Been going here for years. Fell in love with it the first time we went to Williamsburg. Small, quaint, French restaurant within the Historic area. Our service by Sarah was very good. She gave us suggestions that were perfect. Started off with French onion soup, fried oysters, and Côtes du Rhône. We split the Boeuf Bourguignon $39. Very tasty, nice portion, just like we had in Paris. For dessert, Chocolate Mousse prepared table side. Two glasses of Prosecco. Definitely would recommend. read more

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Visited Blue Talon Bistro recently. Our server with blue hair wasn't very friendly at the beginning and didn't communicate with us well, though she was better by the end of the meal. The food was alright--nothing amazing, but decent. The portion sizes were good and filling. We spent around $90 for a couple, which felt a little high for the overall experience. Overall, it was an okay visit, but the service could have started off much better. read more

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Enjoyed lunch here the other day! Pros: The soup flight was absolutely delicious and loved being able to try 3 different soups and the parole was great. Italian wedding was my second favorite then the broccoli cheddar. Service was great! Or waiter was professional and kind and made sure we had what we needed during our meal. Cons: The tables are very close together so very close to other dining patrons. Was charged for a bread basket. We ordered a soup flight, you think that would be included. Overall the food we tried was very good and will be back. read more

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The food was "ok". I had the French onion soup and it was not good. It consisted if a big glob of cheese dumped on a piece of bread soaking in a tepid broth. The cheese made it virtually inedible. Then had the Salad Nicoise. Again it was just ok. A big glob of tuna surrounded by oversized artichokes, tomatoes with anchovies on top. It was better than the soup, but not great. The service was good, but the restaurant was noisy. We were a party of seven on graduation weekend. I would not recommend the place. read more

Very unique family friendly restaurant. Went for dinner on a whim after a long day at the park. Best part is that they have a kids. Kids had usual chicken tenders and french fries. My oldest has a Shirley temple. Husband has lamb shank and I had Saturday night special chicken cordon blu. read more

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A nice restaurant centrally located in historic Williamsburg. We had a reservation and were seated promptly in the staff were all very pleasant. I had Blue Talon cocktail and they graciously agreed to not add the Galliano since I'm not a fan of licorice flavoring. I also had the Beef Bourguignon which was amazing. read more

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The service was good, our server was a young man and he was very happy and apologetic. The place is cute looking. But that's all it's got going for it. The food was bland, and took literal 50 minutes for our two sandwiches. One person got soup with their sandwich, and it came out after 25 minutes, so there was a huuuuge wait with one person having one soup, and no one else having anything. People around us had the same issue, many people complaining and angry. One family was seated and ordered before us, and didn't get any food until we were signing the check. This would be fine if it was a slower pace kinda place, but we missed events at Williamsburg because service was so slow. Also the plating was weird. The soup came with the pot holder and made it took trashy. Why did we spend $100 to be served on a dish pad? read more

Blue Talon Bistro - French Near Me - Williamsburg, Virginia

Lovely French restaurant. We had a great time. Both our dishes were infused with a delicious buttery taste. Our server was really nice too. read more

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Last minute decision to eat here and we enjoyed the choice. Wife is gluten free due to celiac so the focus of the server to make sure she taken care of was important to us as it gave us a level of comfort to start. The meal pace is slower than one may be used to in other areas, the time we had to talk and enjoy the outdoor seating was nice. I had the blackened salmon and the fish was done well and the beets were outstanding. My wife had the steak frites with a substitution of the fries cooked in a joint fryer with their mashed potatoes. The potatoes were very well seasoned and tasty. I also had the French Onion soup which I enjoyed as well. We only held off on the dessert due to other obligations, which we will get next time. read more

Good food. Never had a cock and pullet before. Guess there is always a first time. The beignets were very good. Nice absent menu and the historic tap order was not bad. Service was attentive. Great French ambiance. read more

Blue Talon Bistro - Absinthe menu - French Near Me - Williamsburg, Virginia

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After really excellent experiences here throughout our daughter's 4 years at William and Mary College, we chose the Blue Talon as our place to celebrate our daughter's graduation night. We made the reservation with Adam several weeks before the big event and noted that we would be celebrating a very special occasion. We arrived at 8:25 for our 8:30 p.m. reservation to a very crowded waiting area without any seating for our elderly parents. I was greeted by a very rude hostess who informed that we had 2 tables ahead of us due to late diners?? When I asked for an update 20 minutes later, she instructed her assistant to bring us to a small table, barely big enough for 4, and to squeeze another place setting/chair. Assuming this must be a clear mistake and to sit us at a nearby empty space suitable for 5 adults, the same rude hostess curtly responded that the tiny table was a 5-person table; or else, we could head to their patio, outdoor seating. We accepted the outdoor table but expressed how unacceptable the situation was considering we had elderly grandparents and our family came to celebrate a special night. At this point, we tried to salvage the rest of the evening but then the food came. It was practically inedible. My daughter's mac and cheese was an oily glop of soggy penne and our parents' clam chowder soup were both so salty they almost returned it. We informed our server, Mitch, who just responded with a polite "oh". That said, we skipped dessert of course. Truly a horrible way to end what was a beautiful event. We plan on never returning. read more

This is a 3.5 star review. Came to Blue Talon today with a friend for lunch and we were seated right away. I ordered an iced tea and it was just all sorts of wrong; the flavor was terrible. The waitress kindly took it off of my bill. I got the bistro omelette and my friend got the burger and both were pretty good. The omelette was actually quite huge, so I do feel like I got my money's worth. Because the tea wasn't great, I decided to go for a hot chocolate, which was even worse. It was like drinking a burnt chocolate bar! Ugh. I didn't have the nerve to send that one back too, so $7 wasted. Our waitress was quite friendly and was very kind about the mishap with the tea (blue hair, cool glasses). The service was good. I wouldn't come back here though. Can't justify ordering two bad items and then giving this another shot. Sorry, Blue Talon. read more

Blue Talon Bistro - Hot chocolate - French Near Me - Williamsburg, Virginia

Came in at 10:40 would not seat us. Said closed 1030-1130. Pretty crazy and to answer the owner below. No I have never heard of completely closing between breakfast and lunch. And we did find a great place the brunch company that I highly recommend. Thank you read more

We decided to visit Williamsburg for dinner and landed on this classic establishment. I had been to the Blue Talon once or twice well over a decade ago - and was pleasantly surprised by our experience. Restaurants, in general, have little staying power- so it was lovely to find this place "holding it down" after all these years. The food, service and atmosphere were awesome and we will certainly be back soon. The cocktail selection was unique and I especially liked the featured menu of various Rosé offerings. I ordered a Manhattan - another featured item on the menu- and it was perfect. I appreciate the support of Copper Fox, a local distillery. We ordered the Fried Oysters appetizer and, while the oysters were a bit over cooked, was very tasty. They were served with fresh tomatoes, onions and sauce and were delivered just moments after we ordered. We got the Roasted Chicken, Chicken and Mushroom Crèpes and a side of Macaroni and Cheese. The Roasted Chicken was herbaceous and perfectly prepared- highly recommend. It came with a side of mashed potatoes which were delicious. The Crèpes surprised us - they come smothered in cheese and baked in a plentiful and rich cream sauce. This dish was absolutely fantastic- it's super rich, but if you want a treat, I say go for it. We didn't need the mac n cheese once we realized how creamy and cheesy the Crèpes were but, we liked it. The mac n cheese *was* incredibly hot and i suspect it was absolutely perfect before it was overheated. The service was very good - especially considering how busy it was. The team works together to bring out drinks and food. I do recommend utilizing the runners more for clearing the tables. Our server was excellent and it seemed a bit odd that he was clearing plates when no less than 3 different individuals brought food to our table. To be fair, the Blue Talon is clearly doing something right - perhaps I'm way off base here - it's just a thought. The Blue Talon is getting 5 stars because despite some things that could have been better, we had a fantastic experience. We hope this landmark of the Colonial Williamsburg landscape sticks around for years to come. Cheers! read more

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A step across the pond into France. A cute, eclectic bistro with a charming European atmosphere. Our server was fun, polite and attentive. The food was amazing and fresh. I saw a lot of delicious looking plates pass by, will have to come back! read more

Blue Talon Bistro - French Near Me - Williamsburg, Virginia

Delicious food! Portions were kind of small for the price but the food was really good. The potato cake and sausage were PHENOMENAL and my daughters loved the smoothie bowls. Establishment is very cute!! read more

We went on a quiet Sunday evening and enjoyed quick friendly service and a serene ambience on the side patio. The cheese fondue appetizer outshone the brandade which was a little bland. The potatoes for the fondue were excellent but the crostini was a little too hard for fondue. Would have preferred some soft pieces of bread. Unlike a comment or two from past reviews about the scarcity of accoutrements we had plenty. Entrees were tasty and substantial. We had the short rib bourguignon and the roasted cod. The grits for both were delicious. The cod had well prepared asparagus and the short rib had some very flavorful carrots onion and mushrooms in a delicious red wine sauce. Both entrees were rich and filling. If you want to save money on parking then use the parking garage on north Henry near the corner of Prince George St which is only a $1 an hour. If you park right behind the restaurant it cost $10 regardless of time spent. read more

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Fantastic! Visited Williamsburg for the weekend, and found this gem near the William & Mary campus for dinner before heading back home. Our server, Kevin, was very friendly, enthusiastic, and genuine from the moment we were seated to the time we left. Kevin answered all of our questions we had asked him about the local wines, and checked with the bar when he was unsure about the answer. From start to finish, Kevin checked on our table a good number of times throughout our meal to ensure we were enjoying ourselves, and brought drink refills without being asked. My date and I ordered the cheese fondue, which comes with mini dill pickles, perfected roasted and salted fingerling potatoes, and toasted croutons (think crostinis!). The appetizer was served in a small hot bowl, good for 2-3 people to share as an appetizer. Given the bowl the fondue was served in, the cheese stayed smooth and at a good temperature for a really decent amount of time. For our entrees, my date had the short rib bourguignon and I had the roasted scallops, which was the Sunday dinner special. The short rib dish was perfectly tender, and very tasty. The chef really did a great job of preparing this dish! As for the roasted scallops, the dish comes with 6 large scallops served in an iron skillet with sherry wine butter sauce, which gives the melted butter a delicate acidity. Both of our entrees were delicious and well seasoned. Would highly recommend both dishes, so hopefully you won't have to pick between the two! Finally, Kevin offered us dessert, mentioning that everyone's favorite is the gateau britone, while he would recommend the creme brulee. We decided on the gateau britone since my date isn't really a fan of the latter option. The cake was decently moist although not as light as I would have liked. The density of the warm cake was offset by a scoop of vanilla ice cream and warm brown sugar glaze on top. I would compare this dessert to more of a bread pudding consistency, but still delectable. Nothing to write home about for the dessert, but it definitely helped round out the meal for us before making the two hour trek back to NOVA. Overall, another delicious meal in the books! Would definitely come back the next time we are in the area! Finally, it is worth noting that the restaurant closes at 8pm on Sundays, Mondays and Thursdays, so last seating without a reservation (if tables are not all taken) is generally at 7:30pm, so come early if you can! read more

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Overworked and overcooked. Our waiter was great but not able to check back on us often enough to get second rounds of drinks etc (I saw him serving in every part of the dining room). The cod was overcooked as was the burger (medium well but ordered medium). The cheese plate and charcuterie was good but no gluten free options for an allergy. I have liked blue talon in the past but it was not a win tonight. However the cocktails were WAY better than at King Arms tavern (watery). read more

Blue Talon was a wonderful experience of French comfort food. The ambiance was cafe style, busy, a little loud, but enjoyable. The food was delicious! We had the Brandade as an appetizer. It was truly a perfect blend of the truffle oil, garlic, and cod. The fresh pepper on top was perfect. I had the Veal and my partner had the Duck. I highly recommend both. The veal was tender, flavorful, and rich. The morel cream sauce it came with had a little too much pepper for my preference but was still enjoyable. The duck was tender and well cooked with enough seasoning to be in the background but allowed the full flavor of the duck to shine through. We had a bottle of the Claret, and it complimented each food perfectly. Our sever was really attentive, asked us before bringing entrees to make sure we had finished w the appetizer, and the proper bottle service and wine presentation was professional and appropriate. 100 percent will return. read more

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Pleasant atmosphere. The menu looks good, lots of choices. But it's one of those restaurants that takes a tried and true dish and gussies it up to look like it's haute cuisine, but the overall effect is diminished For example, a dish of fried oysters: being from New Orleans I should have known better. Just fry up the oysters, serve nice and hot and crispy perhaps on some lettuce with a slice of lemon or some sauce on the side. The purer, the better. But no. This is served on a salad with tomatoes and other stuff, and then a mystery sauce is squirted on top of the oysters from a plastic condiment thingy. My entree, a Salade Nicoise, had "grilled, flaked tuna" at its center, surrounded by tomatoes, green beans, hard boiled egg, boiled potatoes. No discernible dressing on the vegetables. I am not kidding when I say the tuna looked like the chef plopped a can of Friskies cat food on the plate. It was dark tuna at that. It was absolutely inedible. How can you mess up tuna? Even canned tuna would have been okay but this was GROUND UP and mixed with capers. I will tip my hat to the very excellent clam chowder. I wish I'd just gotten a bowl of that and I'd have been happy. There was a charge for the bread. read more

The food was spectacular For me the onion soup 9 out of 10 The cassoulet was 100 out of 10 The gateau Breton was a whole other dimension, that was the best dessert I have ever had in my 50 years, and being a exec chef for the last 20 I would drive hours out of my way for a meal at blue talon read more

My group of four had dinner on Sunday night. I had made a reservation for 5:00 so was promptly seated. We first had delicious Oysters Rockefeller appetizers. Our entrees were Shrimp and Crawfish Etoufee, the Sunday duck special, and the lamb shank. For dessert we had Chocolate Noisette and beignets. Everything was delicious! read more

Been wanting to try for a while; always crowded, good reviews. Unfortunately, the reality differed from my expectations. I made reservations a month in advance for my wife and I, so it was disconcerting to be taken past the main dining area (with available tables) to a back room to be seated next to a party of 20+ with many small, loud children. Fortunately they finished and left not to long after, but then the staff cleared and set tables as if we weren't there, shouting at each other, banging and tossing things, etc. We were the only people back there, and we felt very uncomfortable. The menu looked enticing, so we ordered: escargot and scallops for my wife and steak tartar and lamb shank for me. Escargot was okay, a little underwhelming and toast points overly crisped so they wouldn't absorb the sauce. Tartar was bland and lacking seasoning-very disappointing as I was looking forward to it. Scallops were nicely seared orzo cooked properly but both needed seasoning. Lamb was barely tepid when it arrived; I sent it back and entire dish was put under salamander to heat. Result was warmed up meat, overdone vegetables and broken sauce and potatoes. We were repeatedly offered the waiters apologies, but that's it. Bill was over $200, and we left feeling disappointed. Would not recommend considering the price. read more

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I wanted to be impressed, but I was not. We waited a long time for our food and by long time I mean, it was an hour until we received our food. Heck. Even my friends' dogs got their food way before us. Our server did inform us that it would take a while to receive our food since a large party had just sat down. Excuse me, but what in the Sam Hill does that have to do with us? We were seated probably 15 minutes if not more before them. We had a party of 4 not a party of 30 or whatever large number he mentioned that had just sat down. I don't work in the food service industry and I'm sure there's a lot behind the logistics that i'm not knowledgeable about, however I would think that serving the table of 4 would push things out a lot faster. It got to the point where when someone doesn't eat for so long of a duration and they were famished then they finally get their food and then they are no longer hungry. The hunger pangs have disappeared, yet when you finally eat it does nothing for you. That's where I ended up. To add insult to injury the $19+ burger didn't live up to its price. Was it terrible? No. But it wasn't great either. At least the fries were good. Next time I'm in Williamsburg I'm going to give this a pass. read more

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1. Food was delicious 2. Service was great 3. Atmosphere was cute I have a firm belief that you can't expect kids to not be picky if they only eat chicken tenders. This restaurant has an actual decent kids menu in addition to being able to get smaller portions of adult meals. My 5 and 7 year old got mussels and croque madame. We also had the escargot, fried oysters and lamb shank. The burger was a little uninspired but I suppose that's ok. Drinks were also fabulous. Classics are classics for a reason and these didn't disappoint. read more

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We swung by Blue Talon after hanging out in the Christmas-themed town. We wanted to have lunch before we headed home back down to Norfolk. LOCATION: They have ample covered outdoor seating and inside seating. It was faster to get seated outside. FOOD: I ordered the Parisian hot chocolate, which was very strong! We asked for bread, which cost $4 - the bread wasn't fantastic enough to be charged. The French Onion soup was a little too burnt on top for my taste. I just didn't enjoy it and didn't finish my soup. SERVICE: We sat outside because we had our two dogs with us. We could tell our waiter did not like dogs lol He didn't greet them and seemed to ignore them as much as he could when he came to talk to us. But two other waitresses came by to greet our dogs. Will we return? I'd rather try a different location next time we're in the area. read more

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Kevin was our waiter and did a great job. The food was all cooked to perfection, apparently Thursday night is half off wine night; the ladies loved that. The restaurant is a bit crowded and loud which greatly detracts from the otherwise charming atmosphere and even though I'm giving this restaurant a 4 out of 5 it's probably a 4.4. read more

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Food: (4/5): The food is fantastic here. It's no wonder it's a fan favorite. They lose a star for the unnecessary cost of the side swap... Drinks: Thursday night the wine is 1/2 price bottles. We got a really great one for $18! My favorite cocktail is the "aviation". It's so great! A great dry gin cocktail with a lovely lavender taste and beautiful color. We started with: SALMON RILLETTES- savory salmon puree with warm baguette. It's a minced salmon spread with two butter toasted slices. We definitely needed more bread and ended up with $4 basket of French baguette and butter, which was fine, but not the same. I ordered the CROQUE MADAME - French classic ham & cheese on brioche with a light cream sauce and a fried egg. It was just so decadent! Yummy ham and cheese that had a light batter (think savory French toast) and a lovely cream sauce. I can't believe I was able to eat the entire thing! Since I don't like salad, I asked for truffle fries instead and they charged me $10 for the side, which seemed really high. The fries were good - thin, with herbs and truffle oil, but I was really annoyed that it was so expensive. Service (5/5): Melissa was super kind and a wonderful server. Ambiance (5/5): I felt like I was in a French cafe. I love the atmosphere - cane chairs, marble tables, cozy booths with dark muted tones. Just the right place to go on a cold winter night. read more

Blue Talon Bistro - Aviation cocktail - French Near Me - Williamsburg, Virginia

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My wife and I went to Blue Talon recently during a visit to her Alma Mater for a wedding. Service was great. It was super nostalgic for her so that made me happy. The macaroni and cheese was delicious, huge fan. The entire meal was great. read more

Blue Talon Bistro - Pulled Chicken Caesar Salad - French Near Me - Williamsburg, Virginia

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Family favorite for the last ten plus years. Food, atmosphere, service everything top notch. Any time we are in Williamsburg, at least one meal has to be at Blue Talon. Looking forward to many more visits! read more

A place for patrons and pets alike. This is a place to dine especially outdoors when the weather is beautiful as it is today! The service however was terrible. After we had already been seated and our drinks served and orders placed, the waiter came over and told us they were just now seating a party of 30, so our food will be a while before we receive it. The proper way to have handled this would have been to get our food out to us first, since we are only a group of 4. It would have made more sense to take care of our food since we arrived before the party of 30 rather than make us wait almost 2 hours. The party of 30 should expect to wait being such a large party. The ambiance casual and relaxed and in the heart of historic Williamsburg. They have an array of healthy fare in terms of entrees and salads and sandwiches. They even have a dog menu. I ordered the chicken salad Tartine, my dinner companions ordered the Duck Confit, 2 Bistro burgers, and a Charcuterie Board! The pups had the Salisbury Steak with Rice Pilaf. The chicken salad Tartine sandwich was generous but the brioche was stale and dry. I will not return to this place. read more

Blue Talon Bistro - Charcuterie board - French Near Me - Williamsburg, Virginia

Visited for dinner on a Monday evening with my family. Really enjoyed the home-like atmosphere and the ambiance. All of the guests, wait staff, and managers seemed to be in a positive mood and enjoying being at the establishment. The manager even walked by our table and joked with us about something silly we were talking about. Our server was very kind and made honest recommendations, which I always appreciate. We didn't have to wait long for drinks or food to be delivered to us. All of the food and drinks were delivered at the right temperature and exactly how we asked and all additional needs were fulfilled immediately. We enjoyed the Truffle Fries side, French Onion Soup, Rotisserie Chicken, and Duck à l'Orange along with their Beignets, New York Whiskey Sour cocktail, and Espresso, just to name a few things we tried! We would definitely recommend and return to Blue Talon Bistro and plan to walk around the cute town of Williamsburg next time we do! read more

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please don't come here ,no food was good Burger: pretty easy right? WRONG way overcooked and a stale buns, horrible French onion soup: nope not quite shore you can say that a better wood for it is water, horrible French toast: once again stale bread and was mush ,horrible Biscuits and gravy: AGAIN STALE BREAD and it was so bad we sent it back,horrible Service: our waiter was cold and distant didnt have any people skills After all good was horrible we tried eating the fries as something to fill us up again horrible tastes like a McDonald fries you find under your couch im going home to eat a sandwich read more

Great food! Generous portions and reasonable prices. Great service too. We split meals at the table and no issues with that.

After making sure we had a reservation for Father's Day, a Sunday at 1700 because we like early, we stopped on in. First thing that struck me was the slightly disinterested hostess, but from then on, superb. With a five-year-old, we often end up ordering off the main menu because she doesn't always like just chicken tenders. That being said, the kids menu is perfect, and the fact that there are some half size entrées you can get for kiddos who might not want the kids menu is perfect as well. She ended up with the kids charcuterie and gobbled the whole thing up! My husband ordered the lamb shank and I got the mushroom pasta. Both were absolutely fabulous! The lamb was perfectly cooked and warmed to perfection, and my mushroom pasta with a cashew cream sauce was absolutely exceptional! Getting a good cashew cream sauce is not necessarily easy to do, but they nailed it. With the extensive wine menu and options for everyone, we were good. On top of it, our waiter was awesome! Not only was his mustache perfectly shaped, but his demeanor and attention just right. His recommendation for my husband's entrée was also perfect, and he didn't have to think hard about what he would recommend. I loved the old building and the way that they decorated, classy, yet still relaxed. I love to try this place for lunch another time as well. So, we will be back! read more

First of all, before I forget his name, a BIG thank you to Kevin. He was a wonderful server. So friendly and kind. We could've chatted with him for hours! Ask for his area!!! My mom just moved to Williamsburg so she is excited to take me to all of her favorite places. This has been a favorite for a while. It is an authentic French bistro that serves chickens from our favorite village in France, Bresse. We both had the exact same dishes. We started off with French onion soup. Well. To say that they give ample cheese is a bit of an understatement. There was easily a couple of inches of melted goodness. The flavor was mild, not salty with just a touch of herb. It was a standard crock but by the time you are finished you are almost too full. This is a shame because next we had the chicken and mushroom crepes. They were to DIE for! The Mornay sauce was perfect and the mushrooms were awesome. All in all it was a perfect meal from the wine to the service. The only issue were the prices. Even for the area they are very expensive. This may be because of the menu items coming from France but the crepes were the cheapest main on the menu. Still, the ambiance is worth it so if you want to go out for a special reason, I would recommend the Blue Talon. read more

The food was amazing, and the portions were generous. I had the lamb, and my husband had the bourguignon. We both liked our meals. The kids enjoyed their burgers. We also had dessert, the beignets and hot chocolate. The hot chocolate was really rich, so we had to mix it with more milk. The ambiance was great, and the service was excellent. I'll definitely go back. Oh, and my son loved all the chicken decorations. read more

Perfect service, loved the charcuterie/pate board followed by oysters Rockefeller and a French dip! Def will return!

Great food but be prepared for a significant wait. Visiting Williamsburg with family, my cousin who is a local recommended Merchant's Square. It's a fun area I'd like to explore more. Arriving at Blue Talon, it was a 30-45 minute wait, which isn't crazy. However, between being seated and receiving our food was certainly over an hour. That being said, we all enjoyed our food! I had the Croque Madame, which I very much enjoyed along with the side salad. I also like their extensive drink menu. Their customer service could use some improvement but no one was rude, to be clear. This place is definitely worth a visit! read more

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