Sandrine's Bistro

01/21/09

Specializes in delightful cuisine from the Alsace region of France

by hardinghouseinncambrdge at Citysearch

This beautiful glass-enclosed restaurant nestled on Holyoke Street offers a quiet respite from the hustle and bustle of busy Harvard Square. Sandrine's specializes in delightful cuisine from the Alsace region of France, a vineyard area on the border of Germany's Black Forest. Their signature dish is the irresistible tarte flambee (flammekueche), a light pizza-like baked flatbread filled with savory toppings like smoky bacon or salmon, with caramelized onions, creamy fromage blanc and asparagus. Other notable entrees include the prosciutto tartine, an open faced sandwich with fresh mozzarella, tomato and a pesto served with pitch perfect pommes frites; and the Trout Grenobloise, pan seared fish with capers, spinach and mushrooms. Wash it all down with a selection from their extensive wine list. And for dessert try the rich and decadent kougelhopf, a flowerless chocolate cake with caramel and vanilla ice cream.

11/11/07

Extremely Disappointing

by trdckn at Citysearch

Beginning with the hostess's cold greeting our experience never rebounded. If you like to pay for pretention then this is the place for you. The filet mignon was inedible as it was overcooked: requested medium it was served well-done and charred. The management responded with an offer for complimentary dessert, a short offer considering the whole dining experience was uncomfortable and drawn-out; in the end they did recognize that they were at fault. In general the food rested on its appearance where it did not follow up on taste. This was inline with Sandrine's in general: from the superficial gesture of leaving sparkling water at the table (and then charging you for it) to the paper tablecloths and cheap decor.

• Pros: Asparagus
• Cons: Everything else

08/21/06

should have been better

by chow10006 at Citysearch

We were able to get a table at the last minute on a weekend night during Restaurant Week. The hostess rather icily informed us that they were fully booked and reservations were required. However, the proprietress, who was standing nearby, overheard and interceded. She was very welcoming, found space and we were looking forward to a terrific evening.

Fifteen minutes after being seated, our waitress finally stopped by. She was abrupt, clearly not happy about something (Restaurant Week perhaps?) and absolutely not qualified to work in a restaurant of this level. Our menus were snatched away as we were ordering. She then leaned over and yanked the wine list from my husband's hands while he was mid-sentence ordering a wine. After taking bringing the wine, she disappeared for the remainder of the meal. Our meal was served by an assortment of other servers/bus boys. At the end of the meal, the waitress reappeared with the check, wordlessly slapped it on the table and left. Someone else picked it up to run the credit card.

The Restaurant Week menu was rather dull (seared tuna that looked pasty and very unappetizing - a diner at a nearby table sent his back - and a roasted poussin). My lobster of the day from the regular menu was significantly better (baked with a very interesting anise sauce and a wonderful roasted root vegetable melange with fresh figs).

Perhaps this is a restaurant to avoid during Restaurant Week. However, I can only rate this restaurant based on my experience during this week. We'll be back to give this place another try in the hope that we caught them on an off night.

• Pros: the owner makes you feel welcome
• Cons: wait staff could use more training

07/14/06

Chef Raymond Ost sets a new bar for Boston-area French restaurants, sporting authentic Alsatian plates like flammekueche and baked escargot.

by Contributor at Citysearch

Sandrine's evokes an auberge you might find outside Strasbourg--particularly for the giant hearth oven that cooks the rich, pizza-like flammekueche. Chef Ost manages to juggle a large menu with grace, emphasizing the hearty Franco-Germanic fare of his native Alsace with some broader French influences. Making choucroute always struck us as magic, akin to spinning straw into gold, and Sandrine's is a delicate delight accompanied by strapping portions of smoked pork and sausages. The winter food is hearty fare--roasted venison, stewed duck leg on tagliatelle noodles, roasted rack of lamb encrusted with powerful mustard. Sandrine's also features several vegetarian offerings.

Photo courtesy of Sandrine's Bistro

06/21/06

THE FINEST FOR ALL OCCASIONS

by russgrand at Citysearch

Outstanding food and service. Very interesting menu and appetizers and entrees served as elegantly as one could ask for. The ambiance of the dining room was measured by its classic elegance, and the environment clean and refined. The quality of the food was superb, and there was a broad enough selection for palates of all tastes. Desserts were tasty and a thing of beauty to see. The service was impeccable and the servers not overbearing.

This is a great place to celebrate any special occasion;guests and hosts will never be disappointed.

11/21/05

Pleasantly romantic.

by usaypotatoe at Citysearch

My wife and I suddenly found ourselve able to make a quick dinner plan when our child was off for an evening at a friend's house. Sandrine's was the closest place with an available reservation on short notice.

A rainy night, we parked in the underground lot just next door. The room was warm and romantic; the service friendly and efficient. While the food was just a shade better than "ok" and the prices a notch too high, it was still such a nice experience that we would be pleased to return if atmosphere was the primary objective.

• Pros: ambience, location
• Cons: a bit pricey, food fine, not great

10/30/05

Sandrine's so-so

by juliazenaide at Citysearch

The restaurant was very accommodating when it came to seating our large group. My grilled romaine lettuce salad was pretty good, but my duck entree was just so-so: it was lukewarm and the best part was the mushroom risotto underneath. For dessert I had the chocolate cake with caramel center: it was a bit heavy but delicious.

• Pros: service, ambience
• Cons: expensive, so-so food

07/15/05

first visit to Sandrines very enjoyable

by baba77 at Citysearch

Looking to try something new, we recently dined at Sandrine's restaurant in Harvard Square. I don't speak French, and we were all both new to Alsatian cuisine, so the menu was a little confusing at first. Our waitress patiently explained everything from flammekueche (alsatian flatbread) to choucroute (sauerkraut). Our food was wonderful, we shared a proscuitto and pear flammekeuche and mussels to start, then a rack of lamb and choucroute. We forwent a bottle of wine and instead sampled some of the alsatian white wines sold by the glass and a pinot noir. my favorite was the very dry but fruity Riesling, perfect for a hot summers day. I would particularly recommend sandrine's bistro for those looking for a chic and inventive dining experience.

• Pros: service, atmosphere, presentation
• Cons: pricey, large portions

05/30/05

Very disappointing.

by jul46 at Citysearch

The best thing about this restaurant is an absolutely gorgeous fron door, and a very nice decor overall. The service was OK. The food was very very ordinary and not even close to being worth the very steep prices. The garlic roasted checked reminded me of cafeteria qaulity chicken. I am used to the fact that in expensive restaurants chicken can be prepared exceptionally well. The duck breast in the scallops and duck breast offering was hard to cut and even harder to chew, inedible. The famed chacrute, tasted very ordinary and again reminded us again of high school cafeteria quality. We couldn't believe that each appetizer cost aroung $16 and an entees hovered around $30. How does this restaurant stay in business? How does it get some good reviews? I am perplexed. Overall not worth the money or the calories.

• Pros: nice decor
• Cons: hugely disappointing

02/14/05

18% gratuity included for a party of 2????

by jsibley at Citysearch

Food was great. Food was expensive. Servings were small. Then the bill came for a party of 2 and an 18% gratuity was added. The server never mentioned this, and I am sure she wouldn't have if we added another 20% on top of that. I wonder how many people fell victim to this scam. Simply put, this was insulting and I will not be returning.

• Pros: Good food, Clean
• Cons: Service