Bistro Papillote

A little about me because this is important to the review (everyone is biased through their background, right?):
I’m a southern Californian who is a self-​proclaimed foodie. I refuse to eat bad food. I’d rather starve. My parents owned two different food establishments when I was growing up, so I learned to quickly prepare foods for hordes of hungry people. I’m also a public school teacher who majored in history and have an MBA. I’m all kinds of contradictions, but one thing I know is food.
So having said all of that, let me boil this down for you about this place:
What I **loved** about this place:
1. The atmosphere: definitely very OC. Upscale, a bit trendy for my taste, but my two young friends who just graduated from HS with me loved that. One of them called it «hipster». Eye roll.
2. The service: OMG, so on POINT. I mean, it’s probably the best service I ever had at a restaurant minus the other French place in Placentia I used to love going to. Just always there when you ACTUALLY need them, never there to ask you annoying questions. They actually seem like they liked working there. There was this incident where our server literally tripped and broke several glasses. I was concerned about her except she sprang RIGHT BACK UP, and cleaned that mess up in like three minutes like she was a MACHINE. People gawked and stared and I was just like, LEAVE THE LADY ALONE but they didn’t even have that much time to gawk!
3. The food: it’s reasonably priced (it really is; I’m a miser and I thought it was just fine). For the three of us, with an appetizer (I’ll get into that later) and three entrees, with a dessert for us to share, was $ 54 with tax and tip. I don’t know about you, but I don’t think you can get away with that in southern CA too easily. And it’s FRENCH food. It’s not Mexican or Chinese where you can get a lot of bang for your buck. And it was quality food. It tasted fresh and organic (though it probably wasn’t) and I was surprised how NOT STARVED I was afterwards.
What I thought could use some improvement:
4. Definitely a breakfast or lunch place. Not for dinner. Are they even open for dinner? It’s very cute. I love that it has open air. Oh wait, this is the list of what I didn’t like about this place…
5. I would love to see them expand the menus even more. And the escargo was ridiculously small. I’m really glad I ordered it as a way to try it out with two kids who have never had it because had I ordered that as lunch for myself, I would have been TICKED!!!
Would definitely go back. In fact, I probably will do so next week.

Great food — I had the goat cheese mushroom tart with roasted veggies on the side. Really yummy– topped with friendly attentive service!

This is a great little French restaurant situated in the SoCo plaza. There is a lot of open space initially as you walk in since the inside of the restaurant also opens up to the patio outside. The interior is more modern compared to the patio which resembles a garden café.
The service here was excellent compared to past reviews! They were quick to get us a menu and waters without us having to ask! Plus the lady was really great on recommendations on what to get plus she was patient with us as she took many pictures for us!
My mother ordered the Croque Monsieur which is basically a ham and cheese sandwich but what makes it special is that they layer slices of Gruyère over the top and broil til it’s nice and melted! This dish is pretty heavy for a breakfast so I recommend sharing! :) I also ordered the quiche which had a really crisp and refreshing balance to the cheesiness of the quiche (which was pretty bomb).
Prices were fair as well for the quality of the dishes, ambience was great, and the patio was so cute. I would come again in a heartbeat.

Deee liscious breakfast crêpe … they even let you buy the coffee from next door (can’t remember the name). They have breakfast and lunch all day (I came on a Saturday)… I think I’m staying for lunch …

Usually a big fan of this place, but this morning we got turned away because the server said it was windy. It was about 70 degrees and not windy at all. May gray does not equal windy! We bring our puppy and usually sit on the patio. Bring a jacket and make your customers happy.

Came here for lunch as it is very close to my work. I ordered pan bagnat sandwich. The tuna is a bit dried. The anchovies added the necessary saltiness to the tuna sandwich. Other than the anchovies, the sandwich is a bit bland.

I’m a regular at SoCo, so when I saw Bistro Papillote I was delighted with the design. I was looking forward to having a date here, it screams date!!! The décor is brilliant!!! Given than I do have my BFF to torment I made plans with him but fell through and well after a very long wait I finally tried it!
The service was superb!!! No hovering, yet very aware of us and attentive. The food was served in a very timely manner and had great presentation! Too bad I was unable to snap pics, some friends do not find it acceptable lol
The food was exquisite and the wine delicious!!! I had the fillet mignon and my friend had the veal, both were flavorful and delectable!
I’ve normally waited for a table at another local restaurant, I look forward to indulging here more frequently ;o)

I limped my way here after running a half marathon so I was ready to GRUB. Decided to try this place because it looked nice. Pretty upscale with a swanky vibe.
Server was very nice and we got serviced quickly. Got the tomato basil soup because it was cold inside, seating opened to the outside and wind kept gusting in. Soup wasn’t great though and at $ 6 I would definitely save my money next time. Also got the quiche, which was bomb. The crust was flaky and it was cooked well. First time I’ve gotten just a slice of quiche though rather then a full round one but then again it was only $ 8. Also got the chicken and gruyère crêpe which tasted kind of bland and weird, should of opted for the breakfast crêpe or another quiche. One complaint though was they didn’t have hot sauce. Is that not classy? I put it on all my fancy egg concoctions…
While I wasn’t huge fan of some of the items, my friends seemed to enjoy their plates and the place has a really nice feel. Prices are also very affordable.

Delicious! Please do a happy hour again and we will be back! It’s a nice quiet venue in the OC mix. Perfect for an intimate evening with friends or date. Service was excellent. Each dish was so flavorful and tasty, The salmon salad was excellent, the ahi was perfect. I found the escargot way too salty I couldn’t really eat it. We love French food! I am gluten-​free, but did a cheat night since they plopped on the bread in front of you before even asking. And there’s croutons on the salad’s. I don’t like to be high maintenance, but it is a consideration for next time.

French-​born chef and owner Laurent Brazier 32-​year culinary career rich in impressive credentials and experience (including acting as the chef at 2– and 3– Michelin-​star restaurants) came out to say hello and we grabbed a snap shot! Excellent food at good prices! I will be back. (Wait staff could use some brush up, not horrible but not great).

A cool airy bistro in the middle of the OC Mix provides a perfect reprieve from furniture shopping (ugh). My bf and I ordered a Croque Monsieur with an egg on top, French onion soup, and a side of roasted veggies (Brussels sprouts, green beans and cauliflower).
I think the restaurant was a bit swamped (Sunday lunch/​brunch), but our server was still smiling and courteous. Food-​wise, everything tasted good. I wish my soup was a bit hotter, but I did like that it had a lot of Gruyère cheese on top. The Croque Monsieur was HUGE and came with a small side salad which had a super tangy dressing on it. (It was almost too tangy…)
We were told that all their food was prepared at a nearby cooking school and only heated up on site.
I’d like to try their crêpe next time.

Crêpe was a bit overdone for my liking; flavor was somewhat overpowered by cheese. Service was OK; it wasn’t busy (I was the only one here) but I had to look for server. I humbly opine that if the motif of this nice quiet place is ‘en papillote’, then they have a platform for a robust presentation in their pantry case. As of right now, they only have one, lonely, croissant with a few berries of the side. I think they are on to something clearly unique and niche. And it’s nice to have an alternative option to Champagne French Bakery (which sets the bar pretty high).

The service, ambiance and location are great. The food… it was not good, just not good. I wish I had taken pictures to corroborate my review but, unfortunately, I did not. I tend to only take photos of things I really enjoy.
We ordered the crêpe de poulet and the muffuletta sandwich. The food came out in record time, but that’s not always a good sign. The crêpe was thick like an American style pancake, but I could’ve forgiven that if the inside of the crêpe had been tasty. It was not. The chicken was cubed, hard, over-​cooked, and dry. The Gruyère tasted like it had been microwaved and left out for several minutes, melted, but greasy, cold and hard. The crêpe was supposed to have creamy bechemel sauce, but that was lacking. It missed the mark completely.
The sandwich had great crusty warm bread, but the meat was no better than thickly sliced deli ham from the grocery store. It was very salty and did not have the right balance of flavors. Pandor Boulangerie in Newport is ten million times better, even though they’ve got some service issues. I will not come back to this French restaurant :(

Saw this nicely appointed new addition to the OC Mix and thought I would give it a whirl. There is a sign instructing to seat yourself at the entrance. No sooner that I sat a staff member greeted me from the register, and said she would be over to help me in a minute. Barely 2 minutes and a 2^nd waitress arrived at my table and gave me an enthusiastic greeting as well in a beautiful French accent. Oui oui indeed! And she was as lovely and charming as her accent. I am already lovin this place and I haven’t even perused the menu yet.
She took my drink order and I was still looking over the menu when she plopped down a very generous pour of Gloria Ferrer Chardonnay. More love for this place! My ex used to make an epic Quiche Lorraine, and I wanted to ask my waitress some questions before deciding if I wanted to try theirs. I also asked about the Pan Bagnat, which is Tuna — Anchovies — Red Onion — Hardboiled Egg — Kalamata — Red Pepper –Fennel — Tomato — Basil — EVOO (copied from their menu). Luckily belle jeune femme informed me that the Pan Bagnat would be much more filling, otherwise I would have been very disappointed. Well that was an understatement as the Quiche that was delivered was the thinnest possible piece imaginable. Very tasty, but very small. In my old age I do try to eat light, but even for me this was not a very substantial main lunch entrée. I had also asked if it came with any greens which she answered in the affirmative. Also a very tiny portion of maybe a dozen leafs of mixed greens. Surprisingly it did keep me satiated for several hours, so I guess all of that cream, eggs, and bacon did its job. But if you are a big eater this would act as an appetizer. Still four star worthy since what was there was very delicious.
So now I know, and now you know as well. The sandwiches looked huge in comparison, so the «European portions» don’t appy to everything on the menu. I was tempted to wait until another visit or two before writing my review, but wanted to give all quiche lovers such as myself a heads up. Too bad because it is a very good version, but at almost $ 9 not a good lunch value at all.
I will definitely be back to try other menu items, and to have this gruff old heart of mine melted by la belle jeune femme.
Until next time, bon appétit!

Cute little place inside the oc mix. Me and my friend checked it out for dinner. The waitress let us know they had only been open for dinner for the last few months. So being that they are new. I will say things went well. I ordered the lobster bisque, pretty good flavor. Small bowl. I think the price on this was a bit too high. I hope they adjust this accordingly. The prices for the other meals seemed more appropriate. I ordered the sea bass, it came with ratatouille. This was tasty. I enjoyed it. My friend ordered the pork chop, came with green beans, and mashed potatoes. The pork chop was also very good. Service was good. I will be going back to try other items on the menu. Updating soon.

French food is a personal favorite of mine. There is no doubt that it is difficult to find some good French food in Orange County that brings me back too Paris. Whether it be something as simple as a flaky croissant, or something even more complex like a rich, yet balanced plate of Steak tar tare.
I’ve certainly found that in Marche Moderne in South Coast Plaza, but I am always on the hunt!
Bistro Papillote is new to me. I stepped into the casual seat yourself café and was greeted by a friendly server, Brenda, who immediately made our party feel welcome. We came for a «brunchy» type meal, so we ordered a round of coffees quickly.
Coffee was ok, it beat waiting in line for the overhyped Portola Coffee Lab right nextdoor. (like nextdoor to the point where you can see anxious patrons awaiting their fix of caffeine).
Their menu had the staples — French Onion soup, Salad Nicoise and Croque Madame. So we ordered the staples plus their special — a seafood crêpe.
Overall, the food quality was unexciting, and definitely not fresh. I got a miniscule piece of salmon on my Salad Nicoise, and it was dry and tough. I get that it was a house smoked salmon, but the texture was odd amongst the rest of the plate. How were you supposed to eat it? I understand a chopped plating of the salad, but it seemed a bit tossed together haphazardly.
Got word that the crêpe was lacking the exciting seafood additions that it was promised. That being shrimp and scallops. The flavors were not bursting with seafood-​ey goodness, not even in its slightest.
The service was great, but otherwise a very poorly executed French restaurant.

I found this hidden gem while I waited for my coffee next door at Portola. Bistro Papilotte did not disappoint.
I recently studied abroad in Europe, went to France, and I decided to give this place a shot– I’ve been having withdrawals and wanted something tasty that would bring back memories of the delicious French cuisine I had.
First of all, French cuisine is rather pricey. When looking at the menu, Bistro Papilotte had a rather conservative price range for the dishes it was offering, in addition to it’s location in the upscale OC Mix. I was surprised because I saw on the menu the dishes are crafted with fresh herbs and quality ingredients.
Anyway, I ordered the Crêpe Jambon– delicious. It’s $ 8, comes with a small side of fresh greens, and the crêpe was filling.
Both Brenda the owner and Brenda the assistant manager are extremely courteous. They are very approachable and although the restaurant was busy at the time, they give you undivided attention when speaking with you. I was very impressed– it’s hard to find attentive staff these days.
I loved this place and I can’t wait to come back with my friends and show them French cuisine that won’t make their wallets cry!

Love this place! Quaint little breakfast spot with great food and exceptional service. The Toasted Baguette w jam and butter is extremely fresh and delicious, as is the Breakfast Crêpe.
Different experience than the excellent Portola Coffee Lab, but equally great!

It’s been years since I traveled to Paris and I miss that city dearly. However, I take solace in the fact that there is a decent french restaurant close by that will not break the bank.
The menu at Bistro Papillote is rather humble as they only offer a handful of breakfast, sandwich, crêpe, salad, and entrée options. Of course they offer some of the classics such as the nicois salad, quiche lorraine, and croque mousier, and escargot.
I ended up with the ratatouille crêpe (stewed vegetable dish with a side salad) and my father ordered the muffuletta sandwich (salami, mortadella, ham, provolone, tapenade, pickled vegetables). The crêpe was delightful and had flavor due to the herbes de provence and tomatoes. The crêpe itself was nice and slightly chewy. The salad was whatever but the dressing that accompanied it was very subtle. I enjoyed my meal very much!
My father found his sandwich to be tasty as well, however, I thought it was just okay. I’m rather picky when it comes to bread and this did not meet my expectations.
All in al, Bistro Papillote is a lovely place and a wonderful addition to the OC mix. I will be sure to stop by again to try their croque mousier and escargot, especially when i am in need of a mini vacation. I’ll just pretend I’m back in Paris! haha

This place is just super adorable. Black and white décor with red seating. You do seat yourself, just make sure the waitress sees you! We had a lovely server named Brenda who was absolutely wonderful. For food, i ordered their breakfast crêpe. SUPER YUMMY! Simple, delicious. And on point. I also ordered the fruit nutella crêpe. It was nutella overload. Kinda wished they had more fruit to balance out the nutella. Overall, my experience here was good.
TIP: Ask for today’s special!