fave. The prices seemed fair for the food that was delivered, the service was phenomenal and the ambiance was lovely. I’m not over-the-moon about this place but it was still a nice, romantic spot and I’ll definitely hit it again. Totally worth a try.
Hey thanks for reading and eat out more often folks! Bon appétit!😉
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