Nadine F.
Yelp
L'Hirondelle gets four stars for food quality alone.
We walked in on a Friday night without a reservation. The first thing I noticed was the overwhelming smell of cat food. The second thing I noticed was how cute and homey the restaurant was. I'm fairly certain that's because people live here. There was a cute dog hanging out by the stairs.
The server wasn't sure if she could squeeze us in but ultimately said there was an empty table upstairs. When we got upstairs, she seated us at one of six empty tables. There were literally no other people up there the entire time we were in the restaurant. There was a cat, though, hence the cat food smell. The cat was enjoying its life, hopping from table to table, which has to be some kind of health code violation.
The server sat us in a weird corner, so we moved to a more inviting table near the window and heater. When she came back up to take our orders, she was annoyed that we had moved and said the table we picked "isn't for guests." This seemed weird to us, since it was clearly the most desirable table on that floor. We offered to move, but she let us stay. The cat had been creeping over my shoulder, literally breathing down my neck from an inch away, and thankfully, the waitress put her in a different room.
After all these negatives, I still have to give it four stars, because the crepes were absolutely delicious. I had the paysanne, a very hearty, flavorful vegetarian crepe with potatoes, tomatoes, and egg in it. It was beautifully presented as well. For dessert, I had the fried pear crepe with white chocolate ice cream, and it was also delicious.
My friend had the smoked salmon and spinach crepe, which looked disgusting, and he didn't seem to enjoy it.
Overall, the experience was enjoyable and fun, so I'd definitely go back.
