Left Bank - Vail

This is our 5th trip to Vail. Never had tried Left Bank. It has moved to one of my top picks here. From appetizers to desserts, just outstanding food service—wo... read more This is our 5th trip to Vail. Never had tried Left Bank. It has moved to one of my top picks here. From appetizers to desserts, just outstanding food service—worth the money.

We've visited Left Bank multiple times, but tonight's experience was quite disappointing. They seated a group that was too large, which made it difficult to mov... read more We've visited Left Bank multiple times, but tonight's experience was quite disappointing. They seated a group that was too large, which made it difficult to move around the restaurant. Our table was situated right in the middle of the room, adjacent to this oversized table. At one point, the hostess actually asked one of our guests to get up and move so she could seat another party instead of directing them elsewhere. Things only went downhill from that moment. To top it off, after rushing us through the meal at every turn, they added a 20% mandatory gratuity to our $800 bill for a party of four, all without my approval. I felt embarrassed by how we were treated and overwhelmed by the sense of being taken advantage of.

We have had a ski home in Vail for 30 years and have eaten everywhere in Vail including Left Bank many times over the years. Last nights meal was the best we've... read more We have had a ski home in Vail for 30 years and have eaten everywhere in Vail including Left Bank many times over the years. Last nights meal was the best we've had this winter anywhere. Everything was great!

We were a table of two enjoying the elegance and ambiance of this establishment. We even helped our server laugh off her mistake of asking us how we wanted our... read more We were a table of two enjoying the elegance and ambiance of this establishment. We even helped our server laugh off her mistake of asking us how we wanted our Beef Tartar prepared. The food was good. The portions were more than we expected/needed, and there was an overabundance of heavy sauces with our entrées, but we figured that is to be expected in high end French dining. Sadly, our dining experience and service quickly crumbled. A large, loud, obnoxious group took over the entire dining room. They invaded our personal space to take photos and videos. Women's butts were literally next to my face, I am sure I ended up on their Instagram post! They spanned 3 tables with our two top in the center. They yelled across us to each other as if we were not even there. It was appalling. What was more appalling is not only could The Left Bank servers and management not control this group they actually gave all their attention to this group. Essentially encouraging the abhorrent behavior. We were forgotten. We waited ~30 minutes for the remainder of our meal to be served. We then had to wait 10+ minutes for our check wine glasses empty. When asked, by the manager, if we enjoyed our meal we explained our disappointment in how our service plummeted. We got a lame excuse of it being a busy night. Not true, there were several other empty tables in the house. If you can't handle this capacity, then how can you possibly handle a full house? Dear The Left Bank, you are not responsible for people who do not know how to behave in public, but you are responsible for customer service. You must not provide service based on group size. The per/person ratio of money spent is equivalent. In fact our ratio was likely larger given our 100% drinking age and the larger group was 75% underage. Shame on you, your customer service is subpar and unacceptable at this price point. We visit Vail each year. Sadly, we don't think The Left Bank will be included in any of our future visits.

What an outstanding fine dining experience! Everyone was warm and welcoming when we arrived and the bartender served up my favorite drink with a French twist a... read more What an outstanding fine dining experience! Everyone was warm and welcoming when we arrived and the bartender served up my favorite drink with a French twist a French Manhattan which I had never had before. It was excellent! We sat in the dining room at a table near the window with the most beautiful views. I ordered the Duck Confit and my husband ordered the Steak au Poivre. The duck was wrapped in a light filo dough and served with a delicious reduction sauce and potato purée. Everything had so much flavor. The steak was cooked to perfection and was also served with cognac cream sauce that my husband wanted to put on everything! Our entrées were followed by one of their famous chocolate soufflés with cream anglaise. Fantastic. The servers and sommelier were friendly and knowledgeable and readily available for any questions we had. A truly unique and authentic French dining experience. We cannot wait to dine again!