Vin Rouge

Any time I review one of Giorgio’s restaurant, I always disclose that I am current staff at one of his restaurants, as I wouldn’t feel comfortable reviewing otherwise: Peer review systems are important 🙂 Arriving at the doors you’re instantly met by a wealth of smiles/friendly faces. The experience is absolutely stellar. Jax our server, was professional, knowledgeable, made excellent food, and wine recommendations, was extremely kind, and coursed everything out perfectly like a champ. Support worked hard to ensure there were clean utensils and dishes throughout the entire meal. Management, Alex, was incredibly welcoming, I felt right at home, as if I dined there 100 times before. Absolutely incredible.

Simply delicious! The restaurant is so quaint and beautiful. Feels like you're actually in France! Our server was just awesome and so accommodating. A manger stopped by and was very friendly and genuinely concerned that everything was perfect. French onion soup, fries, and baked oysters were all outstanding! Will return soon!

Spectacular food and service. Our server was knowledgeable, attentive and handsome. We enjoyed many food items (and drinks) with Oyster Gratinee and Lobster Salad being exceptional.

Really good food. Good service. The Macaroni and Cheese is particularly remarkable -- so tasty and rich without being over the top. There are a lot of options which aren't on the menu. Good location too.

The service was THE BEST! The folks there were chill yet knowledgeable and attentive. The food prep and presentation was most pleasant! They have an excellent wine menu so - enjoy! Would return again!

We had an amazing experience here tonight. Our appetizers of raw oysters and shrimp were amazing, and our waiter was very attentive. When my steak came out a different server quickly asked if it was cooked alright and I mentioned it was a tad over. The manager very quickly came over to apologize and asked if I wanted it remade. I was incredibly impressed with the response and overall quality of service. The staff went above and beyond to make sure we had a positive experience and I will recommend this restaurant again and again.

Went here for a cute date night and the food was amazing. Our waitress was so chill which made our experience even better. Nothing like having a waitress stop you every minute to ask how the food is. I'm glad she wasn't the way. We didn't feel rushed to eat or leave. The drinks were great and will definitely be coming back soon. The atmosphere was very romantic and low lit, such a great place.

My newlywed wife and I went here during our honeymoon, and it was truly a night we will remember for years to come. The reservation itself was painless and easy, and once we were in the restaurant, it was a perfect atmosphere. We were flawlessly guided to our reserved seating in front of the cozy fireplace with a view of the goings on of the Vin Rogue. Even a "congratulations" sign posted at our table. Our host for our spot, Megan, had a very friendly presence, knowledgeable of the restaurant and food, and was exceedingly helpful to us as we had our experience. The food was beautiful and delicious, we were waited on promptly and with smiles from all of the staff, and it was truly a beautiful time. Even as we asked for things to do in Durham with the rainy weather the staff made a list of places they recommended we visit. The staff, especially Megan, who went above and beyond, made us a wonderful night. We will be returning the next time we are in Durham.

Vin Rouge brings a piece of French charm into Durham with charming decor, knowledgeable servers, and quality food, making for a wonderful experience. The Fois Gras, especially, was delicious, and I could see myself returning for that alone. I will say that if I could dock half a point for an overly salty fish of the day, I would, but taken as a whole, the experience rounds up to 5 stars.

The ambiance is nice for a feeling that takes you from Durham to a night in France. The service is simple, attentive, and upscale as bread/olive spread is served, utensils are changed out for you, and all the food is brought out at the same time. We had all of the specials of the day and they were all extremely delicious. The salmon dish was the best one of the night. The desserts were nicely balanced in sweetness. It is on the pricier side so I would reserve a trip for a nice night out.

Vin Rouge perfectly brings the "I was in Paris and happened upon this most charming and welcoming bistro with the best food" feeling right here in Durham. The tables are close together, but it feels just right. Everyone else is probably also having a delightful dinner, so don't you want to share the experience? The exquisite food (salade Niçoise! oysters! steak frites!) combined with the friendly and yet not overbearing service (Isatu, our server, described things so poetically) have to be presented in such an intimate space. Go here for date night, special occasions, or just because you want to experience something beautiful. I eagerly await my next visit!

You cannot pronounce anything in the menu, but trust me its good. We stopped by for a Sunday get together with friends. They street parking and some parking out front. We sat outside under a lit tent with the best heaters. They have a wide variety of beverages. The cocktails were elegant. The wine list was extensive. The best thing is our server was more than happy to explain anything on the menus. All the food was amazing. I loved the cozy French onion soup in the ramekin. Our favorite of the night was the trout armadine. The gratin macaroni was easily shareable with five people. Will have to come again. Highly recommend for a date night or get together with friends. Treat yourself.

Very nice date night spot in Durham off Ninth St near Duke's campus. If you're in the mood for French cuisine this will satisfy your craving. The wine menu is INSANE how extensive it is. The service we had was great and the server was kind, friendly and attentive to our table ensuring he answered all our questions. The food was delicious and we were able to try some items we normally wouldn't be able to try. Everything was just delicious. If you're looking for a top notch place featuring French food, Vin Rouge is your place.

Very cozy and petite restaurant with dark moody lighting, perfect for date spot. Came in as a walk-in just fine with no rsvp. Very very tiny tables so beware! Drinks - waiter suggested a fun champagne drink I really enjoyed Apps - escargots were pretty good, I would suggest them adding more basil flavor but that just my personal preference, very salty but good. The olive tapenade dipping oil they give with the house bread is so good! It was great to bread dip back and forth from salty escargot juice and the olive. French onion soup was pretty good!! Nothing mind blowing. Main - the blue cheese with the hanger steak scared me because I'm not a blue cheese fan whatsoever so I got it on the side, but it was SO DELICIOUS!! The steak itself doesn't look visually appetizing but is so tasty with the blue cheese sauce. 10/10 I tried my friend's salmon and it was very earthy tasting, she really enjoyed it! Dessert - waiter suggested this chocolate dessert and it was so creamy and unique, some hazelnut mousse combo All in all very worth the money!! It wasn't outrageously expensive either

Our beautiful daughter and her husband invited us to dinner at Vin Rouge. We had recently returned home from France and thought, wow more French food! Don't let the name fool you. This is not French cuisine. Calling Fish of the day, Poisson du jour doesn't make it French. There are no classic French dishes like Coq au Vin or Cassoulet or beouf bourguignon. So why did I give this place 5 stars? It's Great! The atmosphere is very warm and rustic. The staff are fantastic and incredibly accommodating and attentive. The food was absolutely delicious. The appetizers we all shared were very good. I had the hanger steak medium rare. It was cooked perfectly. We ended dinner with a mix of desserts served like a charcuterie board. Cocktails and wine prices were very reasonable. We will definitely be back.

Probably one of the best restaurants in Durham. Not only is the aesthetic so beautiful and French but the service is incredible as well; our waitress was so kind and helpful. And the food was so amazing, nothing made too fancy but also unique

Aesthetic brunch spot in Durham! Got the Hanger Steak Frites (Pommes Frites, Maître D'Hôtel Butter, Petite Salade), Crèpes Du Jour (Lardons, Spinach, Sauce Mornay), and Croque Madame (Ham & Gruyère, Ninth Street Brioche, Fried Egg, Sauce Mornay, Pommes Frites). All were tasty, though not mind blowing relative to the hype. Friendly, relatively fast service. Loved the ambiance- definitely gave French bistro vibes. 7/10 would recommend!

We thoroughly enjoyed our first time dining at Vin Rouge! Service was prompt, knowledgeable, and friendly. Ambiance was rouge, a warm and home-y feeling, and not overdone. The focus was clearly the culinary experience, replacing silverware for individual courses and plating for the eyes. Fresh, it was all so fresh and delicious. Baguettes with a blended olive tapenade and creamy butter, oysters, Poisson de jour, Pollet Roti, crème brûlée AND chocolate mousse - oh la la!! Je t'aime Vin Rouge! A Pinot Noir complemented our journey, too. To anyone doubting the lure of French cuisine - dine here. Order the special. Drink the wine. Eat the bread. C'est la vie.

Everything about this place is amazing! Food, service ambience, it is all first rate.

I've been here several times over the years. Still the same quality of food and service. Meg was amazing serving us last night. Once again great food and service!

Out of the three French restaurants we've been to (maybe that's not enough to compare?lol) in the triangle this is the best one. The ambiance, the service, the food. All incredible. A Durham gem for sure.

I have been coming to this place on special occasions for years. Fantastic restaurant with a great atmosphere. Its like being inside an old parisian house. and the outside seating is beautiful too. The food is top notch. I always get the curry moules with truffle frites (dont forget the frites!) and the duck confit salad. The duck just falls apart. Service is always terrific. Choose this place for your next romantic date night or special occasion. You wont regret it!

I had the Croque Madame and have never forgotten it. It was so amazing. I've tried it at other places but nothing comes close.

The service here was absolutely amazing. Went here for my birthday and the food was incredible. Everything we ordered was amazing. My husband loved the steak and I got the pork chop but we both split them and they are the best we've had. Will definitely be back!

Bottom line: A good Sunday brunch experience at Vin Rouge. Nice brunch offerings on the menu. The three cheese plate was excellent and I enjoyed my Mushroom & Gruyère Omelette. Service was helpful and attentive. The Deets: On a Sunday Funday I met up with some good friends that live in Durham and we decided brunch at Vin Rouge was the way to go to start the day. The door opened promptly at 10:30am (there were a few people waiting by the door outside until they opened, surprising for such a hot day) and we were immediately shown to our table. The place is a nice French bistro type feel with a bright and open front/bar area then a more traditional type of back seating area where we ended up. Drink orders were placed and we got the three cheese plate to start things off...this plate was great! However places never seem to bring enough bread pieces with the cheese plates but luckily we had bread still around from the bread/butter we enjoyed when we first sat down. The cheese choices made were wonderful and I enjoyed the cheese selections for starters. Their brunch menu had some good offerings to choose from. For my main dish, I chose the Mushroom & Gruyère Omelette with petite salade and pommes Lyonnaise...I decided to go with the lardons added (for a charge). My omelette was delicious, a good portion and well filled. The pommes Lyonnaise were OK for me but I had pommes frites envy from looking at my friend's plate and I got to sample them...I liked those pommes frites a lot. Our server was attentive and helpful, making sure the coffee and drinks were filled as needed. I had a good experience for brunch at Vin Rouge, I am a fan.

Food was either bland or too salty I don't recommend this place at all it's over priced as well just wanted to get out of that place, I highly recommend going to the Indian spot down the street DEFINITELY made up the bad experience at vin rough

Vin Rouge is a popular restaurant in Durham. I'd suggest making reservations or you will have to wait for a table. The restaurant shares a small parking lot with a BBQ place next door. But if those places are taken you can try for street parking. If it is after 5pm or on the weekend you can park in the Duke parking lot just down the street. Vin Rouge has a nice decor and has inside and patio seating. The brunch menu had many options to appeal to all. I went with the Florentine benedict. The eggs were cooked perfectly so that they'd run onto the English muffin. Service was excellent as well. I look forward to returning and trying some other menu items.

Having eaten at Vin Rouge before i was expecting great food and service in a charming setting, this meal far exceeded my expectations. Every dish was fabulous, every sauce delicious, the service was wonderfully solicitous without being overbearing. I highly recommend this hidden gem!

Wait staff was great... especially Steph. Onion soup and chicken liver pate was great. Oyster gratnee was ok. Charcuterie was great! Pork chop good, poisson of day bland and all presentation but little content for the price. Desserts great- chocolate mousse and bread pudding with caramel sauce was to die for! Tables too small and need more light.

Huge kudos to our bartender Josh who took care of us during peak hours on a Friday. The place was packed and we showed up without a reservation and to our surprise we found two seats at the bar right away. We had the shrimp appetizer and the butter garlic lemon mixture they were cooked in was very tasty and it was perfect to dip our baguette in next time I will be starting with some muscles because I can just imagine they are perfect in that kind of "sauce". We waited a pretty good while for our dinner to come out. My boyfriend's steak was undercooked and it was supposed to be medium rare, but my salmon was perfect. The lentils that come with the salmon are just spectacular and full of flavor. Our bartender kept our drinks full and was so very kind to offer us dessert on the house for our patience. The bread pudding and our amazing bartender really were exceptional. I have been here before when things went smoothly and I will be back again perhaps in the spring so we can sit outside. The patio looks like a great spot for a special evening out.

Please have more wines by the glass. You have a huge wine list. I can't get a Vouvray? Wines are over priced and some are not very good. Some wines are only available with one option despite a long list by the bottle. $12 Burgundy was awful. $15 Bordeaux was ok. Food was good but presentation was awful. My chicken crepes came folded over not rolled with a few pieces of lettuce that they call a salad. Presentation at dinner is better. Service was just ok but they were busy. I had to get the wine list myself. Twice. I come from NW Raleigh. I don't think I'll do brunch again. I can get better food at First Watch for half the price.

On a trip to visit friends in Durham, we enjoyed a wonderful brunch at Vin Rouge. The restaurant is extremely charming and boasts interior seating as well as two outdoor seating areas. Every bite was delicious. We enjoyed bread and butter. Bloody Mary was delicious, and we loved the mimosa as well. Service was wonderful. We had seats on the patio and enjoyed the outdoors while we had brunch. Highly recommend this lovely spot for brunch. Could not have been more pleased.

This is my favorite restaurant in Durham ! It exceeds all Expectations. The trout almandine is to die for!

Vin Rouge is a "coup de cœur" for us especially because we chose this restaurant to celebrate our wedding. The service was incredible, the staff was always asking us if we need anything. The timing of the dish was perfect, no rush but exactly when we were ready for more. The quality of our meals from A to Z was impeccable. First we served us a "tapenade" with a good baguette, we were so surprised because they offered 2 flûtes of champagne. We ordered the charcuterie board for "l'apéro" 2 appetizers, one was a beet salad.. the other was onion soup with the most amazing stretchy cheese of Durham. Then for our main entree: the traditionnal steak frites and a Macaronis and Cheese with huge piece of bacon. During the evening we drank a white wine Côte de Gascogne that was so good so we bought 6 bottles the next day. Also the menu of wine was extensive. There are only good options. Even the coffee was Amazing because of the collaboration with Joe Van Gogh. The final touch was the dessert which were offered by the couple who were dining next to us. The ambiance was chic and very cosy like the type of bistro you can find in Paris. Anyway, what a wonderful night. Thank you so much.

The salads and cocktails are especially great, and the servings for their entrees are generous and reasonably priced. The atmosphere is wonderful!

Came here with some friends for a celebration - and absolutely loved it. Had the oysters as an appetizer (delicious and fresh), and they were able to make my main dish, the Poulet Roti, gluten-free (love)! Also drank two glasses of the champagne which they put a sugar cube in. Our server was phenomenal as well!! I don't live in Durham but if I did, would probably come here for special occasions often, or for a drink more frequently.

8.5/10 Great service and atmosphere. A bit difficult to find parking. Food was generally very good. Frisee aux lardon - while a runny yolk egg, fried potato, and crispy bacon chunks are always delicious together, this could actually use more greens as the balance was off. Delicious, though. Bouillabaise - soup was well seasoned, maybe a touch salty. Decent amount of seafood. This came with a small piece of bread with a dollop of some sort of cream or butter on it. Couldn't figure out what exactly that dollop was, but it did not taste good at all. Bread would be better served to the side as it was way too soggy. Apple bread pudding - delicious although the topping of cream would be better as ice cream instead. Very dense and cakey bread pudding if you're into that. Not overly sweet. Ny strip - steak cooked perfectly and delicious. fries were soggy. Dark chocolate mousse - good but nothing too special.

Husband and father in law got sick from their oysters (father in law had to go to the hospital!). I called and left them a message with my number but no one called back!

Top notch great outdoor setting and wonderful selections The wait staff was totally on top of everything

The food was AMAZING! The French 75 was made perfectly. Though seated at the bar, there was plenty of space and very quick service. Reservations advised. Parking is limited.

I've lived in Durham forever and had never tried Vin Rouge. My wife and I recently celebrated our 10th anniversary and decided to give VR a try after getting a recommendation from a friend. The food was delicious. I had the trout which was perfectly cooked and accompanied by beautiful haricot verts and mashed potatoes. My wife had the pork chop and loved it. Our table was ready for us at the reservation time. The service was suitably solicitous. Our server acknowledged all of our choices as "brilliant!" or with an enthusiastic "oh yes!" The only issue I experienced was being seated at a two top, in the corner, in the most uncomfortable table/chair arrangement. The chair was one of those standard bistro chairs, round seat, bent wood backs, creaky from continued use. There was something off about the height of the chair related to the table top. I was sitting awkwardly all evening. I realize I should have asked for us to be moved, but I was halfway thru dinner before my back started hurting. Ironically, all of the other chairs in the dining room were padded and comfortable looking. Also, while we did enjoy everything about our dinner, the menu prices are quite expensive even for the quality of the food. This will be a once every five or ten year experience for us. But it's definitely a destination dinner. Give it a try.

Claire is absolutely wonderful! The food is always consistent and great. It's hard to find restaurants that have excellent service and ambience like this. Thank y'all

One of my favorite restaurants! Nice "outdoor" seating regardless of weather. The staff is friendly and know what they're doing. Food is consistently excellent

Thursday night dinner with 3 friends. Restaurant was quite busy at 6:30 and waitstaff were in short supply. One friend enjoyed steak tartare with egg and declared it delicious; another less adventuresome friend had steak frites which he proclaimed delicious. Fries were skinny, salty and crisp. Our third friend had liver and onions with a giant portion of creamy mashed potatoes. She cleaned her plate and said Vin Rouge is the only place to order liver! I had steamed mussels, which were plump and delicious. Our dinners were served promptly, but took forever to catch the eye of our server-or any other server, when we required an additional plate and French bread for sopping. Once our meals were served, we were not checked on until the server wanted to turn the table. Food, while not 'truly French' was good and well-prepared. Noise level at Vin Rouge is often a problem and this night was no exception due to the large number of patrons. Guess that's a good problem for management to have, but makes it difficult to have a conversation between 4 friends.

Such a cute brunch place that will take you to a vintage time period with all its antique decorations and the black and white actors pictures. The staff is super nice and friendly and the service was pretty quick given how packed the place was. We got the scrambled eggs with salmon which was delicious and the french onion soup was so good and full of cheese . Highly recommend this place and will definitely be going back to try their outdoor seating.

A little crowded for my liking, but food and service is good, not high on Ambience. If you like sitting in tight spaces, you'll love this place

My husband and I consider Vin Rouge our favorite place for dinner. Everything about this place is great: your neighborhood restaurant, with excellent wine selection. French, quaint, friendly. Prefect!!! We get dinner there at least once a month! Try getting there at 5 PM and have Alan the bartender help you choose your wine. Such a friendly knowledgeable guy!!

Just got back home with my wife from a very lovely Valentine's Day* dinner. She got the Bouchées á la Reine, filet mignon, and we both got the vanilla bean creme brûlée, and myself received the Beausoleil oysters and the seared scallops. Everything was wonderful, and the filet mignon was pretty big too. Excellent cocktail menu. All in all, a very enjoyable evening. * Prix fixe menu for Valentine's Day 2023

Definitely my fave restaurant in the Triangle. Very French Bistro vibes. Bustling on the weekend and tough to get a reservation if you don't reserve early. The food is fresh and absolutely delicious. On my anniversary we got complimentary champagne and a note that said happy anniversary...that really made for a lovely dinner. They have such a personal touch and very detail oriented. Please go here! I will be back on my next occasion.

We went for Easter Brunch - food and service were excellent - fantastic wine and bubbles list - enjoyed everything we ordered. Great little brunch place.

20/10!!! Service was excellent. All the waiters/waitresses were attentive. We listened to other's interactions. They knew the menus, gave great recommentations. Weren't pushy and genuinely loved their jobs. The environment was very private and yet festive for new years. We had the opportunity of meeting the GM who was very much in the mix. He did not hesitate to get involved. The Head Chef Steve absolutely killed this menu. EVERYTHING was delicious. My wife hates oysters and killed half of mine . If you have not experience this establishment yet, you are missing out! We will definitely be returning!!!

The parking could be a challenge, so give yourself a little time to look for that if you've got reservations. I loved the vibe in there. Reminded me of the kind of restaurant you might find in the northeast, sort of old world gaudy decor done right. Love the open kitchen although the smokiness/steaminess in there was starting to bother my eyes by the end of our time (we were sat right across from the kitchen and bar). Our waiter, Jax was friendly and looked after us with just the right amount of attentiveness. Even though it was packed and the tables are pretty close together, it didn't feel overly loud in there and my friend and I were able to hold conversation easily. My friend had the salmon dish and he loved it! I appreciated that it came out on a nice little cast iron dish. Not a whole lot of options for a vegan, so I went with the beet salad minus the chèvre. It was decent, beets were tender, citrus dressing was light, haricot vert were cooked properly, and lettuce tasted fresh, but of course it wasn't super exciting. Just your basic beet salad. I will say the portion size was good in that I had enough left over for lunch the next day. I do understand it's a French restaurant, not a vegan joint so it wasn't made to suit me, but throwing a nice veggie dish on the menu that isn't dairy heavy would be a nice touch. Overall good experience.

Wow. They have realily lost a step or five. They're living on brand recognition unfortunately. We dined here twice in the past three weeks, including today for brunch. Service was ok, not great. The food was unfortunately really poor. It was 45 mins from order to table, cold and unappetizing. The formerly excellent frites were soggy, cold and worse than McDonald's. We may go back again but probably not. I used to love this place.

So would I imagine a French Restaurant in Durham, NC The Best of the Best. Honestly, we traveled from California to visit our son and Daughter in law and went out for date dinner by ourselves and found this amazing restaurant. It was so good that we made an additional trip to have dinner the night before we left North Carolina we came back and had escargot which is over the top, we had duck confit, hanger steak the best we ever have had, thank you for making our evening, which was incredible. Meeting the Staff and Wine Stuart was the best Experience ever. Thank you we may have to travel here again just to have your beautiful meals.

This is one of our favorite places in Durham. As soon as you enter it feels like you're in a little French restaurant. Antiques, dark wall colors, low lighting, white wood trimmed windows and doors. Our server was French which added to the authenticity as well! We ordered drinks at the bat first and my hubby loved the "turf club" cocktail. I had their only chardonnay by the glass and it was excellent. We had the French onion soup (delectable), the escargot (extremely flavorful), the oysters (fresh and delicious), the chicken liver pate (very good and generous portion) and the shrimp Provencal (perfect sauce). Everything was fabulous! The bread they serve with the olive tapenade is a must! Definitely recommend.

Came here on a rainy Sunday for brunch with my boyfriend. We got seated quickly on the heated patio. Food was delicious and very high quality & quantity - rare yellowfin was done just right, and I was pleasantly surprised by the portion of my mussels. Service was great and attentive. Busy Sunday, so they provided us with extra bread during the wait. It does have some parking spots right in front of the restaurant, but it gets quite busy. There is a public parking lot across the street near Harris Teeter.

Always excellent food, wine, and service! One of our favorite restaurants for special occasions or for date night!