The French Gourmet, San Diego, California Restaurant Details

Food:

delicious and affordable, btw the waitress looks like a younger and more beautiful version of Naomi Watts

Food:

Went there with some friends to celebrate Bastille Day.. it was great! Food was really good (escargots, rabbit, duck, butternut squash ravioli, only minus would be the crème brûlée but I'm French and I always have very high expectations with this dessert.. it should have been creamier on the inside, with more sugar on top, but then again this was Bastille Day so they couldn't spend an eternity on every crème brûlée they made that day!), waiters nice, we were the last ones to leave the restaurant and we did not feel rushed or pushed out the doors. Only thing is perhaps the music, I was hoping for more typical French music, and there was a lot of classical instead. But still, a great find !!

Food:

Outside of desserts and breads, I'm not known for being the biggest fan of French food. Even a trip to Paris did not necessarily dissuade me of this opinion. So the French Gourmet had to reach a high bar to wow me. I would say it made a valid effort during restaurant week but still fell a little short. Consider this a 3.5 star review.

My meal began with the charcuterie and pâté platter, which consisted of three slices of pâté, a slice of what seemed to be prosciutto, and a couple of gherkin pickles. Very French and relatively tasty but not exactly super exciting. But this is probably my own fault in so far as the other options include items like seafood that I don't care for, and the process of elimination led me to this one.

Moving on to the entrée (oddly so-called on the menu because an entrée is *not* a main course in French), I dug into my "Mediterranean" cornish game hen, an odd dish because I'm not entirely sure what's French about it. Yes, France borders the Mediterranean, but French cuisine isn't typically associated with the region nor does it typically include ingredients like cilantro. Nor is "Cornish game hen" particularly French, the bird having roots in England and the US. The dish was tasty enough, but, honestly, I was more impressed with the grilled cauliflower and flavorful quinoa on the side. (For the record, quinoa is of Latin American origin.)

My hopes for the meal really rested on the dessert because that's where French food and I are tight. While the crème brûlée came off as better than other San Diego "French" attempts I've had (I'm looking at you, Arely French Bakery) given that it had an actual crust on top, I would have preferred a thicker creme to really push the dessert, and thus this review, to the next level.

Summary: I guess I'll stick with fries next time I want French food.

Food:

Delicious! Everytime I go I have great service and the pre-fix menu is the best in town. The escargot melts in your mouth.

Food:

I absolutely LOVE this place. The only thing I don't like very much is that they don't have a parking lot and sometimes it is hard to find street parking but now on to how amazing this place is.

They have a 3 course meal for $28! Their pate is to die for and you HAVE to try their pastries. I would definitely recommend this place, if you love french food you will love this place. Ambiance is great and service is impeccable. They also have an amazing sommelier

Food:

"Come for the baguettes, croissants and petits fours" and stay for the "lovely" prix fixe dinner ("a good deal") at this "small, very French" Pacific Beach bistro staffed by a "wonderful" crew; the on-site bakery is also popular for wedding cakes and lunchtime savory items packaged to go.