Review: Resto L’Antoinette offers traditional French cuisine in Milton

You can order coq au vin, a French classic, at Milton's Resto L'Antoinette. (Courtesy of Resto L'Antoinette)

Credit: Resto L'Antoinette

Credit: Resto L'Antoinette

You can order coq au vin, a French classic, at Milton's Resto L'Antoinette. (Courtesy of Resto L'Antoinette)

I never thought I’d be so happy to see a crumb scraper.

The humble implement, which seems to be considered a museum piece these days, still is in use at Resto L’Antoinette in Milton. It’s comforting to have the new French-American bistro’s servers expertly clear the evidence of your baguette demolition from their crisp, white tablecloths.

Resto L'Antoinette in Milton offers a romantic atmosphere as well as French cuisine. (Courtesy of Resto L'Antoinette)

Credit: Freddy Rozen

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Credit: Freddy Rozen

In many ways, Resto L’Antoinette is a throwback, from its focus on French cuisine to its romantic atmosphere. Owners Leonardo Moura and Jaime Adams said they wanted the restaurant to be a place diners can relax and linger.

The bistro is a pivot from the New Orleans-themed Lagarde, their original plan for the space in the Crabapple Market development. Adams and Moura chose to go in a new direction to differentiate their restaurant from others in the area.

Resto L’Antoinette succeeds in many important ways, even as it struggles to get attention from the neighborhood. But Executive Chef Jeffrey Gomez has experience at neighborhood dining; he spent 17 years in the kitchen at Anis Bistro in Atlanta’s Piedmont Heights area, Moura said. Also, his wealth of French cooking experience is apparent in some of the dishes.

Sole façon colbert might be the best dish on Resto L'Antoinette's menu. (Courtesy of Resto L'Antoinette)

Credit: Resto L'Antoinette

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Credit: Resto L'Antoinette

The best dish on the menu may be the sole façon colbert. The delicately fried Dover sole showcased the chef’s technique, with an old-school deboning that left the spine curling artfully out of the tender white filet.

The kitchen’s deft touch with seafood continued with a special of perfectly seared scallops over a vanilla bean corn pudding. While the vanilla flavor might have been a touch overdone, the plump scallops were beyond reproach. And there were four shellfish on the plate, an amount actually suitable for an entree.

However, despite its impressive technique, it sometimes felt like the kitchen was in too much of a rush. Moura said it was important to their team that they serve diners soon after they have ordered, but the pace can affect service negatively.

On one visit, our server offered to take our full dinner order and course it out for our table of two. Along with our individual entrees, my wife and I shared a half-dozen raw oysters, a wonderful tomato salad and the house specialty, an onion consommé.

The consommé a l'oignon Français is poured tableside at Resto L'Antoinette in Milton. (Courtesy of Resto L'Antoinette)

Credit: Resto L'Antoinette

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Credit: Resto L'Antoinette

With proper coursing, the cold hors d’oeuvres should have been served first, followed by the steaming-hot soup (which is poured tableside), and then the entrees. Instead, all three appetizers came out startlingly fast, crowding our small table and transforming the soup into a distraction. The richly flavored consommé, poured over gruyere and brioche toast, was splattered clumsily and left to cool as we worked on the oysters and salad.

Our other service issue came at the end of our meals. On each of our visits (with different servers) we were brought an incorrect dessert item. The servers do not take notes when they record your order, and the same mistake was made twice.

Otherwise, the servers were well-trained on the menu and wine list and able to make good recommendations. They also kept our water glasses filled.

House-made vanilla soft-serve ice cream is served at Resto L'Antoinette with a shaving of white, milk or dark chocolate. (Courtesy of Resto L'Antoinette)

Credit: Courtesy of Rest L'Antoinette

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Credit: Courtesy of Rest L'Antoinette

Ultimately, Resto L’Antoinette is a bit unfinished and needs the support of its community if it’s going to succeed. Some of its rough patches likely would be smoothed out if more diners were patronizing the restaurant, providing the servers with additional experience and the kitchen with a steadier stream of orders.

Is there a market in Milton for a quiet, traditionally French date-night spot? The team at Resto L’Antoinette is trying hard to make it work.


RESTO L’ANTOINETTE

2 out of 4 stars (very good)

Food: French-American bistro

Service: generally good, but a bit inexperienced

Noise level: low

Recommended dishes: confite de canard, fritto misto sel et poivre, sauman cuit a l’armagnac, consommé a l’oignon Français, salade de tomates au basilic, sole façon colbert, coq au vin, bread service

Vegetarian dishes: salade d’endives, salade de tomates au basilic, gnocchi poivron, pommes frites, eggplant caponata

Alcohol: full bar with many French wines by the glass

Price range: $75 or less per person, excluding drinks, tax and gratuity

Hours: 5:30-9 p.m. Tuesdays-Thursdays, 5-9 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays

Accessibility: fully ADA-compliant, with ground-floor access

Parking: free lot

Nearest MARTA station: none

Reservations: yes

Outdoor dining: yes

Takeout: no

Address, phone: 1935 Heritage Walk, Milton. 770-797-5074

Website: restolantoinette.com

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s dining critics conduct reviews anonymously. Reservations are not made in their name, nor do they provide restaurants with advance notice about their visits. Our critics always make multiple visits, sample the full range of the menu and pay for all of their meals. AJC dining critics wait at least one month after a new restaurant has opened before visiting.

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