Sandrine's Bistro - French Cuisine in Harvard Square

We received many generous wedding gifts - I was very excited when lots of our kitchen items got upgraded!  In addition to all that greatness, one of Nick's co-workers, knowing that we love to try lots of different restaurants, gave us a gift certificate to his favorite dining spot in the area: Sandrine's.  Sandrine's is a cozy bistro in the middle of Harvard Square with a menu filled with classical and contemporary french cuisine.

After a bit of time, Nick and I finally made reservations and crossed the river to enjoy a lovely evening out in Cambridge.  Upon walking in, we were greeted by the friendly hostess who immediately sat us at a table for 2 right next to the front window.  We had been told that the Ginger Cosmo was amazing, and after looking over the many many tempting cocktails, I decided to give the tequila-based Cosmo a shot.  Made with Jose Cuervo, Cointreau, Domaine de Canton, lime juice and a splash of cranberry, this was surprisingly tasty.  Each sip had a lot of depth with such a large combination of flavors.

Ginger Cosmo

While enjoying the cocktails and looking over the menu, we enjoyed some hearty bread, but knew we had to save some of it because the escargot appetizer was calling our name!



Before going any further into the meal, I have to say our server was one of the best we have had in a long time.  We looked to her to make many of our final ordering decisions because the menu had so many delicious options and we were having trouble deciding.

Bread

The baked Alsatian Escargot topped off with cheese was rich, delicious, juicy and cheesy (!).  After enjoying the escargot the leftover oils created perfect bread-dipping opportunities.   This is definitely a french classic done correctly.

Baked Escargot with Cheese

In a complete contrast to the richness of the escargot, I got a lobster avocado appetizer special that was amazing!  The dish was literally a half an avocado filled with a lobster salad with an balsamic vinegar sauce and aioli.  This dish was unreal.  What could be a better combination than lobster and avocado?  It was rich but had a freshness to it that worked.  If this is a special again, I would run over to order it!

Avocado and Lobster special

After such an amazing appetizer course, we were looking forward to our entrees.  In sticking with the specials offered for the evening, my ears perked up at the lamb chop dish with a red wine sauce, roasted veggies and fingerling potatoes.  The lamb arrived a perfect medium rare and was tender and flavorful.  The meat was only accented and highlighted by the sauce.  The dish had lots of bold flavors that added a depth and sophistication to the dish that shows the talent of the chef.

Lamb Chops

Accompaniments 

Nick went with the lobster risotto with spinach and a cognac lobster sauce, another recommendation from his co-worker.  When it arrived I could not believe the mountain of lobster topping the risotto.  The sauce was rich and creamy, and the spinach gave an earthiness to each bite.

Lobster Risotto

At this point we were pretty full but knew we had to have dessert (this was a wedding gift after all, and we didn't want to be rude ;).  Being the chocolate lover that I am, I went with the Chocolate Kougelhopf, which is a warm, dense chocolate cake, caramel coulis, vanilla ice cream and a chocolate ganche.  Needless to say, when it arrived, I took a bite and was so happy we made the decision to get dessert - it was so delicious!  The cake, while dense, was moist and fudgey.  The warm cake mixed with the cold ice cream made my mouth water.  I would have licked the plate clean if I thought it was acceptable!

Chocolate Kougelhopf

Nick went with the Frangipane Cake, a warmed almond cake with poached pears and chocolate sauces.  Again, another fantastic dessert!  The almond cake was delicious - not overly sweet and fairly light.  The pears added enough sweetness to satisfy.

Frangipane Cake

Between the excellent service, the delicious food and the cozy space, I would highly recommend experiencing all that Sandrine's has to offer.  We are really looking forward to our next trip!