This place is so charming! Super classy decor, quaint, tasty food. We booked a reservation a month in advance and the wait was worth it. Service and food were great. It's a pricey place to eat but the food tastes of high quality. The Mac & Cheese was outstanding, the bass, pork chop and apple cake were all great. I was not a big fan of the "pear pressure" cocktail as it tasted very bland and the pumpkin appetizer was not my favorite. Would love to go back here and try new items! read more

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Everything! The cocktails are phenomenal! I tend to try whatever is new. It's the best place in town.

We always enjoy our dining experiences at Josephine's! We had the oysters and Duck pate for apps, yummy cocktails and the steak and chicken for dinner. All were wonderful. read more

This place is lovely, and the service is fantastic. Our server tour is through the menu with Issa. They provided the recipe to a fantastic scotch cocktail that I promptly went home and made back in Canada and is now my favorite. great vibes there a J's Thank you for a great recipe! & and exciting evening of dining. You could run a clinic on hospitality! See you next time in Auburn. read more

Such a unique experience, this is definitely more than a restaurant, it's got life to it, the dishes are , unexplainable.... More than delicious filled with depth, I don't use that word when describing food it just seems fitting for what's going on here , outstanding , and I we had 3 of the cocktails, everything was superb read more

Restaurant Josephine - French Near Me - Auburn, California

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Wonderful owners and the best beet salad I've had in recent memory. Call ahead to make reservations! THANK YOU!! read more

Restaurant Josephine - Beet salad - French Near Me - Auburn, California

I've traveled the world for food; Josephine is a rare gem. It would have a star if it were in a different city. We are so lucky to have this place so near. I've been here so many times and still get excited about a visit. read more

We came here for my birthday and I loved everything I had. I started with the Escargots (my favorite) and it was delicious. Garlicky and well seasoned. My husband had Caesar Salad which was so yummy - he shared it with me and it came with an anchovy which my husband doesn't care for but I love! I had Mussels that came with French Fries - the absolute best French Fries ever. They were thin and crispy on the outside, tender inside. The mussels were really tasty in a delicious broth. I would definitely go back just to have the mussels again! My husband had chicken which he said was good. We split an almond cake with ice cream which was just okay. Not bad but not great. The service was excellent and we had a nice table by the window. The restaurant is a bit noisy - hard to talk and hear each other but I think being next to the window helped. Overall, a very nice dinner out! read more

We love Josephines flat out best craft cocktails in Auburn, the menu is great, from Mac & Cheese to amazing sea bass! (And try to fit in the deserts, which are truly over the top read more

If you are within an hour's drive of Restaurant Josephine it's worth making a reservation. The food is excellent and the service is exemplary. Great ambiance as well. You can't go wrong ordering off the menu. Everything exceeds expectations. My only criticism is the price, but you get what you pay for. Dining here is worth every well earned penny. read more

Great place - come here - best in the area. OK, it's a little pricey but you get what you pay for here. Everything is great. The wine list is darn good and packed with many great mid priced items. The food is terrific with French Onion soup being one of the best I've had (maybe actually the best). Duck liver mousse is great, the huge Duroc pork chop is the best I've ever had, and the desserts are all wonderful. All the other items I sampled were terrific too. Yes, it's a small menu that only slowly changes but once you do something to perfection, it makes sense not to change too much. I'll very much look forward to coming back and trying something else - but, then again, I fully expect to be enticed to order the pork chop again. Ah, choices! Only suggestion I'd make is proper French coffee rather than American - I do miss French cafe au lait for sure. That would make things perfect. read more

Wonderful! Each item we ordered was great from the cocktails to 3 very tasty appetizers. read more

The food is okay, the french onion soup and beet salad was good. The waitstaff however, is something to be desired. The hostess is rude and the service we received was subpar for a restaurant that requires groups of 6 plus $70 per guest minimum. We waited over 25 minutes to be seated, even though we made a reservation a month in advance. When we spoke with the hostess to check on our table she was dismissive and told us to wait outside and she would come get us when she had a table for us. As I walked out I overheard the bartender offer a couple that was drinking at the bar to transfer to a table, with no wait. I was excited to try this posh little restaurant in Auburn but was left with a sour taste due to the unfriendliness of the wait staff. read more

I have to admit I was a little reluctant to go to this restaurant, but my husband was excited and made reservations for our anniversary. All I have to say is WOW! Food, service, drinks, all exceeded my expectations! I highly recommend it for a special night or just because. I can't wait to go back! read more

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I was loathe to write this review for fear it is difficult enough to get a reservation; but, I am so impressed with Josephine I would have felt guilty if I didn't. This is a true find! The food is absolutely spectacular with service to match! It is like a French bistro located in Auburn. As a person who would make chicken the last thing I would ever order, they have won me over with theirs. The pork chop, their frites, the duck mousse, I could go on and on. Having lived in France for 20+ years, I can say with authority that Josephine is an excellent second to being there! My highest recommendation to anyone looking for a great meal and wonderful atmosphere and service! Première classe! read more

Our party of eight had a very nice meal last night. The restaurant is small but well laid out and very cute with its quaint design and non matching dishware. Cocktails were creative and tasty. All the dishes we tried were very good, nothing blew my mind, but I wouldn't be surprised if this is the best restaurant in Auburn. Our servers Sophia and Robert took great care of us. And there was a nice whiskey selection for a nightcap considering the size of the restaurant. Definitely a great meal and a nice place for a celebration or an elegant date night. read more

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Amazing restaurant great service grate ambiance The food is great the atmosphere is great the location is great read more

First the good. The drinks were good, the wait staff attentive, and food creative and tasty. The bad. Incredibly loud and noisy inside, no sound deadening in the room. So much so it made it hard to concentrate. Tables are packed very close together, like about one foot apart. I suppose to maximize the number of paying customers so no illusion of privacy. To make it worse a foursome behind us obviously had a few too many drinks and the woman was shrieking and screaming at the top of her very loud tongue. My ears are still ringing. When the bill arrived I found an offensive little note informing me they added a 3.5% fee on top of everything to pay their back kitchen staff... because management so appreciates them and because management didn't want to raise the menu prices to pay them properly. Obviously management thinks their customers are stupid. Message to Management: Be honest, If you want to pay your staff a living wage then bake it into your menu and live with the consequences. What's next, a 6% health insurance fee, a 5% diesel inflation fee, 8% cleaning fee, a 10% administration fee??? Overall for the $150 spent for two including tip I didn't enjoy the meal and experience enough to want to return. ________________ To: Courtney M. Appreciate your thoughts, and I do want your business to succeed and prosper. The loud and noisy is the bigger issue to me, and also several others reading through the reviews. I suggest hanging tapestries or decorative carpets on the walls, and maybe something along the ceiling to help. Yet some people associate loud with exciting and hip so it is what it is. As far a the equity charge. On the dinner bill the Kitchen Equity fee is treated like just another ordered menu item, an item one uses to calculate a wait staff tip, except it's not on the menu. It's effect is to increase the price of everything by 3.5%. To me this is dishonest, it's not truth in advertising. The $10 dollar cocktail on the menu is really $10.35. The $40 main dish on the menu is really $41.40. Also, calling it an "equity charge" is a bit of a loaded term, like somehow the customer should be made to feel bad and guilty. At the end of the day its the customers responsibility to reward the wait staff, and restaurant owners responsibility to reward the kitchen staff. That's why I suggest simply raising menu prices to reflect the real costs you bear if you cannot currently afford to properly reward your kitchen staff without this bogus and offensive equity fee. read more

Food was excellent, but the noise level made it difficult to talk. They need a larger venue.

Very nice service and the food was good. I wouldn't call it French but more European. Ceasar salad and French onion soup were wonderful. Steak was tender but not special but the sauce was good. My pork chop was huge. At least 2" thick and tender. Sauce was excellent. Great dessert list. We had a strawberry concoction that I've never had. Very good and my wife loved it. Excellent wine list and great drinks. One thing negative was the noise level. It's the design of the room I believe. You really need to raise your voice so the other person can hear you. read more

What a pleasure to dine here for my best friend's birthday. The drinks were delicious, steak tartare appetizer delicious, the pork chop was the best we've ever had anywhere, profiteroles delicious and we refused to split so we each got our own and devoured them! Will definitely recommend to anybody interested in some top notch food and I hope to enjoy eating there again soon! read more

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My mom and I had a girls weekend in Auburn. We went here for dinner both nights! Food and cocktails were amazing. The chef is so creative and playful with food. Can't wait to go back and see what's new on the menu! read more

Great food but not a place for vegetarians or vegans. Hard to get a table or reservation. But the limited vegetarian options they do have are delicious and everyone is super nice. read more

Excellent service, delicious food, wonderful ambiance. We loved it! 100% will go back.

Sorry to say, but after spending $200 on food and drinks I was not feeling like I got my money's worth. Oysters were amazing, sweet, and briny Beet salad another win Steak and Pork chop way over cooked, charred in a bad way. Tuff and bland Fries cold and over cooked Go with the oysters and beet salad Sadly I'm on to the next read more

We decided to go there after hearing all of the positive reviews from our friends. They were right. In fact most of the reviews on Yelp were spot on. It can get a bit noisy. And yes, you are sitting next to other people about 3' away. BUT......in return for all of this you'll have one of the best meals of your life. No kidding! Bread and Vermont butter, fine wine, Caesar salads, pork tenderloins (wow!), cheese ravioli, and a wonderful strawberry rhubarb desert to finish the whole experience. Service? Extremely knowledgable about all the menu items including drinks and wine selection. Fast service given how busy it was too. Can't wait to go back! read more

Just enjoyed our first visit to Josephine's to celebrate our anniversary. First, the staff is warm and welcoming. The restaurant is beautifully done but casual, with a very busy, small bar. They have a large and adventurous cocktail menu. Our server, Robert, knew all the ins and outs of the menu and was very helpful. We tried the French onion soup, a delicious salad of greens with pears, beets & blue cheese, the crispy chicken and French pepper steak. Everything was top quality, perfectly prepared and presented. A buckwheat apple cake with bay leaf ice cream and coffee to finish. So happy to have a French restaurant of this caliber in Auburn. read more

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We've been to Josephine twice over the span of 2 months. On each visit, the first thing we noticed was the very friendly atmosphere. The kind of atmosphere I'm accustomed to in upscale yet casual Mediterranean restaurants in the Mediterranean countries like France, Spain, Italy, Greece etc. Waiting staff are friendly and knowledgeable on the menu which makes one feel comfortable to talk and ask questions about the food and drinks. Mind you this is a relatively small place with tables close to each and people are there to enjoy their time and are open to meet and greet each other. So it can be a bit too loud for those who are looking for a quite candle-lit dining experience. Food here have been fantastic all around. From appetisers to the main course, the dishes are prepared with care and packed with flavour. We were told the menu changes every season(?) but we had oysters, fava bean dip, half-chicken, steak, vareniki and a couple of more dishes. The mix of flavours in each one was just right! So the cocktails are all handcrafted and unique. I'd suggest asking the waiting staff for details on the drinks as it may be different from what you expect and that surprise may go either way. The prices are higher than any other place we've been to in Auburn, but the experience is worth the price in our case. As residents of Auburn, we feel lucky to have a restaurant of this calibre in Auburn and we're looking forward to visiting it soon. read more

Exceptionally cool bar. Can't wait to come back for the food, which looked delicious. Totally hip bar tenders. Big cocktail menu. Good times. read more

Restaurant Josephine - French Near Me - Auburn, California

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The food is really delicious well prepared, and the atmosphere of the overall energy in the building is great. But our waiter spoken, such a low voice that neither of us could hear him, when we ask him to raise his voice he did not He let us know he was going to take a break. I asked him for the check and he looked at me like I was lost and said there's no rush don't you want dessert? I said no I want to check. Another waitress that coordinated the payment also looked at me like I was crazy when I didn't want dessert lol read more

Love Restaurant Josephine-the atmosphere, the service, the amazing food and beverages. Went there for my birthday recently and it did not disappoint. read more

Absolutely gorgeous restaurant and that food was amazing. Our service was incredibly good and will absolutely be going back. We love to try new food experiences I just wish that they had a tasting menu and crème brûlée. read more

We came to here to celebrate a birthday. I was hoping it would be outstanding with all of the high reviews. We were greeted by Tatiana who was also our server. There are so many wonderful choices on the menu, however we settled on the duck liver pate and the salted egg. Both were excellent on their own. The mains were the halibut and pork chop. Again, both were outstanding with the fish being a lighter than the pork. Desserts did not disappoint as well since they (chocolate espresso tart and cake) were really tasty. A very nice wi e was recommended that completely complimented our meal. read more

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All around a spectacular meal. My husband and I had a blast eating our way through fondue, shrimp cocktail, the pork chop and a vegetarian dumpling dish. The buckwheat torte at the end is killer. Our waiter was really great and the food was just dynamite. Would love to come back. Make a reservation. read more

Restaurant Josephine - Pork chop - French Near Me - Auburn, California

Not sure if many outside the area know about this gem! It was recommended to me by another foodie. Only seasonal and fresh ingredients went into careful menu planning for their food and appetizers. Their squash dip was an unbelievable mix of flavors and I'm really wondering how the flavors came together for that dish especially. The ambiance was good, although expect dimmer, cozier lighting. I needed some extra light for the menus (and print) but that's probably my aging eyes. The cocktails were innovative and delish! Had a hard time choosing which one I wanted to try (as they're pricey, like everywhere else) but went for the seasonal blood orange margarita. read more

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This was one of the best meals I have ever had. Just absolutely excellent! The restaurant has a great vibe, very pretty, cozy, romantic. The wood fire in the kitchen made the whole place smell amazing. Excellent service. Start to finish this place is top tier! read more

Probably one of the best meals and service I've had in years. Sorry to my normal favs but this place is above and beyond expectations. Drinks and food were fabulous- I see why it's a wait for reservations. read more

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Exquisite delight! From the cocktails to the appetizers, soups and the dinner, every bite was a delicious layered surprise for my palate. I'd been wanting to go for some time and the wait was well worth it. The service is friendly, relaxed and non pretentious but the food is Michelin star! A must go - I will be back! read more

Absolutely off the charts. I had the pork chop, oysters and soup. I caught myself a few times pausing in the middle of eating in awe of the food. This place is truly something special, easily best place in Auburn and surrounding area for fine dining, can't wait to go back. read more

Restaurant Josephine - French Near Me - Auburn, California

Fabulous French style cuisine right in Auburn near the courthouse. Great great food. Seriously great mf food. Fancy for me but hot dam was it tasty. Snagged a bar seat with wifey and even had room for baby in stroller. Worth taking someone to for a nice meal read more

Restaurant Josephine - French Near Me - Auburn, California