I would say it's my go to place for French dining, which is hard to find in Pittsburgh. I haven't been to many French restaurants here, but I always enjoy the restaurants under the DeSchantz group. They all have a more modern touch to classic menus, with nice ambiance and inviting spaces. Service is always great.[Burgundy Escargot] [Baguette] were the petit plats that blew me away. I love escargot but they're a rare find on menus. The baguette was something I had low expectations for but turned out to be surprisingly delicious. The butter for it was amazing.[French Onion Soup] was why I only gave 4 stars. Might be bad luck, but the one I had was really salty. Couldn't even try more than a few bites, let alone finish it. [Seared Foie Gras] is technically an appetizer but I had it as an entree. Personally, I felt the portion was enough for an entree and none of the other entrees stood out to me (also another semi-reason I only gave 4 stars, in comparison to their sister restaurants, I felt that there weren't as many entrees that were intriguing. The appetizers were better). I really enjoyed this duck though, this is one of my favorite duck dishes in Pittsburgh. Grilled to perfection. It is better than their [Duck Confit]. [New York Strip Steak] in comparison was less impressive, but still good nonetheless.Drinks and desserts were both fine, nothing that left a super big impression but I still liked them. Favorite was probably the chocolate soufflé. As I'm writing this review in retrospect, I noticed they're temporarily closed. Looking forward to the re-opening!
Angela K.
Top of the line. Great place for a special meal. Minimum words for a review is unnecessary.
AC Grateful
Had reservations for 5pm, arrived at 10 til 5pm, was not allowed in, even to the foyer, had to wait outside (in December) - We could see through the window they were having a staff meeting at the bar area. Which ended at 5. Then they keep us waiting outside without their outside heater on until at least 5 after 5 - one of our party had to go inside to ask if we could 'enter'. Staff was nice, some of our party thought food was great, specifically the steak, but hard to have a great time when the evening starts out by having to sit out in the cold for 15 minutes. It's a good thing the people we were with made up for sitting out in the cold, We had a wonderful night. Atmosphere very nice.Parking: paid street parking
Jennifer F.
This restaurant is the absolute cutest, you feel like you're in Martha Stewart's personal home kitchen! You truly get to see how the kitchen works and watch your food be prepared which is special.I started with the french onion soup, which was very good and full of flavor which so many others lack.The mussels...I will dream of these and foam at the mouth every time. The broth I would BATHE in! They were beautifully cooked and you want to dip every piece of bread in this broth and leave the plate clean, for sure!My husband loved the pate, with baguette of course. Can never have enough bread here. The gnocchi was cooked to perfection with a little crust, covered in parmesan cheese. The onions, mushroom, and garlic in this dish made it amazing. The roast duck...theme here is COOKED TO PERFECTION. As the French would do it!!! YUM! The skin was rendered and crispy, walnuts added that texture element, and the sauce was very much needed with the barley. Eat everything in one bite makes the perfect bite. We finished with an orange pastry desert that I can't think of the name of but it was DELISH. It came with the best 2 scoops of vanilla ice cream that just melted with the warm dough. We will most definitely be eating here again. Look forward to it.
Jason F.
I stopped by here awhile ago now on a Wednesday evening with my wife for a celebratory dinner. She had made reservations ahead of time for 5:30 PM and had to put in a credit card to secure those reservations. We ended up arriving at Poulet Blue at around our reservation time and our table was ready. In the reservation my wife requested outdoor seating and they originally were going to have us in the upstairs outdoor area. However, the hostess saw my wife's crutches and asked if we wanted the downstairs outdoor seating which we readily agreed to. Due to this, I didn't really see much of the restaurant as I never stepped foot out of the front courtyard. The courtyard itself abuts Butler Street and has a giant fountain in the middle. Its seats look French from the pattern and black and white standpoint that and I could see some wallpaper which my wife said reminded her of France as well. Finally there were fans that were on the night that we were there since it was hot but they also have a massive heat lamp for when the weather is cooler.For dinner on this day I decided to start off our meal with a local beer while my wife went with a Malbec. Then for dinner my wife went with the swordfish while I went with the roast duck. As a side we decided to split an order of the frites as who can go to a French bistro without ordering some? After what seemed like a relatively short wait our frites came out followed by our entrees about a minute or so later. So the first items that my wife and I got to try were the frites and two dipping sauces which were a garlic aoili and a mornay. The frites were super crispy as you expect and seasoned nicely. Both my wife and I loved both dipping sauces and had a hard time picking a favorite although I think I liked the aoili better by the tiniest of margins. Not too long after that our dinner entrees came out. My duck ended up being fantastic and I loved it while my wife also enjoyed her swordfish. Then after we had thoroughly enjoyed our meals, we saw beignets on the dessert menu and had to have those. They were light and pillowy with great dipping sauces.The bottom line for me is that I would head back here again in the future. All of the food that we had here was great and my wife did a great job picking this restaurant.
Florentina S
Our first impression was how cold the place was. We were seated in the back left corner, by the windows, and we immediately felt a very cold draft coming through the shutters and from under the table. The waiter was VERY nice and moved us more in the middle of the restaurant, where there was no draft, but still very cold. The bathrooms were freezing too and the hot water would not warm up fast enough. I noticed other patrons around the restaurant were still wearing their coats. Temperature aside, the place was charming and the cocktail was very tasty but we did not feel the same way about the food, especially when taking into account the price (around $180 before the tip). We had warm olives, the pate appetizer, the NY strip steak with fries, and the hanger steak with mashed potatoes. First of all the pate, fries and mashed potatoes all felt way too salty. Secondly, I had asked for the hanger steak to be medium well, but it felt more like well done. It come sliced, a bit dry and cold, and all pieces had been cooked on all sides. The NY strip was cooked better but it was bland and served with a massive amount of fries but lacked any sort of plating. For a $60 dish you would expect the plate to look better put together and more inviting than having a steak hidden under a bucket of salty fries.
Liz W.
Perfect date night spot! Fantastic food, great cocktails & awesome service! We enjoyed escargot, steak tartare, duck confit, pommel frites, & roasted carrots. Our server recommended what to pair together for each course which worked out great. Seriously, every single dish was amazing- we couldn't pick our favorite! To end the night, we split the crime brûlée, which was to die for, accompanied with espresso martinis (best in the city)!
Ty O.
Really lovely dinner with unfussy, timely, knowledgeable service. Perfectly cooked steak, fantastic carrots, and a superb soufflé. Thank you.
Jeffrey P.
Great onion soup. Super hamburger. Kale salad wonderful. Deserts are fabulous. Service very good and attentive.
Beatrice V.
Heard rave reviews for this place, and specifically heard a recommendation to sit at the "chef's table" where you're seated at the countertop where chefs prepare food so you feel like you're in the action. Upon being seated, I was a little disappointed because there are no chairs directly in front of the chefs, that's the area where waiters pick up the food. Not sure why they wouldn't have seating there since that seems like the best place for diners to sit and witness the food prep. We were seated off to the side by the sink which didn't feel that glamorous. We ordered several dishes and split them: -Warm Olives: These were good but pretty standard and simple. Olives with garlic. -Escargot: I love escargot and I thought these were just okay. Wish they packed more flavor and had more garlic. Comes with baguette but not entirely sure how you're supposed to eat it with bread. Wish the baguette was toasted and/or warm. -Warm Oysters: These were pretty good but we told the waiter we couldn't have dairy (lactose intolerant), and we're fairly certain these had dairy in them. -Ribeye for 2: Comes with bone marrow. This was good, though there was a lot of fat on the meat. Fun to share though. The fries on the side were actually really good. Maybe my favorite part of the meal lol. Overall, the dinner was decent. Service was a little iffy. We felt our waiter was slightly annoyed and impatient by our indecisiveness with what to order and our questions. We were there to celebrate our anniversary and they gave us a glass of champagne at the end, which was a nice touch and we really appreciated.
Walking into Poulet Bleu is like being transported into the south of France. The blue and white decor and the dainty dishware have an authentic feel. I love the open kitchen and being able to hear the staff call out the orders. And the food is amazing. My favorite is the French Onion Soup. The oxtail has simmered so long that it just falls apart! Also, as a Gin lover, they have an amazing selection of Gins from all over!
Stella L.
Eating here was an experience I won't soon forget! Everything we ordered was incredible, I had the duck for dinner and it stole the show. I highly suggest this place for a date night or a fancy dinner!
Jeffrey Cohen
Great ambiance, clean and set up very well. Knowledgeable and friendly wait staff. Very good food and flavors. Our courses came out too fast so we sent them back, but outside of that our experience was really great. Good prices too: $140 for two people including wine pairing and dessert.Update (several years from originally posting): Poulet Bleu remains on point. Exceptionally clean (see photo of immaculate bathrooms) and consistently great food.
Joe
Very good French inspired food with tons of flavor. Beautiful plating and presentation. I got the duck and very much enjoyed. Other guests ordered the beef and loved it. Lots of unique options. Cocktails were appropriate for the cuisine and were tasty. Seemed easy enough to find street parking. Inside decor is nice. We sat outside, the feel of it was fine. But I will say the constant buses and utility vehicles passing by with the uneven floors was a bit odd considering the price. But still highly recommend
John W.
What a great experience. Our meals were awesome and the service was wonderful. Made for a warm atmosphere!!!! Can't wait to go back!
I would say it's my go to place for French dining, which is hard to find in Pittsburgh. I haven't been to many French restaurants here, but I always enjoy the restaurants under the DeSchantz group. They all have a more modern touch to classic menus, with nice ambiance and inviting spaces. Service is always great.[Burgundy Escargot] [Baguette] were the petit plats that blew me away. I love escargot but they're a rare find on menus. The baguette was something I had low expectations for but turned out to be surprisingly delicious. The butter for it was amazing.[French Onion Soup] was why I only gave 4 stars. Might be bad luck, but the one I had was really salty. Couldn't even try more than a few bites, let alone finish it. [Seared Foie Gras] is technically an appetizer but I had it as an entree. Personally, I felt the portion was enough for an entree and none of the other entrees stood out to me (also another semi-reason I only gave 4 stars, in comparison to their sister restaurants, I felt that there weren't as many entrees that were intriguing. The appetizers were better). I really enjoyed this duck though, this is one of my favorite duck dishes in Pittsburgh. Grilled to perfection. It is better than their [Duck Confit]. [New York Strip Steak] in comparison was less impressive, but still good nonetheless.Drinks and desserts were both fine, nothing that left a super big impression but I still liked them. Favorite was probably the chocolate soufflé. As I'm writing this review in retrospect, I noticed they're temporarily closed. Looking forward to the re-opening!
Top of the line. Great place for a special meal. Minimum words for a review is unnecessary.
Had reservations for 5pm, arrived at 10 til 5pm, was not allowed in, even to the foyer, had to wait outside (in December) - We could see through the window they were having a staff meeting at the bar area. Which ended at 5. Then they keep us waiting outside without their outside heater on until at least 5 after 5 - one of our party had to go inside to ask if we could 'enter'. Staff was nice, some of our party thought food was great, specifically the steak, but hard to have a great time when the evening starts out by having to sit out in the cold for 15 minutes. It's a good thing the people we were with made up for sitting out in the cold, We had a wonderful night. Atmosphere very nice.Parking: paid street parking
This restaurant is the absolute cutest, you feel like you're in Martha Stewart's personal home kitchen! You truly get to see how the kitchen works and watch your food be prepared which is special.I started with the french onion soup, which was very good and full of flavor which so many others lack.The mussels...I will dream of these and foam at the mouth every time. The broth I would BATHE in! They were beautifully cooked and you want to dip every piece of bread in this broth and leave the plate clean, for sure!My husband loved the pate, with baguette of course. Can never have enough bread here. The gnocchi was cooked to perfection with a little crust, covered in parmesan cheese. The onions, mushroom, and garlic in this dish made it amazing. The roast duck...theme here is COOKED TO PERFECTION. As the French would do it!!! YUM! The skin was rendered and crispy, walnuts added that texture element, and the sauce was very much needed with the barley. Eat everything in one bite makes the perfect bite. We finished with an orange pastry desert that I can't think of the name of but it was DELISH. It came with the best 2 scoops of vanilla ice cream that just melted with the warm dough. We will most definitely be eating here again. Look forward to it.
I stopped by here awhile ago now on a Wednesday evening with my wife for a celebratory dinner. She had made reservations ahead of time for 5:30 PM and had to put in a credit card to secure those reservations. We ended up arriving at Poulet Blue at around our reservation time and our table was ready. In the reservation my wife requested outdoor seating and they originally were going to have us in the upstairs outdoor area. However, the hostess saw my wife's crutches and asked if we wanted the downstairs outdoor seating which we readily agreed to. Due to this, I didn't really see much of the restaurant as I never stepped foot out of the front courtyard. The courtyard itself abuts Butler Street and has a giant fountain in the middle. Its seats look French from the pattern and black and white standpoint that and I could see some wallpaper which my wife said reminded her of France as well. Finally there were fans that were on the night that we were there since it was hot but they also have a massive heat lamp for when the weather is cooler.For dinner on this day I decided to start off our meal with a local beer while my wife went with a Malbec. Then for dinner my wife went with the swordfish while I went with the roast duck. As a side we decided to split an order of the frites as who can go to a French bistro without ordering some? After what seemed like a relatively short wait our frites came out followed by our entrees about a minute or so later. So the first items that my wife and I got to try were the frites and two dipping sauces which were a garlic aoili and a mornay. The frites were super crispy as you expect and seasoned nicely. Both my wife and I loved both dipping sauces and had a hard time picking a favorite although I think I liked the aoili better by the tiniest of margins. Not too long after that our dinner entrees came out. My duck ended up being fantastic and I loved it while my wife also enjoyed her swordfish. Then after we had thoroughly enjoyed our meals, we saw beignets on the dessert menu and had to have those. They were light and pillowy with great dipping sauces.The bottom line for me is that I would head back here again in the future. All of the food that we had here was great and my wife did a great job picking this restaurant.
Our first impression was how cold the place was. We were seated in the back left corner, by the windows, and we immediately felt a very cold draft coming through the shutters and from under the table. The waiter was VERY nice and moved us more in the middle of the restaurant, where there was no draft, but still very cold. The bathrooms were freezing too and the hot water would not warm up fast enough. I noticed other patrons around the restaurant were still wearing their coats. Temperature aside, the place was charming and the cocktail was very tasty but we did not feel the same way about the food, especially when taking into account the price (around $180 before the tip). We had warm olives, the pate appetizer, the NY strip steak with fries, and the hanger steak with mashed potatoes. First of all the pate, fries and mashed potatoes all felt way too salty. Secondly, I had asked for the hanger steak to be medium well, but it felt more like well done. It come sliced, a bit dry and cold, and all pieces had been cooked on all sides. The NY strip was cooked better but it was bland and served with a massive amount of fries but lacked any sort of plating. For a $60 dish you would expect the plate to look better put together and more inviting than having a steak hidden under a bucket of salty fries.
Perfect date night spot! Fantastic food, great cocktails & awesome service! We enjoyed escargot, steak tartare, duck confit, pommel frites, & roasted carrots. Our server recommended what to pair together for each course which worked out great. Seriously, every single dish was amazing- we couldn't pick our favorite! To end the night, we split the crime brûlée, which was to die for, accompanied with espresso martinis (best in the city)!
Really lovely dinner with unfussy, timely, knowledgeable service. Perfectly cooked steak, fantastic carrots, and a superb soufflé. Thank you.
Great onion soup. Super hamburger. Kale salad wonderful. Deserts are fabulous. Service very good and attentive.
Heard rave reviews for this place, and specifically heard a recommendation to sit at the "chef's table" where you're seated at the countertop where chefs prepare food so you feel like you're in the action. Upon being seated, I was a little disappointed because there are no chairs directly in front of the chefs, that's the area where waiters pick up the food. Not sure why they wouldn't have seating there since that seems like the best place for diners to sit and witness the food prep. We were seated off to the side by the sink which didn't feel that glamorous. We ordered several dishes and split them: -Warm Olives: These were good but pretty standard and simple. Olives with garlic. -Escargot: I love escargot and I thought these were just okay. Wish they packed more flavor and had more garlic. Comes with baguette but not entirely sure how you're supposed to eat it with bread. Wish the baguette was toasted and/or warm. -Warm Oysters: These were pretty good but we told the waiter we couldn't have dairy (lactose intolerant), and we're fairly certain these had dairy in them. -Ribeye for 2: Comes with bone marrow. This was good, though there was a lot of fat on the meat. Fun to share though. The fries on the side were actually really good. Maybe my favorite part of the meal lol. Overall, the dinner was decent. Service was a little iffy. We felt our waiter was slightly annoyed and impatient by our indecisiveness with what to order and our questions. We were there to celebrate our anniversary and they gave us a glass of champagne at the end, which was a nice touch and we really appreciated.
Restaurantji Recommends
Walking into Poulet Bleu is like being transported into the south of France. The blue and white decor and the dainty dishware have an authentic feel. I love the open kitchen and being able to hear the staff call out the orders. And the food is amazing. My favorite is the French Onion Soup. The oxtail has simmered so long that it just falls apart! Also, as a Gin lover, they have an amazing selection of Gins from all over!
Eating here was an experience I won't soon forget! Everything we ordered was incredible, I had the duck for dinner and it stole the show. I highly suggest this place for a date night or a fancy dinner!
Great ambiance, clean and set up very well. Knowledgeable and friendly wait staff. Very good food and flavors. Our courses came out too fast so we sent them back, but outside of that our experience was really great. Good prices too: $140 for two people including wine pairing and dessert.Update (several years from originally posting): Poulet Bleu remains on point. Exceptionally clean (see photo of immaculate bathrooms) and consistently great food.
Very good French inspired food with tons of flavor. Beautiful plating and presentation. I got the duck and very much enjoyed. Other guests ordered the beef and loved it. Lots of unique options. Cocktails were appropriate for the cuisine and were tasty. Seemed easy enough to find street parking. Inside decor is nice. We sat outside, the feel of it was fine. But I will say the constant buses and utility vehicles passing by with the uneven floors was a bit odd considering the price. But still highly recommend
What a great experience. Our meals were awesome and the service was wonderful. Made for a warm atmosphere!!!! Can't wait to go back!