Coquette

Review! Charlotte, North Carolina // French American Restaurant // scrumptious

the ELEVATOR PITCH

Coquette is like a DJ: mixing quaint, cozy, welcoming French countryside hospitality with the glitz and glam of a modern big city Parisian cafe. The resulting ambiance lures you in: tall ceilings, tall windows, sturdy marble tables with pretty patterned cushy chairs. The menu intrigues you: the French nomenclature feeds into the culinary culture, and the dishes strike the perfect balance of hearty and filling, intentionally thought through with meticulous, artful execution.

She’s all about the details, details, details. All the dining cutlery are true silverware, the drinking glasses teleport you to dinner-with-the-Queen-in-her-chateau, the service is attentive but not overbearing. Coquette truly wants to be your number one destination 24/7. From a morning latte-and-pastry rendezvous, to a middle-of-the-day aperitif, to evening small plates and cocktails, she’s redefined the French buvette to welcome all occasions.

Hire her for your next culinary experience ✨

Now onto a couple of the menu offerings…

Reviews on the munchies pictured above:

Croque Monsieur: (because we added the egg, it’s technically a “Croque Madame”) visually stunning; texture wise the bread was very soft, almost a mashed potato consistency. Personally, I prefer my Croque Monsieur’s with more of a grilled cheese energy, with more ham, and a broiled melty cheese top (vs. the topping on this one felt like béchamel). Since the ratio of bread to ham was too high for me, it made it not my favorite Croque Madame. (rating: 6.5/10)

Pommes Frites: delightful crunch, well seasoned, didn’t feel the need to request ketchup! (rating: 9/10)

Salade Niçoise au Thon: light & refreshing, perfect amount of protein between the soft egg and confit tuna (was going to add additional but the waitress recommended I not, so glad I listened to her!). But what really took this home was the anchovy-lemon dressing… made this the best Salade Niçoise I’ve had! (rating: 10/10)

Pastry time!

Reviews on the munchies pictured above:

Framboise Sable: shortbread cookies can be overly dry and sandy, not only were these NOT that, but the raspberry jam added the perfect amount of tang, sweetness, and moisture to the overall cookie sandwich! (rating: 8.5/10)

Chocolat Eclair: think a Boston Cream doughnut flavor profile! I felt like I was eating a mini Long John doughnut that was elevated with the choux shell and the lightly sweetened pastry cream. Not heavy at all and the first time my husband enjoyed “cream puff” cream. (rating: 10/10)

Coconut Rocher: your typical coconut macaroon texture, but it’s the crunchy chocolate foot that I’m writing home about. This needs to be the new thing to do for coconut macaroons! (rating: 9/10)

Cranberry Hazelnut Tea Cake: the dense cake texture reminded me of the very moist pound cakes you get at the grocery store (in the best way possible), and the flavor was true to the namesake—fruity and nutty in all of the best ways. Definitely having this with my tea. (rating: 9/10)

Dinner time…

Reviews on the munchies pictured above:

Petite Baguette: (with BUTTER) the crust has a slight chew (not too tough) and the inside was soft and fluffy. Flavor was quite neutral, leaning towards the whole-wheat-y side. An all-in-all great appetizer bread and perfect for soaking up the dregs of your dinner fare or to eat with the BUTTER! (rating: 8.5/10)

Gougère au Truffe: mini cheesy choux pastry with so many textural contrasts between the truffle and crunchy ham and cream in the middle. (rating: 7/10)

Smoked Bone Marrow: a bone marrow dish that leans fruity-jammy and not very bone marrow forward. While the combination of all of the sauces worked well and made for a great small plate dish, I would’ve preferred the taste of the bone marrow to be stronger. (rating: 6.5/10)

“Coquette” Duck Fat Fried Chicken: okay, possibly the best fried chicken… EVER? I normally only get fried chicken from fast casual places, and was mildly skeptical at how much better this could be. But boy, do you taste a difference! This had the best parts of junky fried chicken without the grease and junk: the breading is light, seasoned well, and very crunchy, and paired with the juicy chicken, its chef’s kiss! (though my taste buds can’t pick out the duck fat flavor quite yet, guess I’ll have to go back and order it again 😋) (rating: 11/10)

Beouf Bouguignon: another mind blowing experience. This dish at first glance, doesn’t look like much, but there’s truly nothing frivolous on the plate. Highly highly recommend you eat the beef with the garlic creme fraiche, it elevates the experience tenfold! Such a huge portion for a fancy restaurant too, we could’ve easily just shared this one entrée. (rating: 8.5/10)

Reviews on the sips pictured above:

Le Mans: this is punchy. A masculine cocktail with enough hints of fruitiness to be interesting. It’s almost sweet, but not overly sugary; would order again & not change anything about it! (rating: 9/10)

The Monaco: I ordered this thinking it’d be like a Ramos Gin Fizz with the egg white whipped throughout the entire drink, but that was my fault for not clarifying. That said, I would’ve preferred the egg white to be whipped throughout, and for the drink to have a stronger flavor (almost felt like the ghost of a cocktail where the ice has melted and watered down its personality). But if you’re looking for a refreshing beverage with a hint of citrus & floral, this is the winner! (rating: 5/10)

the moody lighting of Coquette in the night time

the RÉSUMÉ

address // 400 S Tryon St #101, Charlotte, NC 28285

operations // Tuesday - Saturday, 8:00 AM - 10:00 PM; Sunday, 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM; Monday, CLOSED.

logistics // They offer parking vouchers if you park in their garage on 401 S. Church Street ($5.00 with voucher). Else, you’re kind of relegated to scouring the streets for parking. Street parking that’s worked for us:

• Have a reservation after 6:00 PM to get free street parking & more street parking options

• S. Brevard St. typically has empty spots (~$3.00 for 2 hours)

amenities //

• 2 public restrooms, no changing table

• bar seating is first come first serve, in case you don’t want to make a reservation

vibes // “modern glam French cafe” crossed with “elegant countryside chateau.” The vibe is definitely made for dates, special occasions, and getting dolled up, but I’ve also spotted gals in athleisure so don’t let needing to look a certain way deter you from some really good food.

menu //

• beverages (varies):

  • coffee ($4.00 - $12.00): French Press, iced/drip coffee, espresso drinks, hot chocolate, hot/iced tea, citron pressé

  • alcohol: cocktails ($15.00 - $18.00), mocktails ($12.00), beer ($7.00 - $9.00), wine

• pâtisserie ($2.50 - $7.00): tarts, tea cakes, croissants, pâté à choux, croissants, sables, brownies

  ⭐croissants & brownies are sourced from Copain

• desserts ($9.00 - $14.00): Apple Tarte Tatin, Crème Brûlée, Chocolate Bouchon, Cherry Clafoutis

• food food:

  • brunch ($14.00 - $34.00): charcuterie, raw oysters, various toasts/tarts, salads, sandwiches, omelette & egg dishes, sweet items like French toast, pancakes, etc.

  • lunch ($10.00 - $38.00): an overlap of the brunch and dinner menu

  • dinner ($8.00 - $30.00): charcuterie, tartines, salad & small plates, hors d’oeuvres, bar snacks, raw bar (oysters, etc.), many entrées with beef, fish/seafood, poultry options

recs // I will be forever dreaming about the “Coquette” Duck Fat Fried Chicken, Boeuf Bouguignon, and Salade Nicoise au Thon😍

site // Coquette

reel //

cathzine

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~ cath!!