Classic french cuisine can be difficult to pull off, but Westport’s newest restaurant seems to have it down, while adding their own flare. Le Penguin opened at the end of July and is located downtown at 7 Sconset Square. There is another location in Greenwich that was named #17 on GQ magazine’s Top New Restaurants to visit on a night out.

The first thing I noticed when I walked into the restaurant was the decor. The vibrant colors of blue and yellow, combined with the penguin details and unique tile floor, display the personality of the restaurant perfectly.

Although the restaurant was smaller than expected, I was pleasantly surprised with the amount of tables they were able to comfortably fit into the venue.

To start I had the Beef Carpaccio with arugula and parmesan cheese and the muscles with a saffron, white wine, and cream broth. Both dishes were delicious, the meat was fresh and the muscles bursted with flavor.

For my entree I had the Filet au Poivre, which is a steak filet with a pepper sauce. The steak was phenomenal, it was perfectly cooked at medium-rare and the quality of meat exceeded expectations. It simply cut like butter. The peppery sauce also went very nicely with the rosemary from the roasted potatoes and onions because it balanced out some of the sweetness. Although the dish was flavorful and the portion size was reasonable, it being 35 dollars is a bit too expensive in my opinion. Even a dish that great isn’t worth breaking the bank.

Now although I was extremely disappointed that they didn’t have my all time favorite dessert, Creme Brulee, I couldn’t bare leaving without getting the tarte de citron, which is a lemon tart. The lemon curd filling was near perfect. It had an amazing balance of flavors, starting off sour, but leaving a sweet taste in your mouth.

I was surprisingly pleased with the service at Le Penguin. Every waiter/waitress was friendly and very accommodating. The food came out in a very reasonable time frame, which is very impressive for a relatively new restaurant.

Overall, I highly recommend trying the unique new restaurant. The exceptional service and classic french flavors with a twist make it worthwhile.