Brasserie Saint Germain

12/25 - Another fabulous meal. Love the St. Germain martini. The poached halibut special was divine. Merci beaucoup to the owner for remembering me. # 9/25 - The Playhouse brought a family member here who also enjoys French food. His halibut was a fresh interpretation of this fish. My seafood crepe was good, but I regret not ordering the lamb shank special as it's one of my favorite dishes. Service, drinks, escargot all perfect. Fine dessert menu. # 6/25 - This was a sublime experience. If you're a French cuisine person, and in the area or passing through, you must try this brasserie. I have to give a nod to Google Maps no highways option, which brought me here from quite a distance with ease. For future guests looking for the entrance to this place, it's a little tricky. If you're using your GPS, it will correctly guide you to 470 Main Street in Ridgefield which is the front of a business. Having visited many eateries here before, I thought the GPS was not correct. I drove to the usual spot which houses many restaurants that I've reviewed for years. Not seeing BSG, I asked a couple, where is Brasserie St. Germain? They explained it was behind 470 Main Street on the back side and told me how to go from the lot. Taking it from there, I caught it out of the corner of my eye and pulled in. There are a few tables outside of the front with flowers on the tables for those who want to enjoy their food in the open air. I went inside and met the wonderful server who was totally engaged hearing the story I told as to why I was early. He had a similar one. It was a nice bond. No longer needing a table for two, I was fine with a seat at the bar or in a corner, but he brought me to the back room at a lovely end table with a leather backed bench seat. As with any Ridgefield Playhouse concert, a local eatery sponsors a show and offers a complimentary drink. It's almost always a free glass of wine. My last visit here, a free house margarita was offered to those holding "The English Beat" tickets. Impressive, that Brasserie St Germain offered guests to the show any glass of complimentary wine. I asked my waiter, as he made many knowledgeable selections, "You mean, I can have any glass of wine off of this menu?" He said, "Yes." I noted, "I've been to so many of these events now and frequented the sponsoring restaurant. When you tell them you're attending the Playhouse tonight for the complimentary glass of wine, they just ask red or white?" He politely grinned as if to say without words, we're not them. Bien sur! I appreciated that he knew his wine, living in CA where I bought wine from tasting rooms in Napa Valley, Paso Robles and other vineyards. We agreed I should try their Bordeaux Chateaux tours de Bayards. Excellent selection. For those of you who have missed French food being almost unfindable for a while now, connoisseurs like me are loving this resurgence. How can you not order the escargot? Steak tartare? I had both. Honestly, when you think about eating snails, it's not that appealing, hence the word "escargot" working much better. The minced garlic, parsley, and butter sauce authenticated the escargot experience. The presentation could improve outside of the white ceramic dish. The quail egg with the filet angus tartare was a nice bonus. It's on the side for anyone who can't eat eggs or does not like them. Tasting the tartare on its own, I thought I'd pass on the crunchy baguette slices that come with the dish. Glad I changed my mind and broke a piece off to put the tartare on top. Wonderful pairing. It made a big difference, with the crunch and overall impact of the flavor. I appreciated my server telling me I could order the appetizer size vs. the main. (4 oz/8 oz) Hearing this, I said, "I'll be good and get 4 oz." We discussed other dishes, such as Boeuf Bourguignon, Crepe Normandy, or a mussels dish - their specialty, but larger in portion I passed since leftovers would sit in a hot car. The pinot noir Doudet-Naudin was full-bodied yet light. If you love French food, this Brasserie is a must. Closed Mondays.

This place never disappoints and is truly our favorite restaurant. The oysters were fresh and delicious, the mussels perfectly cooked in a flavorful marinière sauce, and the lobster was the absolute highlight—tender, sweet, and unforgettable. Huge thanks to the wonderful staff, especially Virginie, for their warm and professional service that made the evening extra special.

I ordered cassoulet and it was not like anything I ever had. I've had it in Paris at least three times. It was just large beans with two strips of meat that was fried and put on top. Please I ask the chef to look up the recipe. I've also had it at Luc's Res. and it was closer to Paris but still not correct. Also, there was a piece of over cooked chicken on top. The French cassoulet I've experienced was duck and mild sausage cooked in white beans. When it's cooked correctly, you can't stop eating it, it's that good. Again look up the recipe. Lastly, the wine list is all French wines. We tried two different bottles and neither was full bodied as I asked..On the more positive side, the waiter, Chris I believe was absolutely THE BEST ever. The venue was excellent, the lights perfect, not too bright, not too dark and the sound level was perfect, again not too loud. We will be back but will order a different dish for sure. Oh, I almost forgot, my wife ordered the salad with goat cheese. The lettuce was perfect but the goat cheese, not so much. It was just spread on the toast like it was butter. Again we have never seen it this way in France. Hope this was helpful... I'm trying to offer a balance critique as a former chef.

I’m honestly surprised by some of the negative comments I’ve read. I rarely leave reviews. I usually let the experience speak for itself but I feel compelled to share my thoughts because some of the criticism seems more about protecting other businesses than reflecting reality. I’ve been to BSG many times, and my experience at Saint Germain was absolutely wonderful. The restaurant brings a genuine French touch to Ridgefield. The staff is almost entirely French, which makes the whole experience feel truly authentic. Service was friendly and attentive. Everything we ordered was delicious. We ordered a cassoulet and steak frites (SF is the staple of BSG). The steak frites was tender and flavorful and the homemade fries were crisp and fresh. The cassoulet was rich and so tasteful. Perfect for the fall. As for the ambiance, with its mural of Montmartre and the lamp post lighting up the restaurant , you genuinely feel like you’ve stepped into Paris for the evening. Luc’s will always be a Ridgefield favorite, but there’s definitely room for more than one great French restaurant in town, and BSG absolutely deserves the love. Highly recommend giving it a try!

Fun menu, great selection. Vegetarian options and dessert crepes!!

I love the food. I actually think the older location had more charm, but this is pretty good too. The onion soup is a must. We were there at 4 in the afternoon and it was a little quiet. They turned the music on just as we were leaving, if you're open, play the music. We'll be back

French dining at its finest! Our waiter (dark mohawk hairstyle) was awesome! He was friendly and funny and warm. The meal was delicious from start to finish. Great atmosphere and the pricing was super reasonable. A great night out!

My favorite restaurant in Ridgefield, best lobster bisque i never had and the steak fries is absolutely perfect. Chocolate mousse is my top dessert there. Highly recommended