As I was typing my 3 star review for The Modern which we just visited, I realized what bothered me - We had had a way more stellar meal (different style) a while back at Chez Catherine. Similar price class (i.e. don't go if you have to ask), but compared to The Modern, a classic French place with a very solid edge of gleaming culinary excellence. Which in fact is harder for them as they serve a very classic French Cuisine. I'll be back. Worth the drive from NYC. read more

This review is waaaay overdue. May 7th my husband decided to surprise me by coming home early from work. I thought something had happened when I saw him from our balcony. But he had made big plans that evening, got his brother to babysit and made reservations at Chez Catherine which he knew I had been longing to go. He knows how much I love french cuisines and wines. Oh how glad I was to have this date night. :-) Yes! Anyhow, enough about me. Chez Catherine blew our minds, hearts and offcourse our palates hihihi. We were seated by Didier, what an awesome gentleman. The place was small and quiet but perfect for a special night. Simple decor, made me feel so at home. Our server Stephane was very very funny, throwing in a few jokes here and there with his fast toned accent. Made it funnier. He made our night. Lol. Thank you Stephane! Service was fantastic, we could not ask for a better Maitre D. You were amazing...every inch of the evening. We could not wait for the food which started with a simple but delicious amuse buche of a slice of french bread and goat cheese topped with a piece of wine reduction pear I believe. It was delicious. I could have had more hi hi, I just love goat cheese. We both enjoyed our appetizers of foie gras and escargots. I am a big fan of escargots, not much of foie gras like my husband and i was literally dipping my bread on the sauce before Stephane said enough and took it away lol. Everything in moderation i guess. My husband loved the foie gras and says he will have it again from Chez Catherine. Our main course of duck breast and fish was also delicious. Next time I will select the duck breast like my husband did. It was so full of flavour. My fish on the other hand was very lightly seasoned and I love salt and spices. Need I mention we had dessert too? OMG the best rice pudding I had ever had. The passion fruit puree on it was something I could never have thought of. Loved it. Perfect pairing. I know this is probably the longest review here hihihi but I will finish saying that we had an awesome dinner and to Mesieur Didier Merci for sharing the port wine with us toward the end of the night. Thank you for playing some songs from Edith and for chatting with us. You really made us feel at home and welcome. We will definitely go back again and again. Lady in red and husband :-) read more

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A hidden gem. Chef Dave knows how to please the most demanding customer. Excellent service provided by Stephan and Didier, making personal contact with all customers. I recommend the scallops and the salad Nicoise. read more

The owner/ head waiter Didier was quite the character. He ensured our entire experience was bar none superb. The food at Chez Catherine is nothing but amazing. I didn't have any gripes about taking my fiancé there because I had a gift certificate for $150 (which was not enough to cover our meal with drinks). We switched orders for both the appetizer and entree; she ended up with my lump crab dish and sea scallops, and I took the assorted meats and steak. The steak was perfectly paired with the red wine that I ordered, and she had the sweat white wine. The chef did very well preparing our meal, which was very very flavorful and delicious. I enjoyed the surprise order of salmon with avocado on crackers that was tossed in with the meal. I like the cicada theme, and can't wait until my next adventure at this fine French countryside establishment. read more

I have been wanting to try this restaurant since I moved to Westfield because it used to be so highly regarded. After reading recent reviews, I was nervous because people said the place really changed after the new management came in. That said, we had an ok meal. Let's start with the good things: The grand marnier souffle stole the show. It was exactly what I wanted- that light egg flavor and texture with a delicious cream to pour inside. I could have this everyday. The duck breast entree was also good, but the portion size may be too small if you have a big appetite. I say this because I cannot eat a lot in one sitting and I thought this was the perfect size. On to the not so good things: The amuse bouche was a cold pork dish on a spoon. I didn't love the flavor combination and it felt a lot heavier than an amuse bouche should be. The foie gras torchon was about 50% cream so it didn't have a lot of foie gras flavor. The chocolate mousse dessert was incredibly thick and heavy- not at all what you would expect when you see the word mousse. I read that the sole was very flavorful but unfortunately they were all out by the time we sat down. I don't think I'd return to this restaurant but I'm glad we gave it a shot. read more

This was my first visit to Chez Catherine so I can't compare it to the original but it really stands on its own as a tremendous fine dining experience. I had the duck and am really just trying to wait a few days to go back so it doesn't seem like I'm stalking them. The service was excellent, food delicious, the wine recommended with the meal was a perfect fit and the restaurant has great ambiance. I would recommend highly to anyone. read more

After living in Westfield most of my life, my wife and I finally made it to Chez Catherine over the holidays. It has a very special atmosphere where you can have the feeling of getting far away while staying local. The staff is very friendly and attentive. I had Salmon for dinner, which was a daily special, and my wife had the filet of sole - which is prepared at the table. Both were excellent, but I would recommend the sole. A very special experience, and we look forward to coming back. read more

Pleasant atmosphere, terrific food, good service, perhaps a little rushed at times. Nice wine list.

We were seated for 15 minutes before we got water. And so, the sad saga of a 3 hour meal began. Soooo slow. The service was fair. The food was good. It was not $100 per person good. I had never been to Chez Catherine in all of the years I have lived in this area. Safe to say, I will not return. read more

I love this place, I have only been here on very special occasions, if I could eat here on a regular basis I would. I am a chef and I am probably the pickiest person alive and mostly eat my own food more than anything. With that said when I find a place like this I can trust, I always keep it in mind. This is one of those places where if you have a bad experience, then YOU are the problem. I was treated like royalty on my birthday and they went above and beyond to take care of me. Everything you order from here is just amazing. read more

Great food, ambience and friendly service. Good for a special occasion or birthday. They have a cicada theme, and there are ceramic cicadas on every table. read more

Chez Catherine - Crepes - French Near Me - Westfield, New Jersey

Had dinner at chez Catherine's last night. This French restaurant is the best in New Jersey for authentic French dining. The service is excellent and the staff is very attentive to the diners. The wine list is very good and contains wines that can be paired with the food on the menu. The filet of sole is excellent and prepared at the table. The foie gras de canard is served with a paired wine which is excellent. The French desserts are a delight and add a nice touch to the meal I highly recommend this restaurant as a great experience in culinary dining. read more

Small, cozy ambiance; Excellent cuisine, my cocktail was perfect- just the way i requested. Staff are attentive/five star service . Will definitely come back to this place! read more

I took my husband for his birthday and couldn't understand why this place rated so highly after tasting the food. The food was blah. The high prices don't justify the low quality of food. read more

The owner made racist remarks and when asked to refrain himself he stated that this country is of "free speech". The portions were not even as I received two slices of pate and my mother only one slice. The bread pudding dessert was warm on the top and cold at the bottom. The fish was overcooked and tasteless. The steak needed more seasoning and was well well done although I had asked for medium (no pink at all). Save yourself a disappointing meal and an earful of insults. read more

We recently moved to Westfield from Manhattan and were excited to try this place. We made reservations for dinner weeks in advance, but the day of our reservation, my pregnant wife was not feeling well, so I called to cancel, explaining the situation. The maitre d accused me of lying and said he would charge my credit card anyway. When I told him that we had recently moved to town and planned to come to the restaurant another night when my wife was feeling better, he screamed "I hope you don't!" We lived in New York City for nearly fifteen years and have enjoyed dining at some of the finest restaurants in the world. Having read through the reviews on this and other websites, I have no doubt the food here is amazing. But no dining experience is worth enduring that level of rudeness from the staff. I don't necessarily have a problem with charging a cancelation fee, even under our circumstances, but the gratuitous hostility was shocking for a business that presumably relies on word of mouth for its livelihood. read more

I wanted to love this place, I really did. The food was DELICIOUS, let me just say that. We ordered the tasting menu and had a couple glasses of champagne. It was a very reasonable price for this quality of food, and we would never have gotten as much in New York. The steak tartar, the scallop dish, and the fish were all extremely impressive. Wonderful texture and flavor. But I found the service somewhat lacking. First of all, they didn't give us our cheese platter (#7 on the tasting menu, I believe). Granted, I never brought it up, because I didn't realize it until I came home and studied the menu again. I don't think I should be expected to have committed the menu to memory while enjoying our dinner. While it was not a huge oversight, I can't help but think, did they forget, too? Seems kind of a strange to forget something from your own tasting menu, though. Or did we just get taken for fools? *shrug. Second, though the food was brought quickly and service was polite and efficient, I felt that there was a lot of attention lavished on other patrons in the restaurant and we were just ignored. I don't particularly mind being left to my own devices, usually. But this place is really small (seats about 25 people). It's really obvious if the proprietors and servers are spending a disproportionate amount of time (sometimes talking in French, in which I'm conversant) on everyone else and not paying much attention to you. Especially if you ordered the tasting menu, which is a high ticket item and comes with a mandatory service charge. At a intimate setting like this, I would have loved to chat about how the food is made or where the owners came from. I even attempted to make conversation with one of the owners, a lady, but I got a pretty curt answer to my question and then she left. The gentleman who seemed like an employee rather than the proprietor did come over in the end and try to chat us up, but it seemed like an afterthought for the sake of a good tip. Overall, I found the food was wonderful. I may even come back, because I'm curious about the other items on the menu. But I would hope that next time I'd get better service. read more

See review for Lej R. Same exact experience for Valentines Dinner 2014. Very disappointed. I need to update my review since i cant find lej rs review anywhere. It appears to have been deleted. Let me start by saying that i really wanted to like chez catherine. I asked my mother in law for valentines dinner suggestions and chez catherine sounded perfect. Expensive and french. Right up my alley as i used to love to go to le petit chateau in bernardsville. We even went to le petit chateau on valentines day years ago and it was perfect. Our experience at chez catherine however was not. The beet soup didnt have much flavor. The filet mignon was not good. It was fatty and had a bitter charcoal taste on the outside. The potatoes au gratin were not cooked enough and were not soft. None of the food was hot enough. I had expected the dessert to be a little more luscious and creamy. It was not. I had eaten very little all day in prepatation for a dinner out and we left hungry. Also several workers includong didier kept topping off our glasses of sparkling water with tap water and we had paid for a bpttle of sparkling water. After i wrote my cryptic first review, didier contacted me and askede to call him. When i didnt respond right away he sent me another email saying that i never went there. Then i called him to discuss the food. He got very defensive and told me that valentines night was amateur night and o wondered if we were supposed to be the amateurs in this scenario. Then he continued by saying no one else complained thst night (im such a problem child arent i?) and i asked about the other review that had the almost the same complaints that i had and didier said that they never ate there. (Hmmm. Where have i heard this before?). He then said that he had been in business for 40 years etc. i gave up. He said the next time i came im i would not leave hungry. Small consolation. We will not be back. Didier sent me a private email the day after this review was posted nd i just wanted to show you what he said: valentine dinner "Never heard that a filet mignon could be fat. etc........ Thank you for not coming back. It is a wonderful choice! You were the only complaint of the night!" Real nice huh? read more

A beautiful, romantic dinner with stellar service. Truly a memorable fine dining experience. The trout was perfect. The dessert was divine. We sat by the front window and felt like we were in a chateau in France. read more

The food in this restaurant is like "sex in the mouth".. went there with 3 of my friends and was very impressed with everything!!! the maitredee was halarious the food was orgasmic.. You must go!! read more

I would give Chez Catherine 10 stars if I could. We have gone there on numerous occasions and have always been delighted with the food and the service. The last time we went was in August for our anniversary. We did the tasting menu and let the chef pick everything. It was fabulous. At the end of the meal, they brought out a beautiful chocolate mouse concoction in a crystal glass on a plate with "Happy Anniversary" written in chocolate sauce. Superb!!!!!!! read more

This is always a must place to go when we crave amazing food or that special night out. We have been going to Chez Catherine for over 5 years but wish I had found them sooner. Edith and Didier are your perfect hosts and welcome you with sincerity. Highly recommended and look forward to celebrating their 30 year anniversary. read more

Everything was fantastic, what a great meal. Warm delicious baguette and an amuse of green pea gazpacho to start. Great escargot, perfect duck with surprisingly delicious quinoa on the side. And the chocolate mousse was unlike any I've ever had before - heavenly light and whipped, really superb. My wife loved the steak too. Not cheap, but an excellent birthday splurge that made use feel like we were back traveling in France. read more

The most miserable experience I have ever had with management in all my years of dining out! My wife and I took my recently widowed mom here. She hadn't been in years and although I grew up in Westfield, we had never been. I should have known better after the person who answered the phone was rude to my wife. Live and learn! My wife accidentally tipped over her glass of wine and spilled 1/2 of it. The waiter came over and without asking, took her glass and refilled it. Which, at the time thought was nice and the appropriate thing to do in a restaurant that runs more than $100 per head. When I got the bill I thought the bar tab seemed a bit high and when I looked, was surprised to see we were charged for the entire spilled glass of wine (that only was 1/2 refilled). When I called the waiter over to ask about it he dismissively said "that is the Owner's decision and not mine" and walked away. When I called him back and said that we had not asked for a new glass, I was told that there was nothing he could do. I asked to see the owner (here's the incredible part) The owner came over and said "he didn't spill the wine" that my wife did and "why should he pay for it?" After I was able to grab my jaw off of the table I said, "if that was the case, you or your waiter should have 1. Asked if my wife wanted another glass of wine and; 2. If you were going to charge us, at least have the courtesy to tell us! What I got back was not an apology or anything of the sort but instead "I never talk money in front of the customer". When I replied if you are "presenting me with a $325+ bill and are including something we didn't order but that as a matter of course you should have replaced at no charge, you darn well should talk about it". He started yelling at us that we were rude and that he has been at the restaurant long enough that he didn't have to answer to anyone. Really? Is he serious? You own what is supposed to be a top French restaurant and you don't even have the slightest concept of client service? For a lousy $15 glass of wine that you only had to refill half way you are not only going to lose us as a customer but also anyone else that I know? Truly, one of the worst dining experiences we have had. Chez Catherine -- Le Pew! read more

My wife and I recently had dinner at Chez Catherine. After we were warmly greeted at the door, we were taken to our table where Stephan expertly catered to our every need. We started off with cocktails, and then progressed through a wonderful dinner accompanied by a wine chosen from their comprehensive wine list. I had the Mussels in white wine appetizer, followed by the braised short ribs as a main course and finished off with the Caramel/Hazelnut Soft Meringue. Wonderful! My wife had the mixed green salad with cranberries, clementine in an almond/walnut vinaigrette, followed by Dover sole and completed with a rich chocolate mousse. Exquisite! We heartily recommend a trip to this bit of France that is so readily available in downtown Westfield, New Jersey. read more

Chez Catherine is a great gem in Westfield. It is expensive but also a unique experience. It is a great place for a romantic dinner for two or a small dinner party. Owners are very attentive and provide wonderful service. Stephan was very amusing and answered all our questions including repeating the specials and sharing his recipes. I went with a party of four and everything we ordered was very good. Although it has a quiet ambiance, by the end of the dinner and a few drinks in us, we seemed to get louder and no one seemed to mind. The menu offers a good variety of tasty selections. We all ordered different dishes and enjoyed them all. I recommend you try this place at least once. read more

Very classy place. Excellent food. Service above and beyond. They let us feel so special ! Everything we've tried on their menu was just delicious, and I can't single out one dish to recommend. ll of them are great. read more

This place has made me sure that French is my favorite cuisine! I took my boyfriend here for his birthday last night because we were in search of a prix-fixe menu. Chez Catherine did not disappoint. I highly recommend the escargot! And the melon soup w/ coconut mousse for dessert. The staff are very friendly and were more than willing to recommend dishes off the menu and wines to go with your meal. I can tell they take a lot of pride in their service and restaurant; they were very interested to know where I had heard of them and what kind of reviews I had read. Because it was his birthday, they brought out free macarons on a Happy Birthday plate and a singing candle for my boyfriend as well...which they totally didn't have to do considering it was past their closing time. This place is worth every dime! read more

One of the better French restaurants in the area. I've lived in the area for over 3 years and didn't know this place existed until I found it on this site. They are next to the Westfield fire dept. We were celebrating my wifes birthday and it was a Tues night. They are a small restaurant but it was a slow night, only one other table was occupied. The menu was authentic with French writing and English translation. The food was very good. I had the seafood crepe and my wife had the PEI mussels, both seafood dishes were very fresh, comparable to highend restaurants in NYC. Highly recommended, especially for special occasions. read more

After 20 anniversaries celebrated at chez catherine...my parents unfortunately due to my father's poor health from Parkinson disease cannot go this year...I reached out and asked if I could come pick up a take out meal for my parents to celebrate 56 years at home...I was told absolutely NOT...they would not allow take out...I have never observed a more tasteless awful gesture....shame on you... read more

My husband and I just enjoyed a scrumptiously, elegant dinner. Those two words (elegant and scrumptious) describe our the experience that we had at Chez Catherine this evening. The service was on point, the meal cooked perfectly, and the ambiance radiated French culture. Thank you to the owner, Stephan Bocket, and Executive Chef Chris Migton! read more

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My husband and I recently visited France for our anniversary. We fell in love with the cuisine, so for my birthday this month he surprised me with dinner at Chez Catherine. This was our first, but certainly not last, dinner at this superb establishment. We were warmly greeted by the maitre d' who then proceeded to turn a good evening into a truly special celebration. Beyond the impeccable service was the outstanding food: we enjoyed the escargot and risotto to start and moved on to the duck and dover sole. My dish, the dover sole, was so delicious I mourned eating the last morsel. I think I dreamed about it last night... The table side preparation of our dessert was both entertaining and impressive - and it was the perfect edible finale to a fantastic night. I can't wait to go to Chez Catherine again! read more

Everything was just mediocre at this restaurant. For the price of one so so dinner we could have had three nice ones. The presentation on the dishes was not what you expect of a fine dining establishment, and the flavors did not wow. The decor was tired and so where the dishes. I will not go back! read more

Excellent food in a lovely little restaurant. Seating is limited so reserve well in advance. Menu is price fixed and a number of items have an extra charge. I can say the Dover Sole is well worth it the extra fee! Well worth a visit. read more

My favorite restaurant. We always went to Manhattan for birthdays, but this year I took my husband here. He loved it and returned the compliment for my birthday and our cousins joined us. We had an amazing meal. Their food, service and atmosphere is wonderful. read more

Absolutely fantastic dinner tonight. I had the crepe app, duck entree, and bread pudding desert. All three were excellent. My partner was equally happy with his food Also a plus that they prepared my Manhattan (westfield manhattan) perfectly. But what really sets this place apart is the service and ambiance. It's not just dinner, but a dining experience. The two owners were active in the service. It's a small, elegant place with maybe 10 or 15 tables. I really felt like I was being treated to dinner in their home. The service was well paced, not rushed at all. I'll go back for sure! read more

This is a true french restaurant in NJ. The food is amazing, the atmosphere is quaint and pleasant and the service is friendly and personable. The owner and staff know their stuff and truly care about the people dining. I had the Foie Gras to begin with which was very good. It came with some brioche and berry sauce which complemented it nicely. My main course was the pork with a side of spinach risotto. It was delicious and so were all the other main dishes at my table, especially the lamb and the grouper. Unfortunately, they were out of the dessert I really wanted to try, the bread pudding. Nevertheless, I had the Chocolate Mousse. Not too bad at all, always like chocolate! The other desserts were fine, but the Profiteroles were a let down and the souffle was not my favorite. However, the cheese plate was fantastic and quite large. Overall, the food and setting was amazing. I would say this restaurant is a 8.7/10. The one let down is the fixed price menu which is rather high and some of the items like the Foie Gras and Dover Sole which are two dishes that many want to have are a supplement price in addition to the fixed price menu. That knocks it down to 9/10 and then the point three I am taking off for the dessert not being available and the fixed price being on the higher side. You get what you pay for though and what you get at Chez Catherine is great food and lovely service! I highly recommend this restaurant for special occasions or if you want a lovely meal. Thanks from my entire party for a fantastic dinner. read more

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We've eaten at almost every top 25 restaurants in NJ Monthly's annual list and finally had dinner at Chez Catherine. We loved the food and ambiance. The PEI mussels were fabulous as was the Foie Gras. The Dover Sole in brown butter sauce with lemon was one of the best entrees I've eaten anywhere and the Grouper was superb. Didier was a gracious host and the meal was memorable. Don't miss the Crepe Suzette, either. Chez Catherine now ranks up at or near the top of our list with Lorena's, Cafe Matisse and Nicholas. read more

This place was awesome. Frois Gras is excellent. Service is awesome and great wine selection.

Excellent service , foie gras, duck breast, mussels and scallops. Least favorite: Grand Mariner Souffle was a runny mess and had a raw liquor flavor. read more