When I saw "Fine French Dining" as a dinner option in Newport, I was excited as we were celebrating a birthday and also because I was trained in classical French cuisine. Upon arrival we were greeted quite quickly and my coat dispatched to the cloak closet. The hostess took us through the bar to a two top and let us know our Captain would be with us shortly. While waiting my partner and I both selected cocktails from the menu. The Captain arrived and took our drink orders, also letting us know that there would be two dessert specials, both of which required ordering at the beginning of the meal as they took time to prepare. Both the Grand Marnier Souffle and the Tart Tatin sounded wonderful. Cocktails came after a short wait, and we put in our order: To Start-Beef Tartar and Sweetbreads, followed by Caesar Salads for us both; and then Duck for my partner and Filet for myself (both medium rare). We selected a hearty Pinot Noir to go with the apps and entrees. This would be one of the few times we saw the "Captain" throughout the meal, and to be honest I'm pretty sure they were short at least one server, as most of the food was delivered by the bus boy (I can't give him the honorific of commis or assistant) or the bar tender. Bread and butter were dropped unceremoniously on the table, and that's ok because the French bread was average and the slice of butter tube was nothing special. A few grains of black or pink salt would have kicked it up a bit, a short spiel about the local bakery that makes the bread could have been nice, something about the local herbs and honey in the butter could be good (there wasn't any but hey I can dream...) Our Waiter returned with wine and offered to pour early so it could breathe but no need as it's a Pinot Noir and we have some time as we were both finishing the cocktails (which were also very well made and tasty), but the offer was appreciated. Appetizers came , and the bus boy had to be told who got which one, but to be honest the sweetbreads were just fantastic. The beef tartar was good but nothing amazing. The wine went very well with both. This is where the night turned a bit south, as the "salads" came out. Using a 6inch ring mold, the kitchen chopped romaine to the point where it was smaller than ¼ inch by ¼ inch sized, then tossed that in a very light dressing consisting of mostly anchovies. Finally the entire ring of lettuce was crusted with bread crumbs (and I assume parmesan) providing a 1/2 inch tall salad 6 inches across with gritty topping and tasting very much of umami but not so much like Caesar salad. To the point where we couldn't eat them and they had to be taken off the bill. Entrée Time. Once again the inability to code the ticket so that the servers know which entrée goes to which guest is just subpar. The duck, while crispy on the skin was way past medium rare and seemed a bit small for a full duck breast. Sauce and Rillette was pretty good. Filet (when I pronounced the 'T' during the ordering process the server didn't understand, but I guess that's just me being picky) was also well past medium rare, the bordelaise was fair and the beets were great. We ate the food as it was there and we were now hungry and realizing this was not to be the amazing meal that we thought it would be. Our bus boy came back to clear and take coffee orders. I was also going to get a Grand Marnier to go with the souffle and cork the remainder of bottle 2 of the Pinot Noir but when I asked for an Americano he was completely lost so I just asked for a 'cup of coffee' and my partner had a double espresso. I didn't want to burden this poor guy with more things he didn't know about like aperitifs. The Souffle came out and busboy tried to make a show of breaking the crust and adding crème anglaise to it, but it just didn't work for him, maybe because the crème anglaise was so think it didn't pour it kinda glopped off the spoon. That's OK because when we broke into the souffle it turned out to be fancy scrambled eggs (so they overcooked or overwhipped or both). The tart tatin was again 6 inch ring mold sized and looked like a fried egg white on a piece of toast. True it tasted good but it was in no way shape of form a decent Julia Child like tart tatin. The server came over and I asked him to remove the souffle and also informed him that his tip wouldn't be so very good as he didn't check on the cook on the entrees nor the dessert until it was pretty much time for the check. After removing the two salads and the desert, our bill was still over $400 for the meal, which is, to be completely honest, about $200 more than it was worth. read more

Really really sad that this is no longer Bouchard and went downhill since the end of Chef Jess. We tried Audette once and were very surprised at how easy it was to book a reservation. There were too many available slots to dine. With Bouchard, we'd have to wait weeks or months. We wanted to like Audette but it just didn't cut it. Even my boys agreed that this was the last time we'd dine here. But we do love what they did with the interior and renovations. Captain Daniel was still wonderful as ever! We will definitely miss his drinks and espresso martinis! read more

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Without question, the finest dining experience in Rhode Island--and that's saying something given the competition from Castle Hill, Chandler, Claudine, and others. It's our go-to for birthdays, anniversaries, and visits from out-of-town friends. We've been regulars since its days as Bouchard's, then Chantarelle, and now Audette. We were a bit uneasy when the TSK group took over--having loved TSK before its service declined a couple of years ago--but Audette has exceeded expectations. Service is again top-notch, thanks especially to Daniel and Max, and the food remains consistently excellent. The menu is intentionally compact (which I applaud), somewhat less French than before, and now includes a notable focus on high-end caviar. I do hope they eventually offer daily specials--perhaps a house-made pasta or scallop dish. Highly recommended--and no need to overdress. Most guests are comfortably in business casual attire. read more

OMG, what a delicious and delightful evening. Dined here for Newport Restaurant Week and it was amazing. The food and service was top notch. It reminds you of eating at a French bistro. The food is well prepared and the service amazing. Everyone is friendly and attentive. It's my first time dining under Audette with new ownership and will definitely return. Great for all occasions. read more

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Audette is beautiful on the eyes as soon as you walk in. A perfect place for a romantic evening. My friend and I had a lovely table by the window. We started with a delicious bottle of Sancerre. We shared the Caesar, I've never had one so finely chopped and the figs. For dinner we had the tuna and the steak, both just Devine. If you are looking for French this is your place. read more

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If you want flavor, come here. The best Pork on the bone I ever had.. The service is spot on. My wife loved her duck.

Audette was a 10/10 experience for us. We went over New Year's and everything from the atmosphere to the food felt elevated and special. The escargot was a standout--easily one of our favorite dishes of the night. Everything we tried was thoughtfully prepared and full of flavor. It's the kind of place that feels worth the hype and perfect for a special occasion. Would absolutely go back. read more

We dined at Audette for the first time since the ownership transition, and were immensely pleased that the quality of the experience was unchanged. We had an elegant meal, superbly cooked and served, with beautiful wines. I can't think of anything I would criticize. read more

Escargot and Halibut were major disappointments. Escargot was overwhelmed with parsley. We expected more of a garlic butter sauce. Had looked forward to sopping up garlic butter with bread (which was excellent). The halibut was very dry with very little of the "lobster bisque" it was supposed to be in. Asked for more sauce, but it didn't help. it was "topped with lobster), which was just three small bites. Ordered the soufflé and apple dessert. Soufflé was excellent. Apple dessert (described as needing 25 minutes to cook) obviously didn't cook long enough. It was cold. Waiter was very nice but took long time to get cocktails (especially second round), and waited an inordinate amount of time to get check. On the bright side, pork chop was EXCELLENT. French onion soup and filet were just ok. Overall, the experience was too expensive to recommend. read more

We had the pleasure of dining at Audette on Valentine's Day. To say it was a special evening would not do it justice. Probably more so than any other night, Valentine's Day is the one evening every diner hopes for a truly memorable occasion. Many establishments may struggle to meet that standard, not so for the team at Audette as Valentine's Day is taken in stride with the same alchemy of warm hospitality, gracious service and delectable cuisine that makes every visit memorable! Carmen's warm greeting and poise made every patron feel special belying the fact that Audette was absolutely fully booked with a waiting list numbering in the hundreds. As only they can Dan, our Captain, and Ben, our server, provided amazing service...and terrific recommendations to include a new presentation of beef tartare incorporating pickled pearl onions that provided a perfect pop, and the return of vol au vent de lobster! Perhaps the hardest thing to do would have been to choose between the menus tempting choices, so we did not and greatly enjoyed the quahog au gratin, a truly upscale interpretation of the classic Rhode Island "stuffie" and the winter citrus salad whose fruit and fennel pollen provided the perfect counterpoint to the "stuffie's" richness and chourico. The cotriade and quenelles de halibut entrées were perfectly prepared and presented each with an amazing broth/sauce the former lighter and the latter richer. From beginning to end each dish served as testament to why the James Beard Foundation has named Chef Jasmine Watson as a national Emerging Chef semifinalist! That Chef Jasmine made sure to, and was able to, circulate and chat with diners provides insight into both her dedication to her culinary artistry and the strength of her kitchen. As has become our habit we asked Dan to choose a wine that would pair with our choice of dishes. Choosing a 2019 O Gran Mein Val Do Avia Spanish white Dan "confessed" that he had not yet tried it. Intrigued and implicitly trusting in his judgement we - to include Dan - were rewarded with a wonderfully crisp wine with elegant minerality ...thank you Dan! As always, we capped off the evening with one of Dan's espresso martinis...the standard by which we measure all others. Departing after an exceptional evening we left as we always do eagerly planning our next visit. read more

Bouchard, then Chanterelle, used to be my favorite restaurant in Newport by a wide margin. Unfortunately, as Audette, even though the surroundings are lovely and the new bar very attractive, the menu has deteriorated. Chanterelle had lovely home made rolls---Audette had supermarket quality baguettes. The beautifully sliced and cooked vegetables are no more. Worse, in my opinion, is the menu....right now (9/25) it consists of duck with roasted onions (I long for Bouchard's coffee crusted duck), roasted veal chop, seared tuna, fluke, poulet en croute (too soupy, ore like a mediocre chicken pot pie, ratatouille, quenelles with lobster and a vegetarian bouillabaisse. Clearly, someone has decided red meat is verboten. The service is still lovely, but the menu needs improvement. read more

Spectacular! Everything! Wow, what an amazing addition to Thames St. Ambiance is beautiful, staff is kind and attentive, food is amazing. Fabulous place for a nice dinner out or just drinks and apps at the bar! Would be perfect for a special date night in Newport, or just because! I can't wait to go back. So happy to see they had vegetarian dishes and was completely blown away by the flavors and presentation. 10/10 read more

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Dinner was spectacular and the wine list is awesome. This was our second time at Audette and cannot express how good a restaurant this is. We find everything to be perfect, from the ambiance, the service, the cocktails, and the food. read more

Excellent dining experience from start to finish. The decor was very chic and we appreciated the attention to detail. The service was friendly and prompt. Our server, Zach, was very knowledgeable and welcoming. The owner, Carmen, was so kind and was very invested in making sure everyone was well cared for. The food was all very tasty, fresh, and thoughtfully prepared. Great drinks too and the soufflé dessert was amazing. We were very impressed and will definitely be back!! read more

Keep an eye in their bogus cancellation policy or they will take your money. I cancelled a reservation with 5 hours notice for 5 people- they told me they were unable to rebook the five person table, which I learned to be a lie. I haven't heard many good things about the new place so I should've steered clear in the first place.. Jo's Bistro, 94 Stonacre Brasserie ( in Newport) or Plouf Plouf in tiverton are all good alternatives to Audette. read more

Audette is one of best things to happen to the Newport restaruarant scene. Wine list is extensive and menu is imaginative. It is simply the best French food anywhere around. Vibe is ideal and service is over the top attentive. Ignore the first YELP review apparently submitted by someone who is trying to sabotage a wonderful new restaurant. read more

I don't write reviews, however, this restaurant was such a miss I feel compelled to do so. The cocktails were not made to order, the music was too loud and not befitting a more upscale French restaurant, and the food was not good. What's more, this restaurant is right next to O'Brien's Pub on Thames Street, so in addition to cars passing with radios blaring, the view of Obien's and Rhode Island Reef cannabis is terrible. We should have listened to our gut and left immediately when we realized we were the only patrons in the restaurant at 6 pm. I'd never go back. read more