Paul L.
Yelp
To be completely honest, the only reason I ate here was because Verjus across the street was still closed for renovations. But I'm glad I did, because Juvéniles is a cozy, friendly, unpretentious spot with decent food and really outstanding service.
I started with a very generous plate of Charcuterie: three different types of meats, sliced paper thin, served with bread, butter, and cornichons. Delicious, but way too much for one person. Better perhaps for three or four people. But seeing that I could not finish, the very affable owner, Margaux, who speaks English by way of Scotland, offered to wrap up the rest to take with me, which is something I have never had a French restaurant do before, and for which I was very grateful.
I'm more ambivalent about my main course, the equally-filling Wild Mushroom Risotto. It was full of flavor but also highly seasoned, which is to say on the salty side. But it was cooked to a perfect al dente. Some of the garlic slices that topped the dish were burnt though, which gave a dish a bitter flavor. I enjoyed it, but I'm not sure I would order it again.
Because Juvéniles is also a wine bar, I paired both dishes with wines -- a Rosé for the first and a red Languedoc (I think) for the second. Both were simple but paired very nicely with the food. The entire left side of the restaurant as you enter is comprised of bins of wines for sale. They have both prices displayed -- one to go and one to open at the table.
Although Juvéniles wasn't initially on my food radar, I certainly would not hesitate to dine here again.
3 1/2 stars