French Restaurants in Des Moines, IA

“My wife and I just visited here again last night, and I feel remiss about never having shared a review. We've eaten many meals cooked by Chef Baruthio, and he has never once disappointed us. We enjoyed his prior restaurant (Baru 66) when it was still around, and we’re delighted that he’s back in town with his new concept - Café Madeleine.
Like other reviews mention, the setting is small and intimate, and the service is warm and personable. The carefully curated seasonal menus are creative and delicious. Each course is well presented and includes a detailed description from the chef himself. We recommend including the suggested wine pairings, which further elevates the experience. The Café’s sommelier does a great job finding wines that harmonize well with each course, and you will likely be enjoying selections that aren’t commonly available locally.
In short, if you’re looking for a special dining experience and you appreciate great food, you should give this restaurant a try. Des Moines has several excellent high-end restaurants, and we’ve been fortunate enough to visit each of them, but in our opinion, you won’t do better right now than Café Madeleine.“

“Their cajun tuna sandwich is excellent - just the right amount of kick to it. Lunch prices are also reasonable.“

“I believe the manager that helped us with our reservation was named Jess. She. Was. PHENOMENAL! She had organized a proposal after our dinner. Out server, the cooks, the manager….everyone did such an amazing job at making it a beautiful night! The drinks were outstanding, the food was cooked perfectly, and I will definitely be back when I go to Des Moines again!“

“This place is truly a gem. It is a rarity to find sushi this good in the US, nonetheless Des Moines. The bluefin toro (fatty tuna) is a true delicacy and is not easy to find even in much larger metros. It was delicious- we did both the nigiri and sashimi. The king salmon nigiri was also very tasty. It had a smoky flavor that was delicious. We also really enjoyed the fluke nigiri. The French onion soup was good, as was the sushi roll we had. The one “miss” was the mussels, as they were just a bit bland. The service was terrific, and the atmosphere is low key. Highly, highly recommend- this place is truly impressive.“