Took my girlfriend here for a date night. Had the menu sample chef's choice. The food beyond amazing. The prime rib fell apart in my mouth. Everything I tried had it's own flavor and unique tastes. The wait staff was amazing as well. The waiter was very knowledgeable and answered every question that we had, and was very understanding as we both have troubling hearing. Definitely will return in the future!!
It’s always a treat to eat at Cafe DuPont . An ever changing menu and knowledgeable staff make this establishment a must for fine dinning in the Magic City.
Best place to go for a great dinner with your loved ones. Nearly everything is farm to table fresh and you can taste it in every delicious bite. Support local farmers and our very own Cafe DuPont.
We had the 5 course tasting menu, chef's choice. Two hours of one of the finest culinary displays I've had the joy of witnessing. The smoked, grilled ribeye stood out, but only slightly. It was all wonderful.
Awesome dinner and fabulous service. Our server Alex made our birthday dinner special, and our food was outstanding. We had the best flan and oysters appetizers, followed by amazing short ribs and scallops. Delicious!
My wife and I enjoyed our anniversary dinner here and it did not disappoint. The service was top notch and the food was quite excellent. A fine dining experience like none other in the heart of downtown.
Four of us had the 7 course chef's choice dinner. Everything was amazing, but the braised short rib and foie gras torchon were especially delicious. The staff did a great job with wine pairing. The experience made for a great night.
Always a wonderful experience! I've never had a bad meal here. Definitely one of Birmingham's best (and consistently my personal favorite). This is the first place I tell visitors from out of town to try. You will not be disappointed.
Excellent menu. Excellent parings will all local produce. I highly recommend!
Food was excellent. Would definitely recommend this for dinner. Need to be prepared to spend the evening though.
Kimberly Williams Tanner
+5
If you want a nice restaurant to celebrate a birthday, anniversary or friendship, give Cafe dupont a try. The food is flavorful and prepared with lots of Love. The wait staff is also phenomenal and knowledgeable of what they serve! This was a fabulous dining experience!
My husband and I dine here for special occasions. We've gone to this restaurant since it began in Springville in 1994 and we've never been disappointed. I absolutely love the atmosphere and decor of this restaurant. The staff is warm and friendly. Everything from the cocktails to dessert is wonderful. We ate here twice in the last 2 months and both times our server was Sarah. She is so knowledgeable about both food and beverage and very attentive as well.
The prime rib medium it was very good. My family had the buttermilk chicken also very good. I do believe it's over priced but it was a good meal.
Outstanding service outstanding food. Ate at bar didn't get there till 9:30 had been at the hospital all day and needed a cocktail and a bite to eat had the house made charcuterie board and a salad
This place makes you feel like you are in one of the big cities: A fancy restaurant in the middle of a construction zone. The atmosphere and venue were very very plain but they make up for it with the food. Mostly for elderly or business occasions i would say.
Absolutely wonderful experience and meal! The service was great the entire night and the waiter was very knowledgeable about the dishes and wine. He suggested the strawberry salad as an appetizer, which included sweet strawberries, candied pecans, crisp lettuce, and blue cheese. Wonderful combination of flavors! For dinner, I had the Manchester Farms quail, which was stuffed with cornbread and shrimp. So delicious!! Served on top of Swiss chard and included sweet potato fries. For dessert, the waiter recommended the dark chocolate terrine, to pair with the Pinot noir that went with the dinner. The dessert was a dark chocolate pudding, with raspberries and a Bailey's foam. It may have been one of the best desserts I've ever had! Also had the opportunity to meet Chris Dupont, the chef and owner. Extremely nice and thoroughly enjoyed talking to him. This was by far one of the best dining experiences I've ever had!
We recently had a lovely meal at Cafe Dupont. I was with a party of 8, so quite large and they sat us in the bar area. My only complaint was that it was too quiet when we walked in and absolutely freezing cold! But otherwise, everything from the service to the food was amazing.
We started with two of the full cheese plates that came with some greatcharred bread pieces; we had to get more of those! I had the tomato salad and burrata as an app which was very tasty. Perfectly ripe tomatoes, some of the best burrata I have had and a balsamic drizzle. I also sampled the watermelon salad which was very flavorful. For dinner I had the short rib that was beautifully tender and accompanied by a pan sauce that really made the dish. The truffle potato souffle was a very good companion. The entrees I sampled included the scallops - amazing - and ribeye - also good, but I am not a huge ribeye fan. I would certainly recommend to friends for a nice night out.
One of my favorite things was that everything was explained in detail when you received your dish.
Totally worth the price. The best lamb I have every tried was at cafe DuPont. Service and food are great. They have an option for you to order a multi course meal that the chef picks for you. I highly recommend trying this option. You'll find yourself trying and liking things you wouldn't try or like before. There was only one dish I did not care for and that was the pork belly with succotash. But even that was still good - just not as good in comparison to the rest. This is definitely worth a try. And I encourage you to be adventuresome and let the chef decide.
My husband and I visited Cafe Dupont for the first time last night, and had a wonderful evening. The staff, to a person, were friendly without being overly familiar; the restaurant was elegant and truly beautiful (I was won over immediately upon seeing the William Morris-esque wallpaper in the bar); and the food was superb. We started with the fried oysters and okra, which were light, crispy, and perfectly golden. My husband had the rainbow trout over grits with tomato-caper marmalade. The fish was also perfectly fried and the grits were so creamy they hardly qualified as the lowly grit. His only suggestion was to add more capers to the marmalade. I had the duck breast. I usually don't like duck, but ordered it based on our server's (Jonathan) recommendation. Although he brought me a steak knife, the duck was so perfectly cooked that I could cut it with my fork. I absolutely loved it, as did my husband. We finished off the meal with coffee and the chocolate tart. The tart was excellent, but I have to say the coffee was even better. If you like espresso, don't skip theirs. All in all a fabulous evening.
Good..................... Have eaten at this place around three times and I love it. Here's to Pork Belly mmmmmm. Atmosphere is great and food is fantastic.
We decided to try here after they had catered a large event in homewood(and the food was all the rave). We found the building and overall ambiance quit appealing. Our servers were friendly,attentive and very helpful. Both our appetizers were excellent. For our entree I had the rabbit which was delectable and my wife had the steak which was also excellent. For desert I had the blackberry tart which has to be one of the tastiest things I have ever had. Overall a wonderful dining experience and we look forward to coming back soon
My girlfriend brought me to Cafe DuPont for my birthday. The food was excellent. The server was very friendly and helpful. The only complaint I had was how slow the bartender was getting a bottled beer out of the cooler. I ordered two at one time because the first one was so slow. He acted a little snooty, like "how lowly, he drinks beer?" "Ha, he'll have to wait for me to pour these cognac & brandys for the Senator & his mistress"
Excellent service, fabulous food and great atmosphere.. Well I am almost embarrassed to say that I had not been to Cafe DuPont since it moved from Springville. No particular reason for it and I enjoyed it when it was in Springville. My wife and I remedied that last Friday. We tend to be bar diners rather than table diners if it is just the two of us. We walked into a wood paneled, marbled bar top, old world type of decor bar and at least that night it was very quiet and bar area was about half full. The dining room was pretty filled up. Because there is a door to the dining room that cut the noise down in the bar. Perry was the bartender waiting on us and 15 seconds after sitting down he was there to greet us and ask us what we would like. He was excellent from start to finish and his love of wine was obvious. He steered us correctly on a bottle of Roventos i Blanc cava and later a glass of Brella, an Oregon Pinot Noir and I am not usually a Pinot Noir drinker. I ordered the fried oysters and okra as an appetizer. It was simply delicious without a hint of being greasy with a nice cornmeal crust. My wife ordered a beet salad which she loves and said it was excellent. For dinner she ordered the pan seared sea scallops with grilled asparagus. She is a recent fan of scallops so it must be prepared correctly for her to enjoy them. Well she raved about them. I went with the pork belly and pork tenderloin with sweet potato purée with braised greens. It is one of the better pork dishes I have ever had. Very tender, cooked just right with a humorous large pork cracklin on top. The veggies were spot on as well. It is nice to visit a restaurant where you are saying to each other repeatedly while there what a great place it is. We dine a good bit at places where the noise level is right up there (Bottega Cafe and El Barrio) to name a few and while we enjoy those places and that vibe, we simply loved the low volume, excellent service, old world vibe of Cafe DuPont. We will be back. Often.
Wonderful Food. Always a top pick in our house. Whether it's a holiday dinner for 30 employees or a quiet meal out for 2, Chris Dupont always delivers. The food is really delicious. I'm constantly amazed that he isn't considered to be on a par with Frank Stitt. The food here is really, really good.
Fr.John Trigilio Jr.
+4.5
Excellent food and superb service, in fact both are the BEST of Baltimore
The staff is friendly & courteous. The food is excellent. 1000 stars is what i would like to give. I loved it. The chef loves what he does and it's obvious the moment you take your first bite. I would love to try their 5 course and 7 course Meal sometime.
And He created cows. And it was good.. I recently had two meals at Café DuPont: lunch on a Wednesday and dinner a week later on a Friday night. On Wednesday a couple of us doubled up on appetizers for our meals. I had the pork belly and the watermelon salad. Diner #1 had the same salad and the fried oysters/fried okra and Diner #2 had the Farmer’s Harvest Vegetable plate. I was disappointed with both my dishes. The pork belly was too lean and too dry. Flavor-wise it tasted more like loin than belly. The watermelon salad wasn’t anything special, just a slice of watermelon and some greens. I much prefer the watermelon salad at Veranda or even at Moe’s Original Barbecue. Diner #1 was also unimpressed with the watermelon salad but she said the fried oysters (especially the sauce) were probably the best she’s ever had. The batter was excellent. Not too heavy and cooked to perfection. Diner #2 enjoyed her veggies (fried green tomatoes, fingerling potatoes, fried okra, Brussels sprouts, marinated cherry tomatoes, fresh field peas and asparagus) but they were bare—no sauce. The asparagus was the best she’d ever had, but again, some sauce would have made it even better. She did say she felt like she was at a Fat Farm since the portions were so small. The food was good, but not fulfilling and she was still hungry after lunch.
Dinner is a whole different story. I stayed away from the pork belly and ordered the tomato salad and it was wonderful. I ate every last bite. Diner #1 also had a salad and Diner#2 ordered the fried oysters that were such a hit at lunch earlier. Diner #1 had the oysters/okra for her entrée and loved them just as much as the first time she ate them. Diner #2 had the braised short ribs which were very good. I ordered the smoked ribeye steak. I now state for the record and without equivocation that is the best tasting steak I have ever eaten in my entire life.
To be honest the service was slow. When we flagged down passing waiters to ask for refills or salt or butter the requests were handled promptly but the thing is, we had to flag down passing waiters to ask for refills or salt or butter. Our waiter rarely stopped by to check on us. The desserts were tasty but they must have been running short on the creme brulee ingredients. The creme brulee brought to our table was all of 2 centimeters deep. There was maybe 3 tablespoons of dessert in the dish which works out to three dollars per spoonful.
But none of that matters, at least not to me. I will probably still eat steaks at other restaurants and some of them will be good, but I will never truly enjoy them, knowing what steaks I could be eating at Café DuPont. I couldn’t care less about inferior pork belly or watermelon salads. If service isn't as prompt as I'd like it I can flag down passing waiters. I don't eat desserts all that much anyway. As long as that steak is on the menu they can do no wrong in my book. (And if you’re the fried oyster eating type, you’ll probably want to check those out, too.)
What a wonderful hidden secret in my city that I had no idea about. I took a chance for our anniversary and was very pleasantly surprised. The atmosphere was very romantic and reminiscent of New Orleans, the food was amazing, and the staff was excellent. The Foie gras and beignets are a must!
Excellent Restaurant. My wife and I dined at Cafe Dupont this past weekend for the first time. We were feeling adventurous so we opted for the five course dinner with the chef selecting the courses. The food was excellent as was the wine. The dessert tray we had included some beignets that were every bit as good as any we have had in New Orleans. Our lead server, Caroline, was fantastic as were all of the other servers supporting her. The parking attendants were also very nice. We highly recommend Cafe Dupont.
Whether it be for a cocktail or for a full dining experience, Cafe DuPont is first in its class and always the highlight of our time in Birmingham. I definately recommend trying the Central City Sidecar cocktail.
Great Restaurant. I have been several times for lunch and dinner, and have only been disappointed one time. The fried chicken at lunch is fantastic, and it is hard to order anything else. All the fish is fantastic, as are the short ribs. The only thing that has let me down is the duck -- it had very, very little flavor.
Fantastic food, great service. Would recommend to anyone. Fried green tomatoes with seafood remolaude were epic. On top of that just a pleasant atmosphere we had reservations but still had to wait 30 minutes. The wait wasn't unpleasant though as they have a great bar. Not only a large wine selection but beer selection too. Highly recommend the smoked beer they have out of the Netherlands called Emelisse Rauchbier.
Best dessert in Birmingham. Or close.
Ate there a few months ago. Had the scamp, the scallops, poutine, sweetbreads. Only thing not outstanding were the sweetbreads. Being cornmeal crusted I thought took away from the texture, which with sweetbreads is what is so interesting.
First time with poutine. New, different but not wild. Probably not very authentic, but awful tasty. Cocktails were good.
The dessert we had was the banana bread pudding with a caramel sauce and a praline ice cream I think. I love bread pudding more than my wife. This was easily the best I've had.
Honestly, it's a shame we didn't go here more often.
Amazing Seven Course Meal. I had the pleasure of dining at Cafe Dupont in October, and enjoyed the seven course meal. I got to choose all of my entrees and courses. The courses were more than generous sized.
Having dined at the likes of Le Bernardin and Daniel NYC, the tasting menu at Cafe Dupont offered a much more filling experience, albeit not quite the same standard. For the most part I thoroughly enjoyed every course. We ordered five deserts to sample each one, and they were all beautifully executed and delicious.
The ambiance is a bit plain, and feels a little trapped in the one room. Perhaps some color would brighten it up.
Besides the overly-critical aspects, one of the best meals i have had in Birmingham.
The best of New Orleans in Bham. A buddy and I had a 5 star meal after a college homecoming game this past weekend. The service was excellent and prompt. The food was out of this world fantastic. I noticed a bit to late that they offer a 5 or 7 course meal where you can sample up to any 7 items on the menu, and next time that's for me. Too many great selections to choose from otherwise.
Rehearsal dinner surprise. I have eaten at Cafe Dupont several times and had never had a bad meal. I was very impressed when I had my rehearsal dinner there. Sometimes even the best restaurants have a hard time making a large set meal up to their regular standard, but not here. The meal was perfect, and the service was top notch. I highly recommend for any party.
Absolutely the Best!. My husband and I had dinner there last night and we both have to say it is the BEST food we have ever had. My trout was incredible. He loved his ribeye. The food was so fresh too! Atmosphere was very nice for an intimate dinner and service was great. But back to the food...It was outstanding!
No Frills Eating. It is refreshing to visit a fine dining restaurant today that does not dwell in the realm of overpowering pretentiousness. Cafe Dupont is one of the few places that stays true to the meaning of going out to eat. The dining room is elegant which is only accented by the the white marble-topped bar. Elegant is honestly the best word to describe Cafe Dupont. The menu... The menu is fantastic and changes daily. With items ranging from seared foie gras to braised short ribs. No matter what you pick to indulge in, you are going to receive a dish that is crafted with love and, most importantly, flavor. There are no foams, frills or Gastronomy; just food that will warm and fill your soul. Hats off to you Cafe Dupont, a gem in Birmingham's fine dining.
All in all my favorite restaurant in Birmingham
My husband and I regularly go to Cafe Dupont. Owner/Chef Chris Dupont has done a fabulous job with the restaurant. I think at one time or another we have tried everything on the menu. My favorite is the braised short ribs. I had the same thing at another local restaurant and paid more. The portions were also much smaller.
Don't forget about the bar. The bartender is Angela and she can make one mean drink. Lots of folks get orange martinis. My husband is partial to her whiskey sours. You can also eat at the bar if you want to stay in that atmosphere.
On the weekends you should get reservations although I have never seen them turn anyone away.
A very pleasant surprise.. Birmingham is always full of surprises, but for some reason I had little expectation for Cafe DuPont. But man oh man, was I impressed!
We had a party of 6 and that is always difficult, but you need to know right off the bat that the service was excellent, just superb. The menu, however, is not what you would call mainstream at all, especially not for Birmingham. Don't mean that as an insult, but this place is far superior to any other high end restaurant I have eaten in the city.
We were a little tentative when we saw the menu, items like ox tails and pork cheeks is not what we expected, in fact the only thing I recognize on the menu posted here are the oysters and ahi. Both were very very good. the oysters in particular were perfectly breaded and fried, and had a very light flavor. The rest of us all had something different for entrees but the girls had the Skate and I must say it was the best seafood dish I have ever had.... anywhere in the world, and I have been all over. It was that good.
Now, there are no bargains on the menu but for the quality and creativity, and the service I have to give Cafe DuPont a 10/10, and thats rare. The family and I have already agreed we're coming back on our next trip to the city. Thank you for a wonderful experience.
Favorite restaurant. This is my favorite restaurant in Birmingham!! I am actually having my rehearsal dinner here! Great food and wonderful variety on the constantly changing menu! Can't say enough good things!
Fantastic, well done.... You have to give this place a try... you will not be disappointed. The food is delicious and cooked to perfection. Even though it's pricey (up there with Highlands, Botega, and Hot&Hot), the portions are well sized. One of my favorites in town, for sure.
Delish. My husband and I finally decided to try Café Dupont this past Friday and were very impressed with what they had to offer. I guess this should have been expected because when we tried to make reservations on Tuesday, they were almost completely booked up.
We started out with two cocktails: I chose the Orange Martini, which was fabulous and my husband chose a cocktail that had absinthe in it (can't remember the name and the cocktail menu isn't listed on their website. For our appetizer, we chose their "famous" Fried Oysters & Okra w/ Cayenne Butter, Horseradish Crème Fraiche and Soy Glaze. The oysters and okra were cooked to perfection, although a little heavy on the salt. The salt wasn't overkill, as we decided it was probably just a dish that was mistakenly salted twice. We would definitely still order the dish again.
For our main course, I chose the Braised Short Ribs that was served with some sort of Parmesan Popover (??) and asparagus. The short ribs were scrumptious and the glaze that they were sitting on was to die for. Silky perfection. My husband chose their Duck Breast that was served with red cabbage. Again - perfection on a plate. I don't know which one I will choose when I go back. Although, I may try a seafood dish - maybe the scallops.
We typically do not order dessert, but was craving something sweet with coffee. We chose to split the Bananas Foster with Banana Chiffon Cake and Praline Ice Cream. I wasn't nuts about the cake, but the bananas & sauce with the ice cream were blissful; a perfect ending to our meal.
Their online menu is from 2007, so it definitely needs to be updated as there has been several changes. Portions are plentiful and flavor is remarkable. Our server, C-Lo, was awesome! When we go back, we'll probably be asking to dine in her section.
A+ for Cafe Dupont!
One of my favourite restaurants in town. Interesting, innovative menu with local and/or organic ingredients. Professional young wait staff. Good wine list. The food itself is excellent.
Mixed feelings. The food is fantastic, the price, a bit high for this middle-class consumer. Hard to get out the door for under $20 a head at lunch, easy $50 per at supper with no alcohol. Love eating lunch here when on business account, not so much from my personal pocket. I love to split dishes and ran into a bit of a snafu once when they tried to hit me with a $4 split dish fee. I never understand a restaurant trying to do that. They happily took it off the bill, just did not dig having to have the conversation. If money is not an issue, by all means, try this joint with a nice NOLA, southern soul food influence.
The bar side. I recently tried to get reservations at Cafe Dupont, but was unable to get a table in the main dining room for the time that I wanted. The host suggested the bar side, which I was unfamiliar with. I agreed and was pleasantly surprised to find the bar almost a quieter version of the main dining. I loved hearing the story of the old tile floor and the white marble with dark wood were so beautiful. The menu is the same on both sides so we were able to enjoy the same great meals. I had seen the bar before, but never really thought about sitting in it for dinner. We had a wonderful evening, of course! In the future, I might request the bar because it seems that on Friday and Saturday nights the noise in the main dining room at 7pm can be loud.
Highly Recommend. My wife asked me to write a review since she and I both are big fans of Cafe Dupont. Here's what we like about it... a staff well-educated on the food and wine. While I'm a foodie, I admit I don't know much about wine and am always grateful for a good server who can guide me in making a selection that perfectly compliments my dinner. Another like... sidebar. It's their Wednesday night special and since both my wife and I work downtown, we can easily meet up for a few cocktails and appetizers before headed home. This is our go-to spot for anniversaries and date nights. A reservation is a good idea. I highly recommend this restaurant.
Marleen S. Marmillion
+4.5
A New Orleanian's view.. On Novemeber 12, a group of eight ladies traveled by train to Birmingham to dine at Cafe Dupont. The experience was incomparable. The food was superb, and served in such a wonderful atmosphere. Every one of us cleaned our plates. It rivals the best of New Orleans! We can't wait to return for another enjoyable feast.
Top of the Line. Cafe Dupont is well worth it. This is what I like: white tableclothes, nice stemware, with great food and service. Generous pours on the wine by the glass. Quiet, warm atmosphere, with no need to shout to be heard, unlike some of our other better restaurants. I've never had a bad meal at a Dupont restaurant. The halibut was wonderful. We rarely order dessert, but we shared the bananas Foster with praline gelato. Wow - was that good! My husband and I wll be regulars here, as going further out Highway 280 to yet another chain restaurant isn't our idea of dining out. The bar feels like a good city bar and had great serve yourself complimentary bar food. Valet service is quick and friendly.
Best Food in Birmingham. We moved here from Florida over 4 years ago - a friend wrote a list of rest. to try.. We have eaten our way around Birmingham and the one we enjoy the most is Cafe DuPont by far. We have eaten there at least 20plus times and every meal is wonderful - it could not have been better. The menu is very creative and the food is prepared to perfection. The waiters are helpful and very knowledgeable. We have taken many out of town guest and no one has had anything but a perfect meal that they loved> A REAL A++++++++++
CAFE DUPONT. This is a wonderful restaurant. My husband and I have eaten there several times for dinner -- on the weekend and on week nights -- in the main dining room and at the bar.
We have never had a bad meal and the servers are wonderful.
Yummy!. Love the ambiance.
My husband suggested I try the 5 course tasting menu. Great idea.
I especially loved the shrimp with fried okra (sauce fantastic) , the yellow watermelon salad with Elkmont Alabama's great Belle Chevre, mushroom flan and the Bananas Foster.
Love the slow food touch here.
Can't miss!
Always good!. I took my wife to Café Dupont to celebrate our anniversary this past weekend, and we were both reminded what a gem B-ham has in this restaurant. To start, I had the fried green tomatoes with marinated crab claws (it was difficult to not order the Fried Okra and oysters but I wanted to try something new) The tomatoes were crisp on the outside and still very plump and juicy and the crab was a perfect compliment to the acidity in the tomato. My wife had the duck trio and it was also outstanding, with the smoked duck breast stealing the show.
For our entrees, I had the pork tenderloin w/ grilled apples and a white truffle croquet, and again it was a real home run. The pork was cooked a perfect medium, and the grilled apples were a nice compliment but the croquet really pulled the dish together. She had the filet w/ grilled shrimp on a bed of fresh veggies w/ two of the best tasting fried onions I have ever sampled, on top.
In a crowded B-ham culinary scene, restaurants on the northside tend to get over-looked, this is a shame. Our meal Friday night reminded us that, Café Dupont is one of the best that the city has to offer.
Wonderful Bday!. I was treated to dinner last year for my birthday and had never been to Cafe Dupont! It was one of the best meals I've ever had! A true gastronomical experience ;)
We started with the Artisan Cheese and Charcuterie Plate, and I literaly moaned out load it was so good! :)
Then I ventured out of my normal choices and had the roasted quail! Again it was fabulous!!!!! I let no edible morsels on my plate! We finished with a wonderful version of bananas Foster. The whole meal wsa more than I imagined and the ambiance and wait staff were great! I am definitely going back!
Try the Fried Chicken.... We've been to Cafe Dupont twice and completely enjoyed each time. I was blown away by their salmon over rice and diced vegetables, definitely the best fish I've had in downtown Birmingham. When we went to lunch last week, I tried the fried chicken, not realizing that it is a famous Cafe Dupont staple. Absolutely amazing-- I will be back again for this dish.
On another note, make sure to join the e-mail list. I was informed yesterday that when you get on the list, you receive complimentary birthday dinners. My husband and I have been more than happy with both our Cafe Dupont experiences and plan on returning as soon as we can!
Best.... Scallops I've had to date!
I'm vegan and let them know when I made the reservations. Absolutely fabulous!
Great fried oysters and okra with buerre blanc. Not a meat and three place for soul food but a thoughtful intrtpetation on Low Counrty and Creole food.
President. To show our appreciation to our wonderful staff, we recently enterained all employees and spouses with dinner at Cafe Dupont. I can tell you that the entire experience was a delight! We had every appetizer on the menu and most every dish that was being offered that evening. I was amazed at how timely and well coordinated our meal was (we had 17 in our party). The desserts were just as good as the meal and had everyone leaving with a smile.
I would definitely recomend Cafe Dupont as a prime spot for business entertaining. --- First class environment, world class cuisine, and Southern Hospitality at its best!
Jennifer Smith Kilburn
+4.5
Perfect Friday Night. My husband and I treated ourselves to dinner at Cafe Depont this past Friday evening. This is my favorite restaurant whether sharing lunch with friends, enjoying a quiet dinner alone or, best yet, having an end-of-the-week dinner with my guy.
It was with several friends that I first experienced Chris Dupont's creative use of southern ingredients with a New Orleans menu. In the mid-1990s our once-a-week dinner group sometimes drove to Springville for culinary rapture. It is so much easier to enjoy that rapture now that Chris and Cafe Dupont are in downtown Birmingham.
This past Friday, the food was exquisite as usual. I had the ahi tuna appetizer while Ray had marinated crab claws with fried green tomatoes. We ordered a glass of Mer Soleil 06 chardonnay to go with appetizers, then decided it would go well with our entrees and ordered a bottle. Our server, Rusty, was friendly and attentive without being obsequious - a rare talent.
Ray had roasted quail and duck over sweet potato something. Both were excellent but the quail was especially wonderful. I had a pork chop over red cabbage and Alabama goat cheese.
There is something about Cafe Dupont that is so relaxing and comfortable. We have eaten at many great restaurants but somehow the atmosphere at Cafe Dupont is both relaxing and pampering. The food is fabulous, of course. Chris Dupont uses organically grown local vegetables of the season, adds a touch of The South and of New Orleans and creates food as art. How he and his staff manage to create an intimate dining experience along with those perfect menus is something of a mystery to me. But I enjoy everything about this restaurant.
Excellent dinner on the North side. My girlfriend and I went here for the first time a few nights ago and were thrilled with our experience. I feel like this is one of the true "sleeper" fine dining experiences in our city, and I'm not exactly sure of why it doesn't get more recognition than it does.
The ambiance is very classic--a nice combination of dressy and warmth. Service was great, too, and the bar tender will be happy to make a mean old fashioned if you're interested.
We each decided to take the route of the 5 course meal--which meant that between the two of us we got to try 10 things. Good decision.
To start, we had the (1) Fried Oysters and Eggplant, (2) Duck Confit with grilled Asparagus, (3) Smoked Red Trout, and (4) the Fried Green Tomatoes with Grilled Large Shrimp. All were done perfectly, but interest of brevity I'll refrain from discussing each one. My favorite, however, was the Smoked Red Trout, which was accompanied by shaved fennel, orange supremes, and caviar creme fraiche.
Third and fourth courses consisted of the (1) Cornmeal Crusted Triggerfish, (2) Braised Rabbit and Grilled Rabbit Tenderloin, (3) Cornmeal Tempura Georgia Quail, and (4) Duet of Grilled Lamb Chops and Marinated Flank Steak. Again, not a slacker in the group. I'd have to say the Braised Rabbit and Grilled Rabbit Tenderlion (served over a sweet potato souffle with roasted parsnips) and the Duet of Grilled Lamb Chops and Marinated Flank Steak (with sauteed red cabbage, pecans, Alabama goat cheese and warm romesco) were my favorites. The Triggerfish was killer as well, however, and I also have to give chef Dupont mad props for the innovation of tempura fried quail.
You know, it's never a bad thing when the only argument over a dinner table revolves around what dish is best--each diner giddy and adamantly promoting his or her own orders.
To finish, the (1) Chocolate Boberge Cake w/ chocolate butter cream icing, and the (2) Pumpkin Cheesecake with chocolate sauce and chantilly cream. I must admit, I'm a sucker for many things pumpkin, and the Pumpkin cheesecake did not disappoint. The Chocolate Doberge Cake was rich and elegant, and certainly left my chocolate-loving girlfriend with a smile on her face.
Fantastic experience here. I would put it among my top five favorites in the city--Highlands, Hot and Hot, Gian Marcos, Bottega, and Cafe Dupont.
Had melt in the mouth quail & lamb. Pricey food but the quality of the meal meets the price you pay dead on!
Classy and Almost Spot On. 8/10 point Review.. The starched and nostalgic atmosphere of this historic downtown space hits you in face from the door to the table. Gorgeous and Pristine are words that don't come often from dining rooms in Alabama, but are the top adjectives that come to mind here. The staff to customer ratios seemed high, but the attempted multi-tier delegations seemed confusing and chaotic. Staff members were professional and courteous, but their all white uniforms and overall lack of direction which generally accompanies a chef run establishment could definately be improved upon. The wine list was a little lacking. Abridged and ordinary without a clear relationship of wine to food/menu. The good, but unboutique Stag's Leap Petit Syrah was the selection. It was presented well, decanted (although unnecessarily) well, and it complimented our menu choices. Food: Two apps, Two Entrees, and Two desserts all with the same description. Superb. The plating was brilliant, the portions were perfectly adequate, the flavors were complex and rehearsed. Research and experience were overflowing from this clean and equally starched kitchen that I could peek into from from my table. The lack of buzz that accompanies this establishment, may very well be the worst thing about it (or perhaps, the best). If management reads this review, I hope they lose the hideous smell of vanilla (may have been the candles) that radiated in the dining room and can kill wine and food aromas, and give the service team some focus tweeking so the food doesn't overshadow so profusely.
Although, chef's usually fall short in the genre of service, don't mistake. The service here wasn't bad. It may have been that the food was just that good. I'm looking forward to visiting again very soon and would recommend you do too. Recommended dish: Lamb Trio
Service 7/10
Taste 9/10
Plating 10/10
Atmosphere 8/10
Value 8/10
Overall 8/10
Only went once but will return again.. Elegant old building, crisp linens, refined service staff, mediocre to good wine list, and then there was the food. It truly surprised. Excellent dishes, plating, and combinations. Very enjoyable experience that soars high above the overblown hype down the street. Make reservations, dress well, sit back and enjoy. *****
Incredible Chef - 8/10. When Chris DuPont is having a good night in the kitchen, his restaurant can turn out some of the best meals I have ever had. I've eaten at DuPont several times and I'd say 75% of the time he exceeds all my expectations. He is a master when it comes to cooking seafood and steak. My most recent visit was somewhat disappointing but I'd still rank the meal as being head and shoulders above nearly everyone in B'ham. The one area the restaurant should work on is educating staff on food and wine. If he does that, I think he could easily rank along side 1 or 2 Michelin Star restaurants.
Side Note: If the sweetbreads are available, do yourself a favor and order them.
3/6/09- Update:
Chris Dupont manages to exceed all expectations. Had the 5 course tasting menu ($75) and it blew me away. One of the best meals I've had in my lifetime. Wine list could use some work but the prices are reasonable.
Contact: myemail815@aol.com
Cafe Dupont is known for its bananas foster. Despite other tempting options we went for the sure thing and weren’t disappointed. We were stuffed and didn’t even need 2 entrees.
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