The french onion soup according to a friend was "almost inedible" and the food was insanely overpriced.Parking: Plenty of spots
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 2
Service: 3
Samuel Marcea
Great food , great service and a great experience, makes you feel like you’re in France!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Gabrielle Blake
Jenny at the bar was amazing! Stopped in for dessert and drinks for our anniversary. She made the experience feel extra special. The basque cake was amazing! The restaurant was beautifully decorated, with attention to detail. Will most definitely be back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Chris Tubbs
I loathe when restaurants demand that you order ALL of your food in one shot. I get it, they want to get you in and get you out like cattle, but WHEN they don't correctly space out the concept of "keeping the food coming" (a la 28 minutes between finishing our appetizers until the entrees arrived) ... that just sucks - especially when the place is 80% full.When the server was notified when one of our guest's steak ordered medium well (confirmed by her reference to a thin pink...) arrived cooked less than medium rare, she didn;t say a word, and went straight to the manager to have him "deal with it." She was cold and dismissive the remainder of the meal. I don't rate on service, but the experience is the experience. Figure it out, Lilou.The beef bourguignon was very good, as was the cheese and fish. The duck was fatty, compared to other places we have had it in Knoxville. The oysters were served with creme fraische, which didn't hit my palette in an enjoyable way. End it with a frozen, brick-like macaron, and I am not interested in rushing back.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 3
Matt O
A place you want to like that generally falls short. Requiring that you order everything at once feels like a trend from a decade past, overly stuffy, and not customer conscious. Maybe they are just keeping up with Lonesome Dove.The filet temperature was a complete miss. The duck breast was the toughest, fattiest, I have ever tasted. The creme fraiche on oysters was unique, but ultimately not desirable.I would go again for select small plates and cocktails. The entrees are out for me.A market like Knoxville could easily be seduced by this place. Just like Brother Wolf. Maybe it will get overrun by sorority girls too.The macarons with the check were dried out and rock hard. If they have been to France, they wouldn’t even serve them.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 2
Service: 1
Sandra
Went to have dinner to celebrate a birthday and was very dessappointed with the food.Presentation was very good but not the flavor. Monkfish, onion soup and duck were not very tasty. Tarte Tatin was very dry. French cousine is known for their fabulous sauces and was wishing to have that experience but I did not. Atmosphere and decor is very nice, our waitress was knowledgeable of the menu but not very friendly.
Mark Smith
We made our second visit to Lilou last weekend, and it was outstanding! One of the best dining experiences I've ever had, start to finish.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Mini Stranginis
Amazing food and wine—we went with the cheese and wine suggestions from our waitress Hunter and were not disappointed. Had the beef bourgoinon and steak frites with filet cooked to perfection. Ended with profiteroles and crème brûlée, both delicious, and we left low on cash but high in spirits. Gorgeous atmosphere.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Bourguignon Oxtail Stew
Mark S.
We made our second visit to Lilou last weekend, and it was outstanding! One of the best dining experiences I've ever had, start to finish. The atmosphere is a delight. Great wine list, great cocktails. On our two visits we've enjoyed the surprising smoked trout appetizer, a cheese plate (and accompanying visit from the Fromagier), tasty Duck, a fantastic Beef Bourguignon, Steak Frites (one ribeye, one filet, both perfect), Profiteroles (yum!) and the best Creme Brulee I've ever had. The staff is knowledgeable, engaging, and even on a packed Saturday night provided attentive service without hovering or ever making us feel rushed. We thoroughly enjoyed a lovely and leisurely dinner with our friends. We will definitely be back.
S. Graham
Ambience and service was good overall. Onion soup is also good but the rest of the meal was only okay (steak was cut too thin and overcooked as a result and don't even think of trying to order cheese while the Head Cheesemonger is not onsite).Might try Lilou again for brunch but hard pass for dinner.
We dined last night as a group of four. All of us enjoyed everything from cocktails, wine, appetizers, entrees to desserts. Everyone was so friendly and took excellent care of us. Congratulations to everyone on a wonderful job!! We will back!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Tournedos Rossini, Tarte Tatin, Macaron
Rencey D.
The food was great, not amazing. But Shelby, the server, was fantastic. She was extremely knowledgeable and kind
Dennis S.
Way more authentically French than you'd expect on Gay Street in Knoxville. Lovely space, wonderfully decorated, romantic, a very pleasant place to dine. We sat toward the back, across from the kitchen, the bustling area was a lot of fun, and remarkably well organized chaos on a busy early Saturday night. A couple good Belgium draft selections and an excellent list of French wines by the glass. I had a glass of La Choofe draft while the wife enjoyed a cornichon martini. I started with the beef tartare. Honestly, I usually steer away from tartare out of concerns regarding raw beef, but was so impressed with Lilou, and their featuring tartare as a lead starter, I threw caution to the wind, and it was fabulous, silky smooth, a beautiful and delightful start. Wife had the side frisee salad to start and really enjoyed it. At the wait staff's suggestion, I had the duck breast as my main. Attractive and delicious. Wife had the steak frite filet and enjoyed it as well. This is a menu that will be fun to be adventurous and wander through. We decided to enjoy a cheese plate instead of dessert. The Basque sheep Ossau-Iraty ,a hard and flavorful choice, won as the table favorite. Loire Valley goat Valencay came in second, and Burgundy cow Brillar-Savarin, though I liked a lot, was the wifes hard pass. We thank all the critter species that contributed. Fabulous choice before a show at the Tennessee Theatre, or really anytime, and we'll be regulars.
Joe Christian
My wife and I had a wonderful date night at Lilou! Our cocktails were creative and delicious. The decor in the restaurant really transports you to a swanky French brasserie. We enjoyed the Soupe à l’Oignon, Gravlax, and Poulet, all of which were wonderful. Cecil and Cosette took great care of us! And for our cheese course, Jess, the resident fromagère, guided us expertly with favorites and new cheeses to explore. A wonderful experience all around, and I can’t wait to bring friends here! Très merveilleux, Lilou!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Onion Soup
Linda Pearse
Wonderful atmosphere in historic building. French cuisine is innovative albeit heavy. Bring a fat wallet!
The french onion soup according to a friend was "almost inedible" and the food was insanely overpriced.Parking: Plenty of spots
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 2
Service: 3
Great food , great service and a great experience, makes you feel like you’re in France!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jenny at the bar was amazing! Stopped in for dessert and drinks for our anniversary. She made the experience feel extra special. The basque cake was amazing! The restaurant was beautifully decorated, with attention to detail. Will most definitely be back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I loathe when restaurants demand that you order ALL of your food in one shot. I get it, they want to get you in and get you out like cattle, but WHEN they don't correctly space out the concept of "keeping the food coming" (a la 28 minutes between finishing our appetizers until the entrees arrived) ... that just sucks - especially when the place is 80% full.When the server was notified when one of our guest's steak ordered medium well (confirmed by her reference to a thin pink...) arrived cooked less than medium rare, she didn;t say a word, and went straight to the manager to have him "deal with it." She was cold and dismissive the remainder of the meal. I don't rate on service, but the experience is the experience. Figure it out, Lilou.The beef bourguignon was very good, as was the cheese and fish. The duck was fatty, compared to other places we have had it in Knoxville. The oysters were served with creme fraische, which didn't hit my palette in an enjoyable way. End it with a frozen, brick-like macaron, and I am not interested in rushing back.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 3
A place you want to like that generally falls short. Requiring that you order everything at once feels like a trend from a decade past, overly stuffy, and not customer conscious. Maybe they are just keeping up with Lonesome Dove.The filet temperature was a complete miss. The duck breast was the toughest, fattiest, I have ever tasted. The creme fraiche on oysters was unique, but ultimately not desirable.I would go again for select small plates and cocktails. The entrees are out for me.A market like Knoxville could easily be seduced by this place. Just like Brother Wolf. Maybe it will get overrun by sorority girls too.The macarons with the check were dried out and rock hard. If they have been to France, they wouldn’t even serve them.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 2
Service: 1
Went to have dinner to celebrate a birthday and was very dessappointed with the food.Presentation was very good but not the flavor. Monkfish, onion soup and duck were not very tasty. Tarte Tatin was very dry. French cousine is known for their fabulous sauces and was wishing to have that experience but I did not. Atmosphere and decor is very nice, our waitress was knowledgeable of the menu but not very friendly.
We made our second visit to Lilou last weekend, and it was outstanding! One of the best dining experiences I've ever had, start to finish.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Amazing food and wine—we went with the cheese and wine suggestions from our waitress Hunter and were not disappointed. Had the beef bourgoinon and steak frites with filet cooked to perfection. Ended with profiteroles and crème brûlée, both delicious, and we left low on cash but high in spirits. Gorgeous atmosphere.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Bourguignon Oxtail Stew
We made our second visit to Lilou last weekend, and it was outstanding! One of the best dining experiences I've ever had, start to finish. The atmosphere is a delight. Great wine list, great cocktails. On our two visits we've enjoyed the surprising smoked trout appetizer, a cheese plate (and accompanying visit from the Fromagier), tasty Duck, a fantastic Beef Bourguignon, Steak Frites (one ribeye, one filet, both perfect), Profiteroles (yum!) and the best Creme Brulee I've ever had. The staff is knowledgeable, engaging, and even on a packed Saturday night provided attentive service without hovering or ever making us feel rushed. We thoroughly enjoyed a lovely and leisurely dinner with our friends. We will definitely be back.
Ambience and service was good overall. Onion soup is also good but the rest of the meal was only okay (steak was cut too thin and overcooked as a result and don't even think of trying to order cheese while the Head Cheesemonger is not onsite).Might try Lilou again for brunch but hard pass for dinner.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Onion Soup
Restaurantji Recommends
We dined last night as a group of four. All of us enjoyed everything from cocktails, wine, appetizers, entrees to desserts. Everyone was so friendly and took excellent care of us. Congratulations to everyone on a wonderful job!! We will back!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Tournedos Rossini, Tarte Tatin, Macaron
The food was great, not amazing. But Shelby, the server, was fantastic. She was extremely knowledgeable and kind
Way more authentically French than you'd expect on Gay Street in Knoxville. Lovely space, wonderfully decorated, romantic, a very pleasant place to dine. We sat toward the back, across from the kitchen, the bustling area was a lot of fun, and remarkably well organized chaos on a busy early Saturday night. A couple good Belgium draft selections and an excellent list of French wines by the glass. I had a glass of La Choofe draft while the wife enjoyed a cornichon martini. I started with the beef tartare. Honestly, I usually steer away from tartare out of concerns regarding raw beef, but was so impressed with Lilou, and their featuring tartare as a lead starter, I threw caution to the wind, and it was fabulous, silky smooth, a beautiful and delightful start. Wife had the side frisee salad to start and really enjoyed it. At the wait staff's suggestion, I had the duck breast as my main. Attractive and delicious. Wife had the steak frite filet and enjoyed it as well. This is a menu that will be fun to be adventurous and wander through. We decided to enjoy a cheese plate instead of dessert. The Basque sheep Ossau-Iraty ,a hard and flavorful choice, won as the table favorite. Loire Valley goat Valencay came in second, and Burgundy cow Brillar-Savarin, though I liked a lot, was the wifes hard pass. We thank all the critter species that contributed. Fabulous choice before a show at the Tennessee Theatre, or really anytime, and we'll be regulars.
My wife and I had a wonderful date night at Lilou! Our cocktails were creative and delicious. The decor in the restaurant really transports you to a swanky French brasserie. We enjoyed the Soupe à l’Oignon, Gravlax, and Poulet, all of which were wonderful. Cecil and Cosette took great care of us! And for our cheese course, Jess, the resident fromagère, guided us expertly with favorites and new cheeses to explore. A wonderful experience all around, and I can’t wait to bring friends here! Très merveilleux, Lilou!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Onion Soup
Wonderful atmosphere in historic building. French cuisine is innovative albeit heavy. Bring a fat wallet!