Chardonnay (Le), Memphis

My husband and I ate here last night and found that we missed the coziness, good wine, and good food of the old Le Chardonnay. We both believed that our glasses of wine were watery, which is very strange because we both had a different types of wine. His blackened grouper was very good and the scallops that were in the sauce were very fresh and prepared just right. My beef tenderloin was a good bargain at $22, but it certainly lacked flavor. Neither of us was impressed with the service as we had to "go find" our own table, no salads, bread or appetizers were offered with our meal (we certainly could have asked for them), and our server never saw that our water glasses were refilled. This was our first (and probably our last) visit to the new Le Chardonnay.

La Chard is fun. Festive atmosphere inside. We recommend it for anyone out for a not-too-serious evening, a couple of drinks, some laughs, a bite to eat. We are both smokers so it was perfect for us. Every one else was smoking, too, so we felt right at home. Smoke 'em if you got 'em! Food was decent, albeit predictable, and a bit on the cold side (if we had gobbled our meals quicker--two minutes instead of 10--the food wouldn't have become so cold). The place is romantic, if dim lighting and candles is the only requirement for romance. The wide open square room is made relatively cozy with the dim lights, candles, smoky haze, curved bar, and a fireplace area. Friendly staff.

Me and 4 of my friends dined at your restaurant last night January 18th at 7:45pm. First of all let me say that our entrees were very good, but the service we received was less than pleasant. From the moment we walked in our host/waiter Mark was rude and not very attentive. Four of us arrived before the 5th person, and we were unable to be seated until the entire party arrived, even though we told him the other person should be here in 5 to 10 minutes, after speaking to our friend on the phone. We would have ordered drinks and appetizers until he arrived. Once we saw him walking across the parking lot we again attempted to get seated, but were told again not until the other person arrived, and we even showed him he was walking across the lot. You lost out on an extra order of drinks, and we did not order any appetizers. Once we finally received our check we were flabbergasted to see that 20% gratuity had been added for 5 people. We all have dined at many fine restaurants and believe that it is customary to add a gratuity when there are 6 or more people, and for it to be 18%. We normally leave 18 to 20% even when it is not well deserved, and with our dining experience last night I can assure you it would have been 15%. We asked for the manager on duty to express our concern over our whole experience, and all she could do is say “I’m sorry there is nothing I can do” and offered your names and contact information. She did not even offer for us to adjust the tip, as many restaurants will offer if the guests feel the tip amount is unjust. This is a rare occurrence for any of us to complain about service. I had NO response from the owners on this letter I wrote to them.

On a recent visit to Memphis I choose Le Chardonnay because it was listed as a very romantic restaurant. The atmosphere is dark, with candles on each table providing an amount of light that leaves on focused on their own table. The wait staff was more than sufficiently attentive and my waiter was also meek in a great way. He took our orders and kept tabs on how we were doing without being an interruption with excessive personalization. This greatly added to the 'moment' my date and I were sharing. The food was punctual, the correct temperature, and well balanced in terms of flavor. We had a filet mignon stuffed with goat cheese and topped with a mango chutney, which accurately balanced a salty and sweet combination, and all came alongside mashed potatoes and asparagus. I also ordered the goat cheese, red pepper, and pesto stuffed chicken breast served on top of linguine pasta with a light red bell pepper cream sauce and a side of asparagus. The food was reasonably priced in the range of $15 - $25 an entrée, while I felt the wine was even more moderately priced (perhaps I'm just familiar with overpaying for wine in restaurants). Unfortunately smoking is permitted, but there were few smokers present and the restaurant did not have a smoky smell. I would recommend this restaurant for a refined yet casual dining experience with a courteous "What's up" type of wait staff.

Love Le Chardonnay, my sister and I go there for lunch whenever we can. Great Spinach Artichoke Dip! Love the atmosphere, love Le Chardonnay! Fantastic Food!!!! Liv'in in Memphis

Le Chardonnay may not pop into my head often when my fiance and I are deciding where to go on a date, but it should! The atmosphere is dark, comfy and romantic. The food is very good - not Erling Jensens good, but certainly better than most! It also is very special in my heart, as it is where my fiance and I reconnected after 6 years apart. Anyways, if you are just visiting, or if youre a Memphian who just hasn't made it to Le Chardonnay - GO! You won't regret it. ** Just bring your pocketbook - its a tad bit pricey.

Great food, atmosphere and service. The wine list is phenominal. This is a very romantic place to take a date. The prices are very reasonable as well. I've been several times and will return.(tonight actually)