Voltaire Restaurant, Scottsdale, Arizona, Family Style Restaurant Details

Food:

I have been coming to Voltaire for many years. The food quality is in a class all by itself. I have traveled the world and trust me you will not find a better Filet ANYWHERE! If you are a true French food lover, the Vichyssoise is delicious. Dessert is also amazing. Their food is fresh, personally prepared, and never disappoints. The Maitre D: I have known him for 10 years and everytime I go in, I am remembered and welcomed with a smile. If you are looking for AMAZING food and fine dining like I am then this is the place for you. HIGHLY HIGHYLY recommend. As for Vanessa; I could not disagree more. Yes, they ask you not to use your cell phone; that's called not being rude at dinner = common manners. Voltaire stands alone in quality!!!!!

Food:

First of all - don't use Groupon for this place as you will be treated poorly. They post a handwritten sign on the door that demands you notify them upon seating that you have a coupon. Second, you WILL be charged 20-25% gratuity regardless of your service quality and the size of your party. Thirdly, yes the Chef is wonderful, but the presentation and service will be better at the Waffle House. We did not eat the one out of three $6 desserts that we disliked out of a $250 check for dinner for four but both the waitress and the maitre d' would NOT remove it from our bill. In fact, the maitre d' brought over the menu to prove to us that the dessert was exactly as described. I have been her 3 times prior - I WILL NEVER RETURN. I could say more - but why bother. And for heaven's sake - DO NOT USE YOUR CELLPHONE HERE!

Food:

Being European, I can only give it two stars. Ambiance totally destroyed it for me. I expected a French "overall" restaurant, not an upscale American restaurant with French dish names. The decor is English provincial, the paintings do not seem to show anything French or be French, there are no Alsacian storks or lavender color from Provance, when one looks up, the beams look like a business building or a revamped garage. The only thing somewhat French is the chairs and the fact that waiters are dressed as one would expect in an upscale restaurant. There are no fresh flowers on the table in little vases, no fresh squeezed juice, the music did not sound French to me, the menu was neither regional French, nor "all over" French. The French are famous for their bread, in even the worst mom and pop French restaurant in France or Canada - you will get a basket with white baguette type bread, the "peasant" kind of bread, and something unique like salted/pretzel crust or herb crust. The French are famous for their fish soup and strained creamed vegetable soups, filled pastries that come with soup, the onion soup is not offered "gratinee" as an option (in Canada it has a baked mushroom looking hat of bread crumbs, cheese and some other yummy stuff over the soup that you break through with your spoon). The food is pricey and good, but the French are famous for presentation that should create a "wow" factor - a carrot made into a flower and steamed, a radish delicately cut up, sauce poured in an intricate pattern over the vegetables, a garnish of herbs. For the prices these folks charge - one would expect all these touches and a regional dish or two or three like flamenkuchen from Alsace or something from Provance, not the dover sole being praised for its freshness, but coq au vin, lamb under different sauces. Also, they do charge a split the plate fee, but based on our experience, the plates are just enough to serve one person. An automatic gratuity was attached to our bill, even though we were a party of two.

Food:

My wife and I have been going to Voltaire over ten years. Last week our friends from Chicago were in town and insisted on going to Voltaire's on a Monday for the Dover Sole. Our group was not dissapointed. The meal was outstanding as usual. I am not French but I can tell readers that Chef David's french onion soup is better than the soup we had in Paris. If you are lucky enough to be there on an evening when venison is offered order itbecause it is the best we have ever had. Chef David's father Martin runs the dinning area and does an outstanding job of making sure his staff meets your every need. It is difficult to find a French restaurant with traditional dishes prepared to perfection. If you like French dishes do yourself a favor and try Voltaires.

Food:

I was deceived by their advertisement of "The best restaurant of Pheonix 2010". Bad foods and terrible, arrogant management! I will never go back.

I totally forgot that I bought groupon that it is almost expiring. It is too late to ask friends to go together that I went the restaurant alone. I used to be a food critic that I know what is a good taste is.

The wall paper is so old and smells so bad like a rotten fish. I ordered a onion soup and a rib eye steak. The onion soup smells weird and salty. Though disappointed but expected rib eye because they said it is special of the day. Steak was so dry and juiceless and sauce was too sour that meat and sauce was conflicting.

When I show the groupon and AMEX, the owner told me I can not use the groupon because I came alone. Also he told me so arrogantly that we do not accept AMEX. He told me to come back again with the coupon but it is expiring that there is no way I can use it.

Therefore I ask him just use the half the value of the coupon and he accepted. When he return, he gave me the check with tip already 18% applied. I thought it is my right to decide the tip but he argue that as I use the promotion, 18% is automatic.

I did not use promotion at all. Though I wanted to use groupon, I could not. I paid in full but he argued that it is a promotion. He told me "I don't know what kind of food critic you are, you don't know the taste. The cook is world best class!". I don't think so.

He yelled at me that "if you do not give 18% of tip, you are depriving of the poor waitress's money". So I told, "I was about to give 18% but because of you I decided not to. You are the reason I don't want to offer a tip. You are depriving of the money from her!" Then I gave around 9% of tip. Though I did not want to give any tip, but the waitress was kind, at least.

Bad foods, terrible management, stinky environment. I will never go back!