I had the pleasure of brunching with friends at Coquette last weekend. The newly-opened French bistro is one of the buzziest spot in Charlotte City Center with darling design elements, a creative menu, sexy cocktails and warm, professional service.
The Space
Located on bustling South Tryon Street, Coquette features French country vibes in design with some luxe touches. There are gorgeous fixtures, fun artwork and a mix of modern and antique flatware and service ware. The ensemble is welcoming and comfortable.
The Mixology
The drinks list is a blend of old and new with classics like the Classic 75, a French 75 made with Botanical Gin, lemon juice, simple syrup and Champagne ($14) and contemporary libations like the Potiron made with pumpkin purée, brown sugar simple syrup, pumpkin seeds, aromatic bitters and Dewars 12 ($16). Our table ordered the Classic 75, absolutely perfect, and the festive Kir Royal ($14). All the cocktails were worthy of a revisit very soon.
The Food
The brunch menu, by Executive Chef Cristian Medrano, is clever with French favorites like the Croque Madame and Salade Niçoise au Thon and some twists on the classics like the Crème Brulée French Toast. Our party opted to start brunch with a cheese and charcuterie board, we were in a French bistro after all, with some above par options like Rosette de Lyon and house terrine. The platter of four meats/cheeses was $25.
For our entrées we opted for the fan favorite Croque Madame ($18) with a hefty portion of Paris ham, gooey Mornay sauce topped with a well-made fried egg. Other winners were the Oeufs Cocotte, baked eggs with rich Mornay sauce, piperade, Bayonne ham and espelette, a mild spice from the Basque region of France, ($15) and the impressive Crêpe Soufflé served with lemon honey, candy sesame and whipped cream ($19).
While we didn’t fall to the temptation of the desserts, some we’ll want to try in the future are the Apple Tarte Tatin ($14) and the Cherry Clafoutis $10).
Overall, Coquette offers a great brunch and certainly one of the very best in the Queen City. We highly recommend it.
Coquette:
400 South Tryon St., Charlotte, NC, 28285
Phone: 704-705-2224
Cheers,
Veronique
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