Tournesol

07/24/10

Makes the French look bad!

by sk101484 at Citysearch

My bf and I were really looking forward to trying this quiant looking little "french restaurant". We are no strangers to French cuisine upscale or romantic little spots. First, dont know whether this guy was the manager or host but he was dancing in the middle of the place to house music and then started doing karate kicks with one a waitress, is this a restaurant or playground? Ridiculously unprofessional. The inside of the restaurant was swarming with flies, we didnt even really wanna eat after being surrounded by them. They even fell in our water, ugh. What does the kitchen look like with all those flies? Bathroom was filthy and right next to kitchen. Food was okay, nothing to swoon over. Our waitress had no clue about wine list...hmmmm. My fish was good but way too much garnish and took away from the fish. Our Terrine foie gras was okay, had better in the city. Dessert was pretty decent. In short, not returning, was really disappointed in whole experience. If you want great French and affordable try Gascogne in the city, Great atmosphere, food, service and NO BUGS inside or out eventhough they have a gorgeous outside that makes you feel as if you are in France.

• Pros: Location, Okay dessert
• Cons: Flies, flies, flies!!!!

12/04/09

Good Place in LIC

by ViaMari at Citysearch

The place is convenient to reach (7 train) and provides great food.

• Pros: location, food and decor

09/23/08

Annoying host..... stick to seating and serving

by eetoutnyc at Citysearch

Uhrg....the food wasn't bad, but seriously, the service?!?! I have been twice with my girlfriend and both times, the host was flirting with her so inappropriately it really annoyed the hell out of me and made the meal uncomfortable. He would stand there and stare at her across the restaurant thinking he was being cool and subtle but it came off as being totally offensive. She wasn't impressed either.

Take my advice Tournesol, be charming to both people in a couple becuase generally it's the guy who is paying for the meal.

04/18/08

Good Food, Terrible Customer Service

by LKYoung at Citysearch

Arrived half an hour early with my daughter as part of a party of 14 with a reservation for 8:00 PM. The tables that we would occupy were empty and they were not reseating waiting for our party. It was Friday evening, the end of a long day and a long week. Had been in my pumps since 7:00 AM. I asked if I could sit. "No." They would not seat me until all 14 had arrived. The tiny restaurant had two seats at the bar, both occupied. I promised the owner that my daughter and I would eat, even if the other 12 never showed up. He laughed. I'm sure that he thought that he was being charming. It was 8:20 by the time the entire party was assembled. Over those 50 minutes, I asked a total of three times to be allowed to sit down, and was refused three times. Again, for the entire 50 minutes, I was standing next to the empty tables which they had indicated would be for our party. The owner and waiters ignored me, but could not help jostling me as they went about their work, as the restaurant is tiny with no separate space to wait. The evening was cool, and I was unfamiliar with the neighborhood, so I waited. At 8:20, angry, exhausted and humiliated I was allowed to sit. The food was very good, but it sat like a rock in my churning stomach. This man should be a caterer and never allowed near living, breathing customers.

• Pros: delicious food
• Cons: total lack of concern for the comfort of patrons

03/18/08

incroyable...

by paulkunkel at Citysearch

Tournesol offers everything a bistro diner could want in an unlikely location (atop the Vernon Street number 7 subway station in LOC across the screen from an abandoned ruined industrial hulk. What can you expect?: fine (and large selection of) wine by the glass or bottle (I tried white burgundy, my dining companion drank merlot), excellent appetizers (I tried the foie gras which was wonderful, we shared a winter salad and we also tried the onion soup ... bubbly in a crock, rich and bracing, just like one would expect at an upscale restaurant in France or maybe the Quebec countryside), too many entrees to choose from (the dorado was fine, the lamb shank was even better, the steak frites at a nearby table looked 9 out of 10), and the desert was equally good (bread pudding in a thick pool of creme d'anglais ... I wanted to try the oeufs a la neige as well, but after all the above ... I was done). Remarkable food. Excellent ambiance. The restaurant was nearly full, but we were seated right away. And perhaps best of all, fair prices. I will try again (maybe I should phone ahead, cause I know it will be steak frites followed by those oeufs a la neige).

Need I say more?

• Pros: Food, ambiance, price
• Cons: None