Paulette’s

Paulette’s had a nice romantic atmosphere, which seemed calm and relaxed despite the hustle and bustle of a completely packed house around us.
We were greeted by our server and presented with a wine list. Paulette’s has a nice wine list, so we had lots of choices.
She also brought us out a basket of bread, which reminded us of funnel cake. It was crisp on the outside, with a little filling. It was also dusted with powdered sugar. It was okay, but too sweet for me to eat with my meal. It didn’t go well with the savory and hearty feel of the meal.
Our server returned with our wine, and we were then given our Downtown Dining Week menu:
CHOICE OF APPETIZER:
Field Greens Salad: Mixed field greens, iceberg romaine, tomatoes, cucumbers and carrots tossed in tarragon vinaigrette
OR
Soup of the Day
CHOICE OF ENTREE:
Chicken Sicilian: Tender chicken breast breaded with fresh garlic, Parmesan cheese and Italian seasonings and sauteed, served with angel hair and today’s fresh vegetable
OR
Grilled Pork Tenderloin with sun-​dried cherry port sauce, whipped potatoes, and fresh green beans
DESSERT:
White Chocolate Bread Pudding: White chocolate and raspberries baked in an egg bread custard, topped with cream anglaise and Chambord syrup
OR
Fresh Strawberry Crêpe: Fresh strawberries sliced and tossed in brown sugar, folded in a fresh crêpe with orange apricot sauce and whipped cream.
The soup of the day was cheese soup, which sounded interesting. It was also freezing cold outside, so that is what we both got. The soup was nice and creamy. It was, however, lukewarm. That was the main turnoff. Had it been hot, I think it would have been a lot better. Greer and I both said we would give it a B-​.
For our entrees, Greer got the Chicken Sicilian and I got the Grilled Pork Tenderloin. Greer’s chicken was good. I liked the crust on the outside. It was also tender. My pork was extremely tender, and it had a good, sweet glaze over it as well. The potatoes were creamy, and the asparagus was cooked just right: not too mushy, but not too crunchy.
For dessert, we decided to get one of each and then share. Greer got the crêpe and I got the Bread Pudding. The dessert was the only part of the meal that blew our socks off. Both were packed with flavor that hit you with the first bite. The Strawberry Crêpe tasted fresh. How they did that so well with out of season fruit, I have no idea. The Bread Pudding was perfect for such a cold day. It not only warmed me up, but forced me to eat the whole thing.
Overall, we both agreed that Paulette’s is a destination for dessert. The food was good, but nothing worth raving over. The desserts, however, were fantastic. Whether I will be back any time soon, though, is another story. Harbor Town just isn’t anywhere near any of my usual spots. If you are around the area, though, I suggest stopping in and satisfying your sweet tooth.

Went to the new location on Mud Island at the Inn at Harbor Town for lunch. My friends were Paulette’s pros and steered me to the crepes. I wasn’t dissappointed. This is an ideal quiet business lunch spot, not too crowded and no problems finding parking.

You can run but you can not hide. They moved to Mud Island this summer but forgot to bring their people. They retained the staff for Currents (which sucked) and only pieces of their menu. I have eaten here twice to be fair but both times they Failed-​where is Andy Wise when you need him. The service is bad, very slow, and the food is average at best. How can you screw up a Bombay Martini? Last night was my 3^rd visit to Paulettes and they had on their B game. Martini on the roof, made with a cheap gin instead of Bombay as order, I was told to experiment. We moved down and got our favorite table. The waiter came up ind introduced himself with a handshake after I had washed them to eat. The steak and grouper was great. The mussels were way to salty and the Maytag salad was good but too much dressing, even asked for light or on the side. Coffees and a shared crêpe ended the meal. We moved into the piano bar just in time for him to quit. Once again, we returned to the terrance for view and our last glass of wine. Our wine choice was a France wine 2008 at a fair price.

Had dinner at the Mud Island location with a group of 9. The restaurant is beautiful with nice ambiance. Overall service was excellent and unrushed. The popovers were as wonderful as expected. I had the wedge salad and my wife had the daily special grilled peach salad, both being excellent. For entrees, we had the chicken brochette and the pork tenderloin. Both were excellently prepared and delicious. My only gripe was the portion size. It was perfect for her but skimpy for a man. The brochette had only 4 small chunks of chicken and 2 mushrooms. There was a lot of rice. For the cost, the portion needed to be a bit more manly. Our banana crêpe for dessert was a strong finish.

All of the food we ordered was excellent. I had the Chicken Sicilian, which was perfectly cooked.
We did have a few things go wrong, like the waitress bringing out a normal filet mignon instead of the Filet Paulette, but she quickly apologized and fixed the order. I will definitely go back next time I am in Memphis.

Excellent French food. I had the Paulette’s special filet mignon. This was awesome!

Last night was my first time ever at this Memphis institution. The atmosphere was great, particularly the piano player, and all the food we had was good. I agree with another reviewer that mentioned way too much sauce on the filets but my friends who had it liked it. I went with the crab and spinach crepes which were super cheesy and rich. Delicious! The popovers were yummy and although I was well into the wine by the time dessert came, someone ordered some sort of Kaluha pie that I tasted and it was fantastic.

Ok, first things first. The waitress was very slow about filling my glass — a big point for me — but the rest of the visit earned them that fifth star.
Romantic, fine dining. We had the mushrooms, cheese soup, crab cakes, spinach & crab crepes, and keylime pie. All the food was great. The popovers were fresh, hot, and perfectly cooked.

Visited Paulette’s tonight. This was not my first trip. In fact, I’ve been going to this establishment since the 70’s. The first red flag should have been the nearly empty restaurant, but as we had reservations and were celebrating two of our birthdays, we sat down. The service was mediocre, but the story is in the food. It was not good — at all. My lobster was cold and hard and chewy and gummy all at the same time. The vegetables were cold as well. The popovers were cold and burnt. These are supposedly the same popovers on which this restaurant built its reputation. The desserts were good, yet they too were lukewarm. At one time, there were flowers and candles/​lanterns on the table. These were absent tonight. There was a terrible dearth. So sad. The pianist was entertaining, and we were lucky enough to see Mayor AC Wharton and his wife Miss Ruby. Those were the high points. The food, which should have been the star, was terrible. Sad to say, I won’t go back. The economy sucks. One would think that fine dining restaurants would be doing everything in their power to lure customers.

When I was a kid we always went to Paulettes for special occasion brunch– Easter, Mother’s Day, my mom’s birthday. So when I think of Paulettes I think of their brunch food. There are not too many places in town that offer a nice brunch, but Paulette’s definitely has a good brunch menu. I love the Egg Bread French Toast and the Chicken crepes that come with a salad and those delicious popovers the other reviewers described in detail (they are really that good!)
I have been here for dinner too and like the petite fillet (not the best in town but definitely good). I noticed they have a special price of $ 19.95 right now– not bad for Paulette’s.
I like the atmosphere. It’s in a house like setting in Midtown off Overton Square. It’s both a great romantic spot and good for business meetings since they have a large banquet room. You will never be
disappointed with the service you get here.

Ask anyone in Memphis where to go for a special meal and chances are, Paulette’s will be on that list. I’d love to know how many people have gotten engaged here or celebrated their wedding anniversary.
The ambiance is cool and classy, and I enjoy sitting down to a nice glass of wine and a superb dinner. I love the pork medallians with gorgonzola cream sauce and the grilled salmon with the honey ginger glaze. The french onion soup is also divine.
I like to go for Sunday brunch occasionally too when I treat myself to Eggs Oscar or the egg bread french toast. It’s nice to sit with friends and sip coffee while lingering over the great food.
The piano player on weekends is a nice touch, and oh, has anyone mentioned the popovers? They’re right… pure heaven.

I read so many great reviews about Paulette’s we just had to give it a try. Overall the experience was great — atmosphere, food, service all were fantastic. Not the best of Memphis, but it’s up there.

I am with Amy G. Whenever I think of Paulette’s, I think of those amazingly delicious popovers! They are warm and flaky and when paired with the Strawberry Butter, simply delectable.
The rest of the menu is very good as well. I don’t think anyone has yet mentioned the Friday night Lobster Dinner. Currently it’s priced at $ 23.95, which quite frankly, is a bargain. It includes a 6 to 7 ounce Lobster Tail with butter sauce, new potatoes and the vegetable of the day.
And of course — those wonderful popovers.

I went here for my bday… They had a four course wine dinner going on with Bliss Wines and it was agreat experience! You can tell that they dim the lights and make everything look very romantic! THE STAFF ALONE WAS WONDERFUL… very friendly and knowledgeable about the restaurant and wines. I would go back on like Valentines Day or something special like that! The food was good and the presentation of the food was like something from Food Network lol… I really enjoyed myself! I shouldve taken pictures of it lol… The owner came to our table and spoke and complimented me on my red dress ;) I would go back

My wife and I had dinner last night at Paulette’s. It is located in the mid-​town area of Memphis near a few other night spots. We entered and were pleasantly surprised by a piano player playing some music for the restaurant. The surroundings themselves were fine, a bit rustic more like a German restaurant to me. We sat down to order some food. My wife asked about the specials which the waiter responded they were on the sheet, a stark contrast with the exposition you get a block away at Iris. She also asked about the differences between two dishes which received a short response that «A» is more popular. We received popovers before our appetizers and like the other reviews they were very good. I was impressed and looking forward to the rest of my meal. I ordered the Baby Spinach Salad with Feta cheese, hearts of palm, Red Onions and bacon. I was disappointed as it was dripping in a vinegarette. There was very little Feta or bacon and I ended up only eating half of it. I had the Filet Paulette for my entrée. I presume the signature dish as it’s first on the menu and uses their name. It is supposed to be a «Tender Angus filet mignon lightly coated with cracked black pepper sautéed in a butter cream sauce», unfortunately it was floating in the sauce. A likely result of trying to cover the flavor of a poor cut of beef. I personally love French food, savoring every bite either traveling in France or dining in the US. This restaurant has the right ingredients, its food execution is not up to snuff, especially not for the price. Go to Iris down the street and be impressed at one of the best restaurants around

The popovers with STRAWBERRY BUTTER are worth the visit alone! All the salads are fresh. The french onion soup is superb but rich. The pork medallions with gorgonzola cream sauce are my favorite. Their crème brûlée is also great and priced at $ 3.95 so if you’re craving night cap after seeing a movie at the Studio on the Square stop by for a cup of coffee and dessert.
We used to go often for the Sunday brunch but stopped because it wasn’t what it used to be. I hear they are working on improving the quality though.
Check out their website for updated specials and deals.

I agree with Lindsey S., for the most part: as far as their entrees, Paulette’s has traded on their reputation for a long time now. Paulette’s does offer great ambiance: beautiful surroundings and a piano player on the weekends, with a nice little bar and a good wine list. The best thing to enjoy there (for me) is the chocolate crêpe desert with coffee (which is good & strong).
For good French cuisine, try La Tourelle Restaurant (see my review).

Paulette’s is one of those Memphis institutions that I never quite got why it is so popular. I think it’s probably because there are only a handful of french restaurants in Memphis and we Memphians just don’t know any better. «It’s French… it’s expensive… it must be good.» I love the lighting, the nice servers, and the crème brûlée– but the food leaves something to be desired.