coquette brasserie

felt like i was in provence. the staff were so friendly, and the food was fabulous. we had croque monsieur, arugula salad, quiche du jour and beef bourguignon for our lunch. it was a quiet place. no loud sounds and our voices didn't carry across the room. loved the experience.

beautiful food, svc & ambiance. anytime i'm looking for warm-fuzzies from a quality meal, delivered by excellent service in a lovely dining setting, i visit la coquette. the lobster risotto is off the charts. i've also had their oxtail crepes, escargots and oysters rockefeller...all of which was savory and memorable. i highly recommend this brasserie (it reminds me of an old fashioned french bistro), as even their cocktails and mixed drinks are wonderful (they make a great kir royale!)

soft shell crab appetizer. delicious


-----17 may, 2015-----

ribeye au poivre*. fantastic


-----17 may, 2015-----

friday - poisson du jour. excellently

brilliant!. authentic french cuisine and atmosphere. love it! and very, very affordable!

as french as you will get it in raleigh !. this is for sure as french as you will find it anywhere in raleigh and surroundings. in fact, i wonder if the brasserie menu is not too french for this area to attract enough people to keep this place hopping. nevertheless, be as adventurous as you like on the menu : the food (taste, presentation, ingredients) is just very good. and take a look at the european beer selection !

if you go in the evening time, ask for seating near the fold-open large windows - and enjoy a perfect combination of indoor and outdoor seating.

a special shoot-out for the bartender - who served me with a perfect grateful dead martini (a long island ice tea, served straight up, and replacing the coke with chambourg).

(my last visit: 5/6/2010)

4 of 4 stars (excellent, casual dining).. (see explanation of ratings below)

average dinner entree price: $17.

i think this place has gotten even better recently, chef beth littlejohn tweaks the menu and preparation ever so often, but not so much that the staples are lost in translation.

my mother claims the mussels here are the best she's ever had.

my son is partial to the hanger steak. again: best he's ever had.

we all like le plateau: a selection of chilled shellfish with three sauces ($35).

allow 60-90 minutes (no dessert).

about $35-$45 per person, with alcohol, no dessert, gratuity not included.


about my ratings:

i divide restaurants into three categories.

1) fast food and "fast-casual" (no table service).

2) casual dining (table service, average entrée price: $10-$20).

3) fine dining (linen napkins, no plastic cups, no tv's in dining room, average entrée priced at more than $20).

fine dining can earn a max of five stars. casual dining can earn a max of four stars. fast food can earn a max of three stars.


-----08 mar, 2013-----

what to wear: black (or a beret)--- you're in france!. 4.5 of 5 stars (excellent, fine dining).

technically, yes---- it's fine dining. but, it's not on-par with heron's or st. jacques in raleigh, and it's more like a bistro, so i've gotta deduct a half star.

allow 1:20 (no dessert).

$40 per person (one glass of wine, no dessert, gratuity not included).

one of our very fave places since the day they opened.

order the mussels-- you'll get at least four dozen!

love their oysters, too.

one service slip-up last visit: waiter brought me the wrong dish.

all i can really say is 'meh' it wasn't bad food by any means, but i wasn't impressed. and for a $20 per person type of brunch place, i want to be impressed. save your money! it's just a yuppy over-priced brunch place. for authentic french brunch experience, i'd go with la farm any and every day :)

my return visit was a little disappointing. we went for dinner. the menu is quite limited and had very little that appealed. but the real shock was the prices. we paid $75 for 3 adults and 1 kid with only water to drink. that seemed way overboard, and may explain why the place was empty except for us. so i still recommend it, but not for dinner!


-----04 apr, 2010-----

went here for easter sunday brunch. setting was wonderful with the full patio doors open so inside it felt like you were outside. the restaurant decor is very stylish. the brunch selection consisted of standard french brasserie fare. the prices were very reasonable. the presentation of the food was very pleasing. we ordered quiche, croque monsieur, croque madame and eggs benedict as well as some frites. everything was fresh. the quiche was very light, but a little salty. the sandwiches were good, but not quiet what you get in paris. the flavor was just not right. the eggs were perfect. all entrees came with a green salad in a delicious and light dressing. overall the food experience was great. but i wish the head chef would spend a week in paris to nail down authentic recipes. given the prices, the food quality and ghe setting, i highly recommend this place, especially in spring or fall when the dining room is totally open to the outside.

verything brought to us through room service was impeccable. we were celebrating a birthday, and several unique requests that were all satisfied perfectly.

service was very good and servers were kind, friendly and even offered to-go coffees in the morning for us to take back to our room.

coquette is by far one of my favorite restaurants in raleigh, the exquisite food coupled with the sophisticated atmosphere make you feel like you've really stepped into a french cafe

turkey baguette and steak sandwich are both excellent.

great atmosphere and decor. would definitely make the drive to visit again.

good beer selection as well.

this restaurant is a part of the urban food group, which also includes burgers chow and vivace, both located in raleigh.

the food was very flavorful and and came to the table in a timely fashion. my waiter was very attentive and was willing to answer questions, as well as offer suggestions from the menu. the only downside were the chairs for the window seating were not that comfortable.

on our recent trip to the raleigh durham area we were looking for a good place to get lunch on a sunday. we eventually settled on brunch instead at coquette brasserie in north raleigh. generally we like brasseries, and this one continues that trend. in fact it is one of the best we have visited. located in a large shopping plaza, the restaurant is large and airy, with high ceilings and a classic french vibe. the bar is spacious and apparently well stocked. tables are well spaced throughout the restaurant, and you don’t get the feeling you’re crowded or too close to anyone, even though the atmosphere if very brasserie like with a constant background noise. it’s all good though, and we really liked the entire experience.

we have eaten at coquette several times and always enjoyed it - cute ambiance, professional service and delicious food. i had lunch with some friends today and when i made the resi online i noticed several recent negative reviews from other regulars commenting that the food quality had gone down. i concur.

it is "restaurant week" in raleigh so i ordered the special 3 course menu for lunch. i had a fish soup, beef bourguignon and the creme brûlée. the creme brûlée was hands down the best i've ever eaten. unfortunately, the fish soup was so badly over salted i could not eat it. when i explained to the server that the reason i hadn't eaten the soup was that it was too salty, he tried to convince me that what i was tasting was garlic in the broth. i'm an accomplished cook - i think i can tell the difference between garlic and salt. and let me say, i love salt, and i do not restrict my salt intake!  

the beef was also extremely salty and disappointing. it was a mountain of noodles with a few chunks of very fatty beef with about 10 shriveled roasted mushrooms that were each about the size of a pea. i didn't even realize they were mushrooms at first - i thought they were little bits of beef! : ) my friends had different quiches and loved them (i've had the quiche here before and it is indeed fabulous!).  

if they have a new, not-so-hot chef i hope they suss that out before it impacts the business. i don't think i'll go back unless i'm craving quiche.

located front and center at north hills in raleigh, french restaurant coquette brasserie is refreshingly approachable and well worth checking out. chef de cuisine beth littlejohn, who grew up on a farm in caswell county, oversees the kitchen. she received her culinary training at new york’s esteemed culinary institute of america. among the dishes she finesses include traditional french offerings like beef bourguignon, pan-roasted duck breast and a succulent coq au vin, a classic chicken entrée layered with bacon lardons, mushrooms and pearl onions. hors d’oeuvres like pan-seared foie gras, steak tartare and escargot also vie for attention, although snails are not my first choice for an appetizer. another starter, the petite tarte flambé, involves thin, flat bread created from house-made dough. the popular alsatian is topped with caramelized onions, bacon lardons, ham and fromage blanc.  when it comes to dessert, look no further than the butterscotch-infused crème brûlée. sunday brunch is a big draw, featuring $2 mimosas and a variety of eggs benedict dishes, quiches, crepes and more.  service at coquette is friendly and efficient. when you go, be sure to check out the restaurant's showpiece bar. it’s handcrafted from french-imported zinc. photos courtesy of jonathan fredin/s&a cherokee