Reviews of The Twisted Frenchman (Restaurant)

CD M

Totally worth every penny!

Sonny McManigle

Great experience and great food. Fun for large parties, wine pairing is spot on.

Derek J Lang

Went with some friends and ordered the 14-course tasting menu with wine pairing, and we were very satisfied. I can't begin to recall every dish served, so I'll speak to the meal overall. At first, I was concerned that the dishes weren't the rich, savory French foods that I'm used to; however, as the meal progressed, a certain logic and planning to the courses became apparent. The initial courses were designed to ease you into the meal, before transitioning into bigger flavors. Obviously, this is how all good tasting menus go, but I'd had a rash of poorly executed tasting menus recently. Anyhow, I digress. Ambiance was comfortable; it was formal, but not stuffy. Service was excellent and on point, and the meal was paced very well. After the meal, we enjoyed some very good cocktails at the bar downstairs. The only negative part of the experience, and I hesitate to mention because it was such a good experience overall, is that the wine pairings were barely adequate. The wines chosen weren't bad in any way, and certainly stood well by themselves, but they lacked a true pairing to the courses. I would expect each wine to compliment and bring out the best and most important elements of the food course, or perhaps conversely to cut through the food course. Instead, with each glass of wine, all I thought was, "Hmm, that's some good wine." Once again, not that it was bad, but could use a little fine-tuning. Bottom line, though, is that you need to go here.

deb george

This place is a little pricey but take her/him it's worth the price and the tasting menu is romantic you get top rate service and food. Rare these days

Joseph de Leon

Food was excellent and service was good. Decor was a little meh.... But def a unique resto in Pittsburgh to go to if visiting. In a cool nabe too.

Jon Kass

I have never written a review for a restaurant before as far as I can remember, but this place... We were at first skeptical of the stuffy atmosphere and the high price tags, but omg I kid you not I can't say I've ever had better food in my …

Spencer Dunnison

One of the best meals I have ever eaten. The wait staff was very professional and the food cooked perfectly. I had the 8-course chef's tasting menu and every course was plated elegantly and did a wonderful job of marrying new school creativity with classic french technique.

Mike Travis

"Twisted" is our favorite restaurant in Pittsburgh. We enjoy the atmosphere and the way they manage to be both relaxed and casual but still give the impression that you are in a fine dining establishment, which you are! The wine list isn't cheap but is excellent and you can BYOB if you wish! The food is imaginative and both beautifully cooked and presented. We had some friends to the city who live in London and came to Pittsburgh from a visit in NYC. They have simply raved over the dinner we had at the Twisted Frenchman - far more than they raved over anywhere they went to in Manhattan or indeed, recently in London! We are only sorry that time constraints stop us from being able to go every week!

Amy Welch

Excellent splurge dinner - 14-course tasting menu. For less extravagant evenings, based on the food, service, and wine, the 4-course is a great value for experience.

B Kripto

The new spot is in a 120-year-old building that called for a full build-out, right down to the renovation of the facade. At the start, the restaurant is serving three- and eight-course tasting menus that start at $50 with courses like baby aubergine or beets six ways, salmon, foie gras, smoked duck, and 50-day, dry-aged beef. By November, it will also offer 14- and 21-course tasting menus.

Chris Whissen

We found the service to be exceptional. It would have stood out in any city, but was especially notable in Pittsburgh. The food was also great. All dishes were well executed, though some were not to our taste. The wine offered was outstanding, though some of the pairings were a bit off. All in all, a great experience and we'll return.

Jimmy Shaw

It was a great dining experience. Excellent service ,food and wine pairing

Matt Fulgo

The dishes were hit or miss: The foie gras and lamb were both great, as were the desserts. Other dishes (the beets, soup, pate, octopus salad) were not well balanced, uninspired, or just needed some refinement. The pork tenderloin was dry but the rest of its dish was fine; the scallop was great but the rest of its dish was mediocre. It would have been better had they not served bread. I've had better bread from a Pillsbury can. The service was good, and the atmosphere and decor were great. Generally, it felt like they are trying for a Michelin star but fell well short in consistency and execution.

Rachel Rodgers

The food was some of the best I have had in Pittsburgh. They had just removed duck from their menu when I visited, but went out of their way to offer me a duck breast with the lamb preparation- which was appreciated. However, everything felt a little stiff, it was not a 'warm' place to visit.

Rebecca Paull

Great experience, excellent service, and delicious food that was inspired and beautifully presented. We had the four course menu, and chose our own cocktails since we aren't wine pairing people. This was perfect for us.

Robert Ham

One of the top three meals I've had in Pittsburgh

JonJen Wolfe

Great food, very expensive but well worth the experience every so often.

Matt Barnett

Nice experience.

Aniket Hirebet

If you're looking for an intimate, multi-course dinner that showcases fine French cuisine and wines, look no further. Pricey, but well worth the splurge.

Liz Billings

Wonderful food. Friendly staff. Beautiful view.

Marissa Russo

My boyfriend and I went to Bar Frenchman for date night and we LOVED it. The foie gras melted in your mouth, my boyfriend got the flat iron and he said he couldn't imagine what the higher priced steak would taste like because he didn't think it could get better than what he got. The cocktails were different in the best way possible (my boyfriends whiskey sour had egg whites in it!) and the wait staff were friendly and respectful. Definitely going to try The Twisted Frenchman next time and will be back to Bar Frenchman!

Nick Martinelli

Incredible. Incredible service, food, presentation, and view.

Colin Dean

We had an absolutely fantastic experience. All of the food was on point and the wine pairings were perfect.

Lana McCaffrey

Spectacular service, fantastic food and presentation. Risotto with carrots, and duck were amazing. Lovely place to sit with pleasant view.

Deborah Gershanok

Slow service, small portions of mostly sauce and cream, soggy souffle

Vic Owen

A little disappointing, ok, but little food for price. Largest part of meal was dessert, was called and asked about diet restrictions. I told them low carb, they served mashed potatoes, roll, and huge baked alaska. Quality was excellent, though.

Benjamin Carter

Amazing foie gras- like eating fluffy, charred angelic meat pillows. Tastefully decorated dining area; courteous & knowledgeable servers. A splurge meal that is well worth it and may leave you planning your next visit. And who doesn't love liquid nitrogen on their chocolate mousse?

B.J. Vascik

Meh....thats all I can say with our tasting menu. Some things were pretty good others just ok. Very bland decor inside that does not seem elegant for this high priced restaurant. Save your money...go somewhere else

Mike Vosburg

Took the opportunity to check out the Twisted Frenchman for the first time during restaurant week and it was incredible! Don't miss the juicy, tender duck with heavenly crisp and blackened fat. Looking forward to returning for the 8 course tasting.

Tanua Williams

The Chef needs training from Gordan Ramsey. I gave it a 3 star bbecause the decor was beautiful and rich...and the service was awesome but the food...not so much. I felt ripped off on the quality and quantity of the meal. The Steak...I got 2 small cut up square cubes that was completely over cooked. I couldnt even get a whole juicey steak for the money I spent. My bill came to $160+ taxes and tip for 2 people just a 4 course meal...it wasnt worth it. I was absolutely disappointed. I would never return nor would I ever refer anybody to this restaurant. Soup was good. Pate was ok...but that steak with the green sauce...tiny proportion...overcooked and dried. Never again!!!

Jessica Forest

My friend took me here for my Birthday & we did the Chef's tasting menu w/ wine. It was a delightful experience, I'm surprised to find something like this in Pittsburgh! I read recently that they are expanding into something similar to French Laundry which I am elated for, French Laundry is one of my favorite places to dine in California. Edit: I went back to the new location on baum & it was even better then the first time! We did the 8 course tasting menu with the wine pairing which was perfect. The only dish that didn't amaze us was the baby eggplant, I like the smoke effect but overall the dish was a bit bland for my taste. Everything else was delicate & delicious.

Kathie Novak

Awesome food and presentation. Our waiter was exceptional!

Pearl Morales

A friend recommended that we try The Twisted Frenchman and he did not steer me wrong. We started out with fresh bread and real salted butter, followed by cocktails. For an appetizer I had the Roasted Tomato soup which was topped off with fresh caviar and a crisp bread. I ordered the duck for my entree, the flavor profile was outstanding. Best Duck ever. Desert, wow. Vanilla custard with blood orange frozen table side with liquid Nitrogen. Great Service, Great food, a gastronomic evening.

David Hodgson

Excellent food: visually elegant presentation and delicious. Staff was great: if you don’t like having the ingredients explained you may find the presentation pretentious. But we thought they were knowledgeable, friendly but not intrusive, and with great timing. Best meal we had in Pittsburgh.

Frank Caputo

High end. Really a cool place to visit - greeters are a bit clueless, but waitstaff is very helpful. Small location, which makes it very cozy. Foods do change a lot so you need to visit often to see what the chef has prepared and how unique it really is. This restaurant is also in an older location, which the owner has kept a lot of the flooring as before which adds a nice atmosphere to the place.

anthony taglieri

Definitely one of Pittsburgh's top restaurants

Michael McAlpin

Went for restaurant week, and the meal was insanity (in an amazing, top notch way). The soup bowl alone blew me away, and I hadn't even tasted it yet. Then I saw some wierd foam on top and knew this was what dreams are made of, as Hilary Duff once said. Tasted amazing too, these guys could definitely beat Bobby Flay. The main entree of some sort of baby chicken thing was melt in yo mouth as well, and the presentation was of Van Gogh quality, imbued with raw class. Finally came the dessert, a white chocolate souffle lighter than a cloud yet more decadent than a meal atop the Eiffel tower, if they serve food of course. Didn't even have to tip the coat person because they were part of the waiter team. Would dine again, 10 stars baby.

Tyson Wang

Amazing food!

Mireille Tyadi

I love the mood there, it is unique

Ryan M

We did the 18 course chef's table dinner. It was amazing. Our server Claire was great and so knowledgeable on all the dishes served. The kitchen staff was so friendly and professional. You definitely need to bring your appetite. The courses start off light and small but they do get larger and heavier. i enjoyed all of the dishes very much. It was a very unique dining experience that was so enjoyable. I would definitely recommend it. I can't wait to go back and try some dishes from the ala carte menu!

Rebecca Roma

Food was good nice presentation. Not worth the cost. Service is stuffy. Our first course was terrible but got better after that. Don't go if you are hungry as you will leave still hungry. Portions are tiny.

Lottie Robinson

A friend recommended that we try The Twisted Frenchman and he did not steer me wrong. We started out with fresh bread and real salted butter, followed by cocktails. For an appetizer I had the Roasted Tomato soup which was topped off with fresh caviar and a crisp bread. I ordered the duck for my entree, the flavor profile was outstanding. Best Duck ever. Desert, wow. Vanilla custard with blood orange frozen table side with liquid Nitrogen. Great Service, Great food, a gastronomic evening.

Peter Jay

Meh. We went for the first time last week during restaurant week in Pittsburgh and were quite underwhelmed. My wife's beets three ways was visually gorgeous, but bland and one note, and unfortunately the best thing we ate that evening. My appetizer of asparagus risotto was small, undercooked, and something I could have cooked at home. Our entrees (bouillabaisse and sirloin) were both over cooked, oversalted, and unpleasantly chewy. The $20 wine pairing was at most a 2 oz pour. Even for restaurant week (~$35 pp for 2 courses), we were disappointed in the value.

Dene Cassells

Fine dining at its best. We chose the four course tasting menu and wine pairings. None of our selections were the same, so together we were able to sample one half of the menu. Plating was beautifully done, and we both enjoyed our own and each other's food. Service was on par with the price

Martin Wijkstrom

Went here to celebrate my gorgeous wife's recent work success! We had the 6-course tasting menu with wine pairing. Interesting foods, exceptionally well-executed and balanced wine selections. One of the better dining options in the city. Very friendly staff and attentive service. Very convenient parking near their back door. Would definitely come here again for a special occasion. Foods included Japanese raw scallop, salt-egg-baked bronzini, fois gras, and chocolate souffle for dessert.

Michele Roper

Love this place innovative food and cocktails. Impressive wine selection and knowledgeable staff.

Rick S

Hands down one of the best meals I've ever had! Enjoyed 14 course pairing, no crtisisms at all!

Allen M

Amazing atmosphere and great food

Daniel Brashler

Amazing food artistry, great cocktails and wine.

Mahesh Varmap

Excellent.

Daniel McDermott

Highly recommended. Chef's tasting is the go to. Chef is a CIA graduate. Great experience.

Mohamad Nayal

Great food wonderful service

Darren Gailey

Had the tasting menu at the chefs table. Excellent food with generous portions for a tasting menu. Every dish was expertly crafted and delicious. Wait staff was tremendous.

Kareena Vazquez

The food and service were absolutely perfect great ambiance

Daniel Klein

Really creative 6 course Prix fixe menu. Very flavorful, with unusual combinations and exceptional presentation.

Coleman Knabe

This was hands down the best meal of my life. I had never had fois gras previously, but it was the single best dish I've ever tasted. The chef does an excellent job balancing the flavor and presentation of each course. I can't wait to come back!

Chandler Hosterman

The Twisted Frenchman is a full on dining experience like I have never known before. Each dish is thoughtfully crafted to the nth degree, you will absolutely note the difference in this quality of cuisine. I visited during restaurant week at a discounted rate and was blown away. I may never eat out anywhere else again, because I'd rather save my dining funds for The Twisted Frenchman.

Heather Gaines

For the full experience you should do the 8 course, at a minimum. The service is very attentive, knowledgeable, and personable. Cocktails are delicious with an eclectic variety. Each dish is thoughtfully prepared and AMAZING.

Luis Jones

A friend recommended that we try The Twisted Frenchman and he did not steer me wrong. We started out with fresh bread and real salted butter, followed by cocktails. For an appetizer I had the Roasted Tomato soup which was topped off with fresh caviar and a crisp bread. I ordered the duck for my entree, the flavor profile was outstanding. Best Duck ever. Desert, wow. Vanilla custard with blood orange frozen table side with liquid Nitrogen. Great Service, Great food, a gastronomic evening.

Michael Barton

Food is out of this world! Staff is even better!! Try Garbarino's downstairs the food and staff are excellent there as well....

Felipe Mikson

They have a personable and excellent staff who are always friendly and welcoming. Their atmosphere is that of a rustic yet modern cabin, and their food is the zenith of the experience. The wood-fired meats and vegetables are the perfect texture, and the restaurant has four options for sauces to pour on top of them. The delicious sauces suffuse impeccably with the meats and the vegetables, creating a harmony of flavors.

Dan Oliver

We did the chef's table with wine pairings and it was a great experience. We had 14 courses and wine was paired with all but two or three items. There were some rarer items in the list that brought a special feeling with it. All of the dishes were absolutely excellent and the wine paired well. The presentation of the dishes was also very good. We were not left sitting long between courses and the staff was very attentive and friendly. It is a smaller restaurant and kind of oddly the chef's table was just another table in the main dining area and we were not generally served by the chef which was a little disappointing. Another ding would be that not all the chairs matched, and for a three hour dinner ours were not very comfortable. Given the very high price of the chef's table I think these should be fixed or otherwise noted to guests when getting reservations.

Ash n

Went here for restaurant week, 3 course meal was awesome! Soup was very well flavours, the main or rouge poullet was great, and the soufle was perfect!

ping tepper

Every time is a new amazing experience.

Torin Mathews

I work there

Saagar Patel

Great cocktails at happy hour. Friendly staff. We go here regularly for drinks at the bar We've also done the 21 course tasting with wine pairing. One of the best pairings we've ever had, and an amazing experience.

Billy T

Very nice restaurant!, amazing service! Friendly staff! Went for our anniversary before going to see josh groban!

Ricky Mcdaniel

this place will surprise you. looking forward to a return trip. food and atmosphere reminds me of atlanta.

Nathan Boy

Great food with great presentation.

John Titus

Loved the food! An excellent "twist" on French cuisine.

Matt McHugh

We had a very positive experience at The Twisted Frenchman. Our group decided on the 8 course meal with the wine pairing. The food was creative, modern and delicious. Our waiter Brian was knowledgeable and friendly. If your looking for a high end French dining experience, I strongly recommend The Twisted Frenchman, its expensive but its worth it.

Edwin Yu

Was staying at the Ace around the corner. Saw their amazing reviews and decided to give the place a try. We picked the eight course meal to sample what this place has to offer. The ambience was nice and the servers were tentative. They started us off with the bread and it was good. The first course was the leek soup was wayy too thick and way too salty. It is like the thickness of Alfredo sauce and it was mediocre. Then next course was beets; not a fan. The third course is the fish cake; it was very ordinary and slightly over-seasoned. We were slightly disappointed at this point but still had high hopes since there’s more to come. The next course was the foie gras and it was good. The flavor was complex and it was done well. Then it just went down hill from there. The next course was some over cooked starch. The sixth course of shrimp and scallop has the most visually appeal. The shrimp was okay... it wasn’t the freshest, but was done properly. Then the scallop was a huge let down when I tasted ammonia. The scallop is clearly not fresh and I was just horrified that they would even serve that. You can literally smell the rancidness once I cut it open. I rarely have to stop chewing and spit out what was in my mouth. But I had to do it. Our waiter did a good job overall but he never once asked if the food was alright. It should’ve been a clue when we started leaving large chunks of our food uneaten. But not a word or inquiry into the food. The seventh course was the last course before dessert. The chicken was way over cooked and felt like it was something left out at the buffet line hours ago. It was dry and unappealing and the taste was also not good. You can even visualize the dryness from the picture. The chocolate soufflé wasn’t bad but it wasn’t good. Lastly, the horror came when we saw the bill. The chadonnay we ordered wasn’t that fancy... around 10-15 at the store and we expect them to charge maybe 30 or 40 max for it. They charged 60. I can understand a place charging outrageous prices but at a minimum, the good has got to be decent. This place failed to deliver that and the whole thing was like a slap in the face.

Katie VanMeter

Absolutely delicious! Staff is very accommodating with dietary needs as well. Restaurant has wonderful ambience and is great for a special date night. This resturant is expensive, but definitely worth it if you can afford it. You can park along the street unless you wish to valet park. Free along the street parking after 6pm.

Isnemm

There were some issues in the execution. The guy replacing the service was constantly removing items that were needed like the glass of wine and adding soup spoons when we never ask for it. Second course with foie gras was the worst ever. They destroyed such a great ingrediente with a greasy bread and tons of balsamic. Dont order it. Price is high, service is regular, dishes not that great or french. Wine list is AMAZING!!

L Laskow

Had three course prix fixe. Each dish delicious with beautiful presentation. The venison with the creamed Brussels sprouts was tender and oh so tasty. Modest portions, but perfectly appropriate for such an exquisite experience.

Amber Benjamin

We dined at the chef's table & the experience was like no other. For a moment we felt like we were in New York and not little Pittsburgh. I will go over the pros & cons. Pros: *You are right in the kitchen at a small table that let's you take in what it's like on the front lines of a prime dining experience. *21 courses of pure heaven. All prepared in front of you and each course is explained in detail of what you are sampling. The presentation was amazing and not one disappointed in flavor. I won't go over what was made due to the seasonality of what gets prepared as you won't get the exact same selections as we did. *Chef Cody & his team communucated so well there were little to no errors that we noticed. Our meals were preapared as they were preparing the rest of the dining rooms entrees. *COME HUNGRY!!! It was really tough to finish everything but we gave it our best effort. Don't plan on much more to do after going aside from rubbing each others bellies. Cons: Part of your experience truly depends on what seat you get. The birthday boy had the better seat which I was happy with. He had full view of the kitchen, pastry chef & prep table. My view was limited to the kichen & dish washer. You get what you pay for! $225 per person is a lot so you should only splurge on special occassions. If you want to add on wine pairings that's an additional $125 per person. We opted to bring our own Moët Champagne & they didn't charge us a corking fee.

Martin Weiss

Delicious food and an extremely knowledgeable staff. Great place for a special occasion