Very Disappointing
We have eaten at Cafe Bernard several times for breakfast over the last eight years, but in the last year we have been going there for dinner. We have had three dinners there, and the first two were wonderful They also occurred during the off-season when the place was nearly empty.

On January 20, 2005, that was not the case, and it appears Cafe Bernard cannot handle a full restaurant. We arrived at 7:00pm and the restaurant was full by 7:15pm.

The service was terrible. It took ten minutes for the lone waitress to come to our table after we were seated. She didn't know the menu or the wine list. We ordered what she said was the special soup (tomato), a salad and a scallops appetizer. The soup came out five minutes before the other appetizers and was minestrone, not tomato. It was great, however. The other appetizers were also well-prepared.

Then we waited for fifty minutes after the dishes were cleared for our main course to arrive. A party of seven, who appeared to be good friends with Bernard himself, were seated after us yet received their appetizers and main course before ours. At no time did the waitress come over to check on us, or tell us what was happening. Finally, I found her and asked where were our meals. She scurried to the kitchen and within a couple of minutes they appeared. It was 8:45pm and we had arrived at 7:00pm.

Three out of four were tepid. I had the baby rack of lamb. It was medium on the outside and raw near the bone. The mixed vegetables were also barely warm as were the French fries. My friend had the calves' liver and again, it was not hot. The worse was the special fillet of venison. It was so tough that my friend could not cut it with a knife.

I found the waitress to complain and Bernard came out. I told him my meal was not hot and said it was impossible as dishes, once prepared, were immediately served. Nevertheless, he took the plate and returned a few minutes later with a hotter, yet poorly prepared meal. The French fries were too oily and the lamb was now overcooked.

A couple arrived at 9:00pm and was seated. By 9:15pm they had their bottle of wine and a main course. I believe Cafe Bernard can prepare a wonderful dinner, but get there early and in the middle of the week.    [24 Jan 2005 09:42:43]

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     ­Dave   

I Beg to Differ
The night we stumbled on Cafe Bernard was haunting. It was late (though the haunt was far from empty), but all of Basalt was bewitched: at midnight would be the release of the latest Harry Potter book, and costumed children fluttered in and out like bats. Monsieur Bernard was not fazed. Over my protests, he took extra care to address certain unusual food sensitivities that I have, to the point of snatching my salad plate so as to garnish it with goat cheese. The food was excellent, the atmosphere identical to many of the smaller hometown establishments we savored in France. Formidable! Felicitations.    [28 Jun 2006 19:40:56]

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     ­pereduviolon   

Our Favorite!
Cafe Bernard in Basalt, Colorado is where we go when we want to be happy and exquisitely fed! The wine list is formidable and affordable. We have been vacationing in Paris yearly for 30 years. When we can't be in Paris, we are delighted to be in Cafe Bernard.    [30 May 2007 14:15:25]

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     ­Barbara , Carbondale, CO   

We have been visiting Basalt for several years, and have found that we gravitate toward Cafe Bernard for about half of our meals. There are several good restaurants in town, but the ambiance, service, quality, and creativity of dishes are hard to beat. We know we can always count on having a great meal.    [02 Jun 2007 13:46:08]

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Recommended Dishes: The shrimp curry is excellent.

     ­Cecelia Kelso