The French Manor

Well this was the best french restaurant. They are no longer in business. do not waste half your night driving to the restaurant website and Unilocal say they are still open.

We visited the French Manor on a Friday night with a party of six. Overall, our experience was very good.
The food was outstanding. Nothing but praise all around the table as we enjoyed appetizers of shrimp and escargot. Great flavor and generous portions. The dinner entrees were equally well prepared and delicious. We left feeling quite full and happy.
There are however some things worth mentioning that may affect your decision to visit. First is the ambiance. The French Manor is a family run business that operates out of a converted home near out-​of-​the-​way Sheridan. The home is a bit old and the décor isn’t so fresh. This might be described as «quaint» by some and «run down» by others. The front lawn and patio was mostly weeds and didn’t look very nice.
The service was very good but with some quirks. Our server was prompt, attentive, pleasant, and very young– age 16. Also, he was not fluent in English and had some trouble answering questions about the menu. Again, our party thought he was charming and nice, but I could see where others may have problems with the language barrier.
Regarding the Menu– it’s big. It took me quite a long time to peruse the entire menu and decide on my selections. This was complicated a bit by the small type and difficult-​to-​read fancy font. Great restaurants usually have smaller, «tight» menus, but the French Manor tries to offer everything. It’s difficult to be great at such a large variety of items. As a result, I’m suspicious of big menus.
The French Manor doesn’t have a liquor license, so you bring your own wine. Not a problem for our party, and we liked the idea of bringing in some of our favorite wines.
One nice thing about small, family-​owned restaurants is diners usually get to meet or interact with the owner or chef. We didn’t. Our only interaction was with our server even though there were just two parties being served on this particular Friday evening.
I should say something about portion size as well. Having been to French restaurants in bigger cities, I’m accustomed to the typical small portions. The French Manor offers hoosier-​sized portions which, at first seem great, but we were really stuffed afterward– uncomfortably stuffed. I think I understand why the portions in French restaurants are typically small. You really shouldn’t consume that much butter and cream.
All this being said, one may think I didn’t like the place. Not true. I actually loved it and hope the French Manor can survive and thrive here in Indiana. There simply aren’t many options for French cuisine around here. Hopefully the proprietor will keep at it, work on refining her concept and hang in there long enough to build a clientele. I’m looking forward to my return.

We dined at the French Manor with four of our friends for the first time last night. What a treasure this place is! We all were in awe of the food and beautiful presentation. A wonderful choice for a special dinner. This has to be one of the best dining in the Indianapolis area.
margi Jahns,
Zionsville

This restaurant should be in New York or Paris. I simply can’t believe that it is here in Indiana. The food is fantastic. Everything. Amazing…
This business is now closed

A little bit of authentic French Belgian cuisine dropped down in Sheridan Indiana … Who knew? Check it out. Lovely family. Magnifique!

I lived/​studied in France, and authentic French cuisine was something that I really missed coming back to the United States. I came with my dad on a Saturday night, and the place was mostly empty (though two other groups ended up coming in later while we were there). We were both curious as to why they were all the way up in Sheridan– they could be doing a hell of a lot more business in Carmel, Noblesville, or the city. But regardless, they décor was absolutely lovely and it felt like you were eating at someone’s home.
I had the Aioli Escargot, duck filet, and crêpe a la Comedie Francaise– all of which were absolutely fantastic. Dad had the pea soup, pastry puff escargot, Provencal salmon, and chocolate mousse. Fantastic– that’s all I can really say. :)
Heads Up: as of 1÷1÷2014, they do not have their liquor license. Also, due to difficulties with their phone provider, they couldn’t process our credit card payment, so have cash or a check handy just in case.