Le Bilboquet Cajun ChickenOn November 20, French bistro, Le Bilboquet, opened its doors for dinner in the new Buckhead Atlanta district. The only freestanding restaurant on the property, Le Bilboquet brings uncomplicated, traditional French cuisine to the neighborhood.
Reminiscent of a European square, Le Bilboquet is located at the center of Buckhead Atlanta, anchoring the upscale retail and dining development. The bistro and bar offers a natural gathering spot to enjoy a chilled bottle of rosé alfresco during warmers months or classic bistro fare or a draft beer and croque monsieur at the bar.
Le Bilboquet originally opened in New York City’s Upper East Side as a 38-seat hotspot in 1986. After 27 years, the restaurant relocated to a larger space on East 60th Street in Manhattan in October 2013. Philippe Delgrange, founder of Le Bilboquet, teamed up with fellow restaurateur Rick Wahlstedt to bring the restaurant to Atlanta. Overseeing the Atlanta location is general manager Jon Skinner, who joins the restaurant after more than 15 years with Buckhead Life Restaurant Group and maître d’ Ilona Knopfler, who brings French heritage and 25 years of international hospitality experience.
In the kitchen, chef de cuisine Jean Louis Sangare brings the same approachable classics from Le Bilboquet’s New York outpost, where he trained under executive chef Julien Jouhannaud for 16 years. Standout menu items include Le Bilboquet’s signature Cajun Chicken served with a heaping bed of crispy pomme frites and green salad, as well as crab and avocado salad, veal scallopini, beef tartare and lobster and tabouleh salad. A selection of house made sauces – peppercorn, béarnaise, bordelaise and shallot – is available to pair with a New York strip, hanger steak and filet mignon. For dessert, guests can indulge in classic French pâtisserie such as tarte tatin, crème brulee and chocolate mousse.
Illuminated with natural light from surrounding floor-length windows, Le Bilboquet incorporates quintessential Parisian elements like blue velvet banquettes, a two-color terrazzo floor and pewter bar counter. The space features a mix of contemporary and vintage pieces, creating a chic Parisian ambiance that reflects Buckhead Atlanta’s bourgeois feel. The walls boast a rotating collection of paintings and photography by locally and nationally acclaimed artists, including a giant mixed media piece by Peter Tunney that features an American flag and vintage record covers.
