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| - Overall, I was happy with my dining experience here, but there were a few negatives that keep it from a 5 star review.
The biggest positives were the food and the wine list, which are obviously very important. They have one of my favorite wines, and my chicken breast was delicious. My boyfriend ordered the special, which he didn't rave about, but said was good. He also had oysters which he enjoyed. My coffee after dinner was really good, and it was just plain coffee, so that's a plus.
Service was very good. I had water and bread almost as soon as I was seated, and my server took my drink order right away while I waited for my boyfriend. The wine presentation was formal but not crazy. The servers were friendly.
The downside here is the seating and the parking. L'Albatros is not exactly in a convenient location. It is behind a small parking lot on University Circle streets, none of which you can park on and walk from. So you have to pay at least 3 dollars, 5 if you think you might be there more than 2 hours, to park in the lot.
I was seated immediately upon arriving, which would normally be a plus, but was awkward because of how close my table was to the one next to it. The two tops are so close that the man next to me had to move the menu he had placed on the bench so that I could sit down. As I waited for my boyfriend, I felt that I had to be on my phone (which I normally wouldn't even take out at a nice restaurant) to make the situation less awkward. I could obviously hear every word my neighbors said, and I didn't want them to feel like I was listening to them. Additionally, when I ordered a bottle of wine, the wine bucket placed next to the table was protruding into the aisle. I thought the passing servers were going to knock it over.
I would probably go here with a group, but not a romantic date. Even though it is a nice restaurant that could be romantic, the proximity of the 2 person tables to each other ruins that potential. If it wasn't busy and you could be seated at a larger table it might be nice.
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