Meyer's Newcastle - Hamilton

Authentic French cuisine at a reasonable price, and the BYO option is a nice bonus. However, I can't shake the feeling that they're missing the mark in terms of service, which seems to be lost in translation, as well as in the overall style, finesse, and decor that typically define the experience.

The menu offered very limited choices, with only two options for each course. Let me walk you through what we had during the evening. For the entrée, the choices were Salade Niçoise or the Cocktail Nordique, which I chose. This dish was supposed to be a seafood cocktail salad in a creamy sauce, but what I received was essentially potato in a creamy salad. It tasted fine, but it was certainly not what was described. For the main course, the choices were Pot-Au-Feu, which my friend ordered, and I chose Marinated Spatchcock with French fries. The fries were great, but my spatchcock tasted dry and lacked flavor. My friend’s Pot-Au-Feu was supposed to come with turnips and leeks, but instead, it had potatoes and no leeks. The carrots were quite nice, though. Moving on to dessert, my friend ordered the Galette des Rois, which is a puff pastry with vanilla ice cream, while I opted for the Trio Gourmand. Unfortunately, this was also average and tasted like mini profiteroles, so I would rate it a 5/10. And as if the meal wasn’t memorable enough, we were treated to some unexpected entertainment at 9 PM: a few German cockroaches scuttling out from various crevices, running around the café’s white walls in search of leftovers. While this certainly added an unusual twist to the evening, I can't say it enhanced our experience. Overall, despite the poor dining experience, the company I was with made the evening enjoyable in its own way.

The restaurant offers traditional French cuisine with fairly good food at an affordable price, along with a BYO option, which is a nice touch. However, I can't shake the feeling that something gets lost in translation when it comes to the service and the overall cultural experience, including aspects like style, finesse, and decor.

Much to my disappointment, the experience fell far below my expectations. The meal was quite ordinary, and the service left much to be desired. While the concept of a set menu with limited options is appealing, it’s disappointing that they didn’t execute it better. I genuinely wish them the best and hope to see improvements in the future.

This restaurant was formerly known as Ma Belle's, and it is now owned by a French chef.