Chez Francois Restaurant & Touche Bistro

My experience is this, when I choose a restaurant that controls all the price points from start to finish and then they add a 2.99% credit card fee as a convenience, I draw the line in the sand and start swinging the righteous sword of indignation. This is my indignation:

Your food is not that great where I would agree to pay and added charge just to walk in the door. And if you think I carry $500 on me to pay for a meal, you're crazy. So you live with this and you've earned it.

Food: 5

We had reservations for 7:45 p.m., but despite arriving on time, we waited approximately 20–25 minutes before being seated.

Once seated, we tried to order drinks directly from the menu—no special requests—but it took at least another 30 minutes before they arrived. During that time, our server was largely absent, and we were unable to place our appetizer order until he finally returned.

After ordering, our appetizers took at least an hour (and likely longer) to arrive. By then, we were more than ready to order our entrees, but that process was also extremely slow.

Before ordering dinner, we asked about dessert. Our server enthusiastically recommended the lemon cheesecake, spending several minutes describing it. However, at 9:51 p.m., he returned and said, “The kitchen is eager to wrap it up since we close at 9 on Wednesday.” As a result, we were told we could no longer order dessert, despite the fact that the excessive delays throughout the evening were entirely due to the service—not because we lingered or delayed placing our orders.

The server then offered to bring us a complimentary two-bite chocolate mousse dessert instead. We asked for the check, but it took another 16 minutes to receive it. After taking our payment, he returned to clear the table but did not bring back our credit card. He came back a second time with the credit card and again said he would bring the desserts. Ten minutes later, he returned only to clear another table. The promised desserts never arrived.

At that point, we got up and asked to speak with the manager, Linda. She was apologetic and explained that they were understaffed because they had accommodated many walk-in guests earlier in the evening. However, there were still numerous diners in both the restaurant and the bar at that time, so it was difficult to understand why our experience had been handled this way.

We spent a significant amount of money expecting a quality dining experience, but instead encountered long waits, poor communication, and unfulfilled promises from start to finish. Being encouraged to order dessert only to be told later that the kitchen had already closed—because of delays outside of our control—was especially disappointing. Unfortunately, this was one of the most frustrating restaurant experiences we’ve had, and it did not reflect the level of service we expected.

Also, the patio needs sprayed for spiders as they were dropping from the ceiling onto our table and into the food.

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 3

Service: 1

Wow I mean wow. Been living in Cleveland area my whole life and just tried Chez Francois for the first time with my wife for our anniversary. Everything was great. The restaurant is located off Lake Erie and has exquisite French decor and ambiance. The service was exceptional and all our plates were beyond fantastic. They gave us complimentary gazpacho which we thought might be a small throw away gesture, but it was great! The lobster bisque is the best we’ve ever had (worth the price). All the appetizers, entrees and desserts did not disappoint. Thank you for helping us enjoy our 25th year anniversary! We will be back.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

My husband and I were looking for a new place to try for our anniversary and Chez Francois did not disappoint. Everything from the small plates, to the mains to the dessert was excellent! We loved the quiet atmosphere and beautiful views of the water while we enjoyed our meals and the staff provided great recommendations. Can't wait to come back and try the tasting menu.

Everything here is delicious. The servers are all lovely. The view is beautiful. This is a great restaurant for the celebration.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Honest review here: I loved this place. I’d absolutely go back and we drove 1.5 hrs to be there. We were seated on the river (like table on the dock overlooking the slips). A dead fish floated next to us for a while, and we couldn’t shake the constant companionship of a bee floating over the begonias in the flower basket next to us, as well as our drinks. Also, a weirdly cute spider crept around— basically if you’re going to be outside, accept that nature will be there with you. Our service was unusually slow when we first arrived because our server had both us and a 9 top seated at the same time. Which seemed like an odd assignment for him to have to manage us both at once. NONETHELESS/also, the view of the river was gorgeous, the food was gorgeous, the staff was warm and hospitable. Also, the stuffed zucchini flower and little complimentary chilled asparagus and goat cheese shooters to start the meal were completely unique, delicious, and worth going back for on their own. The entrees were ok (filet, sea bass) but not as flavorful as expected. The accompanying potatoes and vegetables to both entrees were perfect. Complimentary wine with dessert really hit the mark. We got the chocolate lava cake which was not too sweet and served with a well selected strawberry, vanilla bean ice cream, and a charming crunchy bowl made from melted sugar and almonds. Clearly extraordinary thought has been put into this dining experience and we enjoyed it.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

I’m really conflicted writing this review. I’ve been thinking a lot about our experience with dinner here and have some thoughts. The atmosphere, food, and service are just ok. It really seems like Touche is trying to be something they are unable to be.
The atmosphere and ambience was underwhelming. A few dirty tables, many dead may flies stuck to walls and railings, and an under-maintained patio/deck shocked me. I don’t expect spotless areas, but it really seemed like they could use another person to bus tables and clean the dining areas. The view was fine- the river isn’t the clear blue water we had hoped for, but that’s not really able to be controlled.
The service was also lacking. It seemed like our server may have had too many tables? Not checked on very often by our server, but a different worker kept our water glasses full. We did not feel neglected, but it did seem understaffed.
The food was the real disappointment. The zucchini blossoms were so bland and sad. Droopy and soggy with some sort of lobster paste haphazardly stuffed inside of ugly blossoms. The artichoke hearts suffered from the same complaints- visually unappealing and bland mis-mashed flavors. The charcuterie board was good, but how could a plate of cheese be bad? Disappointing that the best appetizer was the most simple.
The onion soup was under-seasoned and quite bland. I wanted to ask for salt and pepper, but Touche puts out an expectation that asking for further seasonings would be unacceptable. The salad was overdressed and drowning in dressing, but the vegetables seemed fresh.
I do believe Touche suffers from its own desire to live up to some reputation. Their apparent desire to be “that French restaurant in Vermillion” seems to set too high expectations. My recommendation would be to lower expectations and be prepared to greatly overpay pay for mediocre food and an underwhelming experience.

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 2

Service: 3

My wife and I celebrated our 16th wedding anniversary last night. We first went to Chez Francois after we were engaged in 2009, and we have gone quite a few times ever since then. RJ and Virginia were just wonderful. RJ's knowledge regarding the food and the wine really made the whole experience enjoyable. Everything about Chez Francois has a sense of being at home, rooted in a stable place with great people and true food. My wife and I always leave Chez Francois reminded that life is good. It is a blessing and gift that such a place exists.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Our dinner at Chez Francio was truly above all others. Every single aspect of the evening was flawless, from the amazing meal to the phenomenal drinks.What really made the night unforgettable, though, was the incredible service. Our servers, RJ and Virginia, were absolutely amazing. RJ’s knowledge of the menu was impressive, and his personal recommendations hit the absolute mark. Both he and Virginia were attentive, warm, and went above and beyond to ensure our group was perfectly taken care of all night. Sharing this experience with our friends made for the perfect evening. If you want top-tier food, fantastic drinks, and world-class service, Chez Francio is the place to go. We cannot wait to return!

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 5

Service: 5

Outstanding service and food.

RJ was an amazing server!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

We wanted a very nice night out and we had been to achez Francois a few years ago and loved the food. We came back and we were not disappointed! The food was absolutely amazing and our server RJ was amazing 👏 he mentioned he was new and we were shocked he was very competent and very gracious . We enjoyed everything we ordered

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

We recently traveled about 40 minutes by boat to dine at Chez François and were excited to experience one of Ohio's premier fine dining destinations.
While the entrées were excellent and ultimately the highlight of our meal, we were disappointed by several aspects of the experience. The hostess's attire seemed inconsistent with the upscale atmosphere and dress code expected of guests. Additionally, our server never asked if we had dined there before or if we were celebrating a special occasion, something we have come to expect at fine dining establishments.
We also found the appetizers to be bland and underwhelming compared to the quality of the main course.
We are sharing this feedback because we would like to continue visiting and believe the overall guest experience could better reflect the restaurant’s reputation and standard of excellence.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 4

Service: 3

My financial advisor drove 7 hours to take me to the restaurant of my choice. I was excited to come back to the Riverfront Cafe outside by the water since this place never disappoints. I was extremely disappointed last night. We must of had a new & inexperienced waiter. Nice guy, but he does not fit the bill to work at a high quality restaurant. I have been there several times over the years & the service has always been over the top. Unfortunately, the lobster zucchini blossoms were barely warm. It seems like it was sitting out too long. I ordered the 3 veal medallions with the crab meat, scallop & shrimp. It was also barely warm. I would have sent it back to get redone, but I didn’t want to look like a snob in front of my financial guy & was too embarrassed to complain since he drove a long distance and he was paying for the very expensive meal. We also ordered a $150 bottle of Cabernet. I was just SO disappointed with the service & the food. This whole experience left such a bad taste in my mouth that I don’t want to come back. And the crazy thing is, the patio was not even busy? They had a bunch of empty tables so there is no reason why the food was not hot. I honestly think it was the chef’s fault. I think the food was sitting out because the waiter did not get the food out when if was ready. I honestly was embarrassed because I bragged to my advisor how over the top this restaurant was, and the whole entire experience was uneventful. I ate one cold veal medallion and gave the other two to my Shepsky when I got home after a 35-40 minute drive. I did not even want to reheat it for the next day. The lobster didn’t even seem that fresh either. The best part of the night was the view. That was it.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 1

Service: 1

Canal front, picturesque! Finally made it to a wine and food pairing! Perfectly orchestrated!