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Restaurant Reviews for Emile's

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Emile's

545 South 2nd St.
San Jose, CA 95112

Reservations with a party size of 6 or more are not confirmed until arranged with an Emile's representative. A Valid Credit Card is required to hold reservations of large parties. Private rooms are available but require a deposit; please call the restaurant as soon as possible to make the arrangements. Thank you for choosing to dine with us at Emile's. We look forward to serving you. Please contact us if you have any special requests that might add to your dining experience.

Dining Style: Fine Dining
Price: $31 to $50
Parking: Private Lot
Cross Street: Williams/Reed

See more Emile's details

Average Diner Rating
Overall Rating		2.8 out of 5 (30 Reviews)

Food		(Very Good)
Ambiance		(Good)
Service		(Good)
Restaurant Experience:
Noise Level		(Quiet)

Summary of Special Features

Diners classify this restaurant as:

special occasion (12)
romantic (9)
fit for foodies (4)
notable wine list (3)
neighborhood gem (2)
good for groups (1)

Emile's Reviews List

Overall Rating

(Good)

"Went to Emile's on Valentines Day. Had an 8pm reservation but did not get seated until close to 9pm. Will not return!"

Food		(Very Good)
Ambiance		(Very Good)
Service		(Fair)
Restaurant Experience:
Noise Level		(Moderate)

By an OpenTable.com user

who dined on 02/14/2010

(review submitted 02/18/2010)

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Review 2 for Emile's

Overall Rating

(Poor)

"The service was absolutely terrible. During about two and a half hours, we were served two dishes of the five course meal. We were only able to speak with our waiter three times. I would not recommend this restaurant to anyone who desires something less than an exercise in frustration."

Food		(Good)
Ambiance		(Good)
Service		(Poor)
Restaurant Experience:
Noise Level		(Moderate)

By an OpenTable.com user

who dined on 02/14/2010

(review submitted 02/18/2010)

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Review 3 for Emile's

Overall Rating

(Poor)

"Meals were late, server was untrained, kept bringing the wrong wine, no spoon for the soup, more glasses on the table than food. The valet walked into the dinning area and yelled out, "Who's got #62, the Lexus?" The hostess and staff were yelling at each other in the hallway. Food items were being brought to the wrong tables. Some folks left after an hour waiting to be served. Lobby was backed up into the dining area waiting to be seated. This was a complete disaster! We've been coming to Emile's for 30 years, but the new owner managed to destroy it in less than three years. It's too bad, the place had lots of memories for us, but we won't be back. Bottomline: Poor planning+poor training=poor execution."

Food		(Very Good)
Ambiance		(Fair)
Service		(Poor)
Restaurant Experience:
Noise Level		(Energetic)

By an OpenTable.com user

who dined on 02/14/2010

(review submitted 02/18/2010)

0 of 1 people found this review helpful.

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Review 4 for Emile's

Overall Rating

(Outstanding)

"The food was excellent, the staff knowledgeable, helpful (and fun). We will put Emile's on our list of resturants to return to."

Special Features: fit for foodies, romantic, special occasion

Food		(Outstanding)
Ambiance		(Outstanding)
Service		(Very Good)
Restaurant Experience:
Noise Level		(Moderate)

By an OpenTable.com user

who dined on 02/14/2010

(review submitted 02/18/2010)

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Review 5 for Emile's

Overall Rating

(Fair)

"It was absolutely the worst service experience that I have ever experienced. In fact, it was NO SERVICE at all. We had a brand new server that never waited on us. I had to continually ask for the table to be cleaned, we were served a sorbet without spoons and they left the previous course on the table. When the food did come it was "thrown at us" as the server was "running back and forth" in an obvious frenzy. In fact, he crashed into a "water boy" while running from the table. I had to hunt someone down to finally bring the check. IT WAS HORRIBLE! Especially since We were spending $90 per person + a bottle of wine. On a good note; the FOOD WAS VERY GOOD, so hurray for the CHEF! Emiles's needs to get back to it's roots and think of service!"

Food		(Very Good)
Ambiance		(Fair)
Service		(Poor)
Restaurant Experience:
Noise Level		(Moderate)

By an OpenTable.com user

who dined on 02/14/2010

(review submitted 02/17/2010)

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Review 6 for Emile's

Overall Rating

(Poor)

"I had a really bad experience at Emile's. This was a speciality dinner for Valentines Day, they were not prepared. Tables were over booked. Our waiter had no idea what he was doing. There were suppose to be several courses. We received the 1st course, then received the 4th course next. 2nd course was missed completely. There was supposed to be complimentatry champayne, there was none. After we got anmd ate the 3rd course, we waited and then were given the bill. I let them know we had not have dessert and coffee and would like that with a revised bill. It took 15 mins to get creme brulee with no spoons, coffee came after another complaint. The whole dinner took 3 hours which included all the waiting for food, drinks and bills.Horrible"

Food		(Good)
Ambiance		(Good)
Service		(Poor)
Restaurant Experience:
Noise Level		(Quiet)

By an OpenTable.com user

who dined on 02/14/2010

(review submitted 02/17/2010)

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Review 7 for Emile's

Overall Rating

(Fair)

"These folks were not prepared for their $90.00 Valentine's day meal offering. The hostess
was stressed and finally got us a table with a spotlight shining directly on us. We asked
them to turn down the air conditioning - also blowing directly on us. We waited 20 minutes to be seated and waited another 20 minutes for someone to notice us. After some
pressure from us, a bisboy took our order and passed it on whoever was supposed to be our
waiter. The food, once it came, was fine. Everything else was a disaster. Avoid this place like the plague!"

Food		(Very Good)
Ambiance		(Poor)
Service		(Poor)
Restaurant Experience:
Noise Level		(Moderate)

By an OpenTable.com user

who dined on 02/14/2010

(review submitted 02/17/2010)

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Review 8 for Emile's

Overall Rating

(Poor)

"First reservations were well overbooked it was packed and everyone was agitated. After quite a wait someone finally came to check us in but just decided to seat people by memory in stead of making a list. Over an hour later after several couples that came in behind us got seated we got put in a really bright Party rental type back room with no windows, loud fuzzy music, what looked like cheep rental chairs and tables and No flowers on the table. The people were nice but it was so packed we got forgotten often and the staff seemed exhausted. In the middle of the 3rd course after asking 4 times I actually had to get up and find someone to get my drink! The food was good but, Definitely NOT a romantic Valentines day experience worth 200$!!!"

Food		(Good)
Ambiance		(Poor)
Service		(Fair)
Restaurant Experience:
Noise Level		(Energetic)

By an OpenTable.com user

who dined on 02/14/2010

(review submitted 02/16/2010)

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Review 9 for Emile's

Overall Rating

(Poor)

"The dining area was cold. Our waitress was on her first day of the job. She sent us the wrong bottle of wine and charged us for the mistaken higher priced bottle. Background music was on the verge of being overbearing in terms of volume. Food was lukewarm almost cool. Five course meal did not follow in order as shown on the menu, items came randomly. Wime arrived nearly a third of the way into dinner. Lond delay in waiting for main course. Dessert took between twenty minutes to a half an hour after three prompts."

Food		(Fair)
Ambiance		(Poor)
Service		(Poor)
Restaurant Experience:
Noise Level		(Moderate)

By an OpenTable.com user

who dined on 02/14/2010

(review submitted 02/16/2010)

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Review 10 for Emile's

Overall Rating

(Very Good)

"We went to Emiles on Saturday to avoid the Valentines day rush. They served an excellent meal. The only complaint was there was no wine paring with the meal. However they did put together an excellent flight of wines that paired very well with the food."

Special Features: notable wine list, romantic, special occasion

Food		(Very Good)
Ambiance		(Very Good)
Service		(Outstanding)
Restaurant Experience:
Noise Level		(Quiet)

By an OpenTable.com user

who dined on 02/13/2010

(review submitted 02/16/2010)

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Review 11 for Emile's

Overall Rating

(Poor)

"We were seated by the valet because there was no one else around. A few minutes later a waiter came rushing around explaining that they had not recieved the Valentine's Day menu from the printer yet but he would share his copy. We received both the copy and the regular menu only to be told later that the Valentine's Day menu was the only option. We ordered drinks, one arrived, one didn't. We ordered from holiday menu and the wine we had selected from the wine list was $10 more on the holiday menu. Not a pleasant experience especially at these prices. I can think of many other places I would go to before going back here. Not our first but definately our last visit. So much more I could say."

Special Features: romantic, special occasion

Food		(Good)
Ambiance		(Fair)
Service		(Fair)
Restaurant Experience:
Noise Level		(Quiet)

By an OpenTable.com user

who dined on 02/13/2010

(review submitted 02/15/2010)

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Review 12 for Emile's

Overall Rating

(Very Good)

"The hospitality was amazing! The lamb and beef were wonderful, while the veal was lacking. The souffle was nothing like I expected and not worth the $24. Although pricey overall, it was a relaxing and delicious dining experience."

Special Features: notable wine list, romantic, special occasion

Food		(Very Good)
Ambiance		(Very Good)
Service		(Outstanding)
Restaurant Experience:
Noise Level		(Quiet)

By an OpenTable.com user

who dined on 02/09/2010

(review submitted 02/13/2010)

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Review 13 for Emile's

Overall Rating

(Outstanding)

"Fabulous!..Great experience, will be back. Wonderful dinner before a great Opera performance."

Special Features: good for groups, neighborhood gem, notable wine list, romantic, special occasion

Food		(Outstanding)
Ambiance		(Outstanding)
Service		(Outstanding)
Restaurant Experience:
Noise Level		(Quiet)

By an OpenTable.com user

who dined on 02/06/2010

(review submitted 02/09/2010)

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Review 14 for Emile's

Overall Rating

(Outstanding)

"Showed up a tad earlier than our reservations were set for and they had no problems accommodating us.

The Maître d' was great as was the rest of the staff. Food was excellent. It's pricey, but it's a fancy restaurant, what do you expect?

They topped off a wonderful birthday for my girlfriend on Saturday night. I've lived in San Jose for 30 years and that was my first visit. It will not be my last."

Special Features: neighborhood gem, romantic, special occasion

Food		(Outstanding)
Ambiance		(Outstanding)
Service		(Outstanding)
Restaurant Experience:
Noise Level		(Quiet)

By an OpenTable.com user

who dined on 02/06/2010

(review submitted 02/08/2010)

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Review 15 for Emile's

Overall Rating

(Good)

"Food was very good. We had the fixed price meal with appetizer, main and dessert. We did the wine pairing and had nice options from which to choose. Service was great - very much a "one man show". The decor was older and there were decorations from a previous holiday still up. The music was fine but the static made it seem outdated. The staff was very thankful for our visit and were very cordial."

Special Features: special occasion

Food		(Very Good)
Ambiance		(Fair)
Service		(Very Good)
Restaurant Experience:
Noise Level		(Quiet)

By an OpenTable.com user

who dined on 01/30/2010

(review submitted 02/02/2010)

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Review 16 for Emile's

Overall Rating

(Good)

"We were the only couple for the whole time we were there...finally another two came in. The food was good but not very unique and the price point was a bit high."

Food		(Good)
Ambiance		(Good)
Service		(Very Good)
Restaurant Experience:
Noise Level		(Quiet)

By an OpenTable.com user

who dined on 01/22/2010

(review submitted 01/31/2010)

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Review 17 for Emile's

Overall Rating

(Very Good)

"We went on a Thursday night because of a special occasion. We were the only table all night so we got the best service possible. The Maitre-de was very friendly and related many stories about restaurant and its operations. The food was excellent, from the French Onion soup to the Filet and the Souffle. Given that we were the only party there, it did not have much of an atmosphere. During the night, the Maitre-de was taking many reservations for the upcoming Valentine's Day.
Parking in the neighborhood can be tricky if you don't know about the parking lot around the back. The restaurant itself can use some updating for its carpets/amenities."

Special Features: fit for foodies, special occasion

Food		(Very Good)
Ambiance		(Fair)
Service		(Outstanding)
Restaurant Experience:
Noise Level		(Quiet)

By an OpenTable.com user

who dined on 01/14/2010

(review submitted 01/17/2010)

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Review 18 for Emile's

Overall Rating

(Poor)

"Terrible service! There were only two tables being served (including us) and we had to wait and wait for service, food, and our wine (served AFTER the salad). The wine list was awful - VERY expensive for only mediocre choices. We didn't even finish the $45 bottle (one of the least expensive offered). Two dishes on the menu were "not available." I would never go back here and am warning people to not bother unless they enjoy paying a lot of money for poor service."

Food		(Good)
Ambiance		(Fair)
Service		(Poor)
Restaurant Experience:
Noise Level		(Quiet)

By an OpenTable.com user

who dined on 01/07/2010

(review submitted 01/13/2010)

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Review 19 for Emile's

Overall Rating

(Very Good)

"The food was excellent, particularly the chocolate souffle dessert. The wine list was short but we were able to find something we liked. I would have liked to see a couple more California sparkling wines under $50 on the menu. However I did see corkage listed for $25, so one can always bring a favorite. I thought the service lacked attention to detail. We spent over two hours enjoying a very fine meal, but always had to ask for water and except for when the bottles were opened, we poured our own wine."

Special Features: romantic, special occasion

Food		(Outstanding)
Ambiance		(Very Good)
Service		(Good)
Restaurant Experience:
Noise Level		(Quiet)

By an OpenTable.com user

who dined on 01/09/2010

(review submitted 01/12/2010)

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Review 20 for Emile's

Overall Rating

(Very Good)

"Emiles has long been a favorite but it had been a number of years since we had been there. There were only about a dozen diners in the restaurant so seating, noise, etc. were not a problem. We were informed that the chef had been taken to a doctor and a substitute chef had been called in. We had some concern but didn't let it ruin our evening. Aside from the inavailability of a few items (primarily their fantastic Grand Mariner Souffle) everything went well. The substitute did a great job of creating some really good food even if it did vary a bit from Emile's normal look (e.g. my wife's Beouf en brochette was served with a demi-glce instead of the Bernaisse sauce described on the menu). Overall food and service were very good."

Food		(Very Good)
Ambiance		(Very Good)
Service		(Very Good)
Restaurant Experience:
Noise Level		(Quiet)

By an OpenTable.com user

who dined on 01/02/2010

(review submitted 01/04/2010)

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Review 21 for Emile's

Overall Rating

(Outstanding)

"We had a birthday to celebrate, and it was perfect for our needs--we liked the sedate atmosphere, and the fact that the staff recognized the birthday boy in a nice fashion. Definitely a place we'll go again."

Special Features: romantic, special occasion

Food		(Outstanding)
Ambiance		(Outstanding)
Service		(Outstanding)
Restaurant Experience:
Noise Level		(Quiet)

By an OpenTable.com user

who dined on 12/19/2009

(review submitted 12/22/2009)

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Ratings-Only Reviews for Emile's

Based on the average of (9) ratings-only reviews

Overall Rating

(Good)

Food		(Good)
Ambiance		(Good)
Service		(Good)
Restaurant Experience:
Noise Level		(Quiet)

Restaurant Reviews for Emile's

Emile's Reviews List

Review 1 for Emile's

Review 2 for Emile's

Review 3 for Emile's

Review 4 for Emile's

Review 5 for Emile's

Review 6 for Emile's

Review 7 for Emile's

Review 8 for Emile's

Review 9 for Emile's

Review 10 for Emile's

Review 11 for Emile's

Review 12 for Emile's

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Review 14 for Emile's

Review 15 for Emile's

Review 16 for Emile's

Review 17 for Emile's

Review 18 for Emile's

Review 19 for Emile's

Review 20 for Emile's

Review 21 for Emile's