We love the environment, everyone look happy. The food was amazing and our waitress was so nice with us. Definitely going back. read more

Cafe Lafayette - French Near Me - Exeter, California

This place was amazingly delicious! Brought me back memories when I ate at a French Restaurant in Paris France. I recommend 100% read more

Cafe Lafayette - French Near Me - Exeter, California

Nice little cafe in downtown of Exeter. There are actually quite a few lunch places to choose from, and this is on the pricier side, but the food quality is also pretty good. Service was attentive, the interior of the restaurant is really nice, and they have a good happy hour. I had the Lafayette Burger, which is a buffalo patty with caramelized onions on a freshly made brioche bun. While the burger was solid, it was not $16 solid. I give it 3/5 stars. My father had the French Dip, which was AMAZING. The au jus was perfect, there was a ton of meat (tri tip) on the sandwich, and the salad that came with it was huge. I give this one 5/5. My mother had a croque monsieur, which was actually pretty small compared to the other two sandwiches, but she still liked it. 3.5/5 on this one. This restaurant is definitely worth visiting for their French Dip! read more

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Very much enjoyed our time as the food, service and general atmosphere was warm, welcoming and gratifying. Great time and very much recommended. read more

Looked around for places to eat for Valentine's Day. Found this little gem and decided to give it a try. Outside seating looks amazing at night and in door seating is also very nice. Our dinner drinks where prepared well, me with a Juicy IPA and her with the Tito's Cosmo. Our appetizer was the smoked pork belly. It was delicious, I do think instead of the bbq sauce they use, a brown sugar glaze would make it pop more, but nonetheless it was delicious. Our dinners came, mine was the 12oz Rib Eye, he's was the Beef Wellington. No complaints about her dinner, she enjoyed it. I enjoyed mine as well but was just a more fatty cut than I normally prefer. Our waiter was as very attentive and did a great job. End of the night, for our dinner, 2 drinks each and app it was around $180 for a dinner for two. I do think this place is worth it. Atmosphere was nice and it was just a great dinner night out with my love. We will definitely be back again. If I could do 4 1/2 stars I so would! read more

Cafe Lafayette - 12oz Rib Eye with scalloped potatoes and seasonal veggies - French Near Me - Exeter, California

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Inconsistent and pricey. More often than not I have had a good meal here. Salads are a good bet. During the Autumn and Spring times there is a nice outdoor space to dine. Take advantage of that if your time is flexible. The interiors are lovely and clean. Cloth napkins sends your mind to an upscale city Restaurant. Give it a try. read more

Greatest place to get Lafayette and hang out with friends and your family whenever you're to stress out

Extremely overpriced. Food was okay, as in marginal, but okay. Setting was very nice and clean, but overall, absolutely not worth the money.

Disappointed! Our group of 6 sat for an hour in the back which was cold with one serving of bread/butter and water. Within 50min of being there, we still had no food served and went to find the server and asked to box our lunch up. Bill was $200.00 including an 18% gratuity that was Not Deserved. Will Not Go Back! Food was cold, flavorless and disappointing for a high end type of establishment! read more

My experiences here only get better with each visit. Came here for brunch this morning and had a fabulous meal . The food was stellar, service impeccable and the atmosphere is classy. Loved the violinist who was playing as we ate and enjoyed our mimosas. It is my intention to visit for brunch every Sunday from now on. read more

I eat a lot of good food in the New York area, so usually have trouble when I travel, since it rarely compares to what I get back home. I started with the French Onion soup, which I have not had in years. Clams Fettuccini for my main course. It actually tasted better as I ate it, and that is a very rare thing. Finished up with Pumpkin Crème Brûlée. The best meal I have had on business trip in a very long time, well before Covid hit. This place is a keeper, and worth ever dollar of the bill. Trust me on this one, you will really like it. read more

Never Again. Waitress rude and untrained and super slow for just a few diners. She dumped my knife and fork off my plate onto the table when it was time to clear the plate! French onion soup was brown gravy mix with croutons and cheese Caesar salad was tasteless and romaine lettuce was wilted and old Chicken cordon bleu was deep fried dry chicken breast with tasteless sauce and almonds! Who puts almonds in CCB? Scalloped potatoes were dead cold read more

Wow! And not a good wow! Walked in with no reservations. Understood there were only limited seating and I wouldn't have cared but the table was right by the door on a cold night with a cold breeze that filled the room every time the door opened. They also didn't have the heater on and the ceiling fans were spinning. Really weird because this was during the weekend storm! You would think they would attempt to keep their patrons warm when it's super cold outside! Seating was also very weird feng shui! Felt total disarray and not inviting. Ordered the lobster bisque which was ok. Didn't have any lobster bits. Tasted more like a pumpkin or tomato soup. I don't even recall because it didn't have any taste of lobster. Steak was very good but can I say the food took literally FOREVER to arrive!!! Three people came to apologize for the wait so they obviously knew! Ordered a glass of wine and it did not taste good like wine that's been opened for a while with a metallic taste. The check was horrendous! Have had better service and food elsewhere at multiple 5 star restaurants for about the same price give or take. read more

Enjoyed brunch with a little music. Endless Mimosas were $18??? We opted out. Entrees about $25. Start was warm croissants with jam and butter with fruit cup. Everything delicious read more

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Came here for brunch today, a Saturday at noon. Fantastic menu. I had the poached salmon with hollandaise. The meal starts with a warm croissant and strawberry purée. Add a small bowl of fresh fruit. There was an abundance of food so I took some home. My friend had ham & cheese quiche. Which came with seasoned potatoes. The husbands had hamburgers and they were large and juicy. Of course we are going back for dinner. read more

I'm still dreaming about the meal I had here back in September while visiting the Visalia area. It was recommended to me by my RE agent and it did not disappoint. The French Onion soup was a twist on the often too-heavy bread/cheese "traditional" style. I can honestly say it was the best French Onion soup I've ever had. Additionally, I opted for the scallops in shells special. It was so delightful- presentation and taste! I had a lovely glass of Cab as well and it was a nice pour. The patio is super cute and the place filled up pretty quickly after my arrival. Service was on point. Looking forward to returning to this culinary gem very soon! read more

My fiancée and I love our nights out to Cafe Lafayette! Our staple is definitely the French onion soup (SO YUMMY), the atmosphere is relaxing and conducive to an elegant dining experience. We have tried many different and have not been disappointed. The effort that goes into menu planning is evident. Thank you for many wonderful memories and even more to come! :) read more

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Enjoyed a wonderful night out to celebrate my Anniversary, this was the perfect location. From the ambience walking up to the resturant, with lights strung out in the beautiful patio, to the lovely French music, we knew we were in for a great evening. The Pork Belly appetizer was amazing, I would come just for that! I had the Chicken Cordon Blue and My wife a steak. Both were delightful, bursting with flavor, cook was spot on. The Sazarac Cocktail and Martini was perfect. Staff did a great job at making us feel comfortable. Hope to come back soon! read more

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Pretty disappointed. We had heard great things about this place, but a couple of rather big bumps in the road made our visit disappointing. First off, our group of six sat down and they brought out one little plate of bread..We asked for another and were informed we would be charged $3 for it....Really? My wife's French onion soup was served and it was not hot. She had to send it back. Lastly, this restaurant charges a surcharge of $3 to use a credit card....WTF? read more

Came in and sat at the bar with my wife on a Saturday night. Ashley bartended took great care of us Chris came by told some jokes great food awesome drinks best time love this place definitely will be back. read more

We had reservations and super excited to take my residents here. We waited over 45 minutes for our lunch, which is understandable for a big party of 13 we had. when we received our food the fries were cold and soggy. Bread was hard and meat had absolutely no flavor. ( French dip) was what the majority of us ordered. We were sat in a cold room in the back with paper napkins while the rest of the dining room had beautiful cloth napkins. For the price we defiantly had high expectations for this place and were completely disappointed. At the beginning of our lunch we were brought out bread promptly which was great! but... the butter was rock hard and it had a very old/stale taste yuck! on the bright side, our waitress was very sweet and communicated, check on us regularly. Sadly we will not be back read more

Racist hostess. We made the mistake of coming here, read the other negative reviews- they are the true indicators of this place. Edit: Ashley S. privately messaged me to take down this review stating that it is slander. No, slander is when you talk bad about someone/place when you have nothing real to talk about. Do you have cameras? If so, go review it. Have you spoken to your workers? Maybe your hostess that day needs to learn how to be a host, and not discriminate between the whites and non-whites. She is the face of this restaurant and the first point of contact. READ: why would you privately message me to take down a review instead of asking what happened? It is your opinion that everyone there is not racist or discriminatory. It is our EXPERIENCE that it is otherwise. I never once stated that everyone there was involved, I am only talking about the hostess I experienced. Here's what happened, since you (Ashley) didn't want to know nor bothered to ask: We (my brother and his girlfriend, my girlfriend and I) at roughly 7:30pm walked into the restaurant and just stood at the door. No one greeted us. There was a family of four waiting before us, and a family of four came after us as well. Both families were whites. The first family was seated after a table was cleaned up. Another family of four were wrapping up their check and was ready to leave, however, the hostess comes over to tell us that the only available tables were the two high-chair small round couples tables. She could have just asked us to wait while they clean the other table for us, however, she did not offer it nor tell us if there was another reservation for it. While we were giving it a thought, and although we heard the other family mention that they were late to their reservation, the hostess took the other family to the back and seated them promptly. Then, although no one has left from the restaurant, the hostess comes back and says that a table has opened up from the back, as if it magically happened. Her attitude was that she did not want us there at-all. She was very polite and friendly to the other families, but her attitude was completely different with us. Sorry, but we do not believe in blowing our hard-earned money where it is not appreciated. We chose this restaurant because we saw the yelp pictures and it looked decently fancy. We even over-looked the recent negative reviews, considering this is a small town. We liked the food selection, we did not care about the pricing. We came here to celebrate MY BIRTHDAY. WAY TO GO! After all was said and done, we looked up on Yelp on how to get to our second pick, which was Monet's, which ended up being across the street and only a few shops up. It was a great experience there! Super highly recommend Monet's. Note: don't waste your time here. read more

These desserts were to die for! I have only had the desserts but wow, so delicious and I will definitely be back to try this place out for the rest of the menu! read more

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Love this restaurant! Belinda & I have eaten here numerous times. Always great food & excellent service. Sunday brunch is delicious, lunch menu is varied and great; and then there is dinner, even if you have to wait the wait is worth it! Awesome! If you are lucky enough to get Eric as your server then you have the best of both worlds. He is one of the best waiters my family has ever had. Thanks Eric for making our dining experience that more special! Rick and Belinda Smith read more

Cafe Lafayette - French Near Me - Exeter, California

A group of us had brunch on a Saturday, I was a little skeptical because I had looked at the menu online and it seemed quite expensive for breakfast. Everything in the menu was 22.00 and up, even their version of biscuits and gravy made with brioche was 22.00, crazy. I got the Eggs Benedict for 24.00 with smoked salmon on brioche, everything on the menu that had bread was with brioche, lacking a little imagination. The brioche was barely toasted and dry, the salmon was good but the egg was over cooked and it barely had any hollandaise sauce, I actually asked for more, so the bread wasn't so dry. Several of us got the bottomless mimosas 15.00, they kept a full bottle on the table for us, it tasted like fresh oj which was good but not a lot of champagne in it. My bill came to 50.00, way more than I have ever spent on a breakfast and will probably never do again, definitely not there. The Vintage Press Easter and Mother's Day brunch is even less expensive than a regular Saturday brunch at Lafayette with much better food. Our waiter was pleasant but after our food came he disappeared for quite awhile so I had to wait to ask for the extra hollandaise. I probably would have deducted a little from his tip but since there were more than 8 of us 18% was automatically added. I'd steal clear from this place and would not recommend it for brunch. read more

The food was excellent and the presentation was incredible but the service was really slow. We were the only ones here and it took forever to get anything. The waiter had no personality and would run off before we could finish ordering. I wish it was better because I would love to come here again. We ordered coffee and he didn't bring any spoons so we had to use the knives. No big deal. I'm gonna say 5 star food and 1 star service makes for a 3 star rating. read more

We met our friends here! Each of us had something different. I had the Sea Bass, our friends had a steak and lamb my husband scallops. Dinner was amazing nice bottle of wine finishing up with desert! Can't wait to come back read more

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Awesome food! The host Weston was very nice and accommodating. Complimentary bread and garlic butter. We started off with the tantalizing taste of escargot in garlic and butter sauce as an appetizer, which I had never eaten before. It was wonderful. My wife loved her medium rare Rib eye steak which was prepared to perfection by the chef Nate. She also had amazing homemade mashed potatoes and green beans! I went with the French Dip tri-tip Sandwich and a side of French fries. The sandwich was perfect and extremely satisfying, every mouthwatering bite melted in my mouth. It was a wonderful birthday present for my wife and we enjoyed the romantic atmosphere very much. We will be back! read more

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I really like their food and the atmosphere. I can't wait to go back there the next time I'm in town!!

Super cute location in Exeter. Atmosphere is cute, relaxing and outdoorsy. Ordered the French Dip with a side of French Onion soup. The soup was amazing. The sandwich was ok. Could have used less horseradish sauce as it over powered the sandwich. My husband ordered Burger Lafayette (Buffalo burger). He gives is 3 out of 5 stars. The bread on the burger was cold and the burger could use more flavor/seasoning. Would I return? Maybe. It could be worth another try. read more

Cafe Lafayette - Lafayette Burger - French Near Me - Exeter, California

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First timers!! We had THE BEST dinner here! Chicken Cordon Blue was amazing and great service too! Thanx again Cafe Lafayette!!

These days, the only choice for dining out is outdoor seating. With 98 degree weather, we were a bit apprehensive, although Cafe Lafayette delivered. I had the special, Eggplant Napoleon & my husband had their steak with their wedge salad. Both were delish, and with the patio shade, umbrellas & a few fans, the place was comfortable & full. Wait staff was great, and we all called it a perfect evening. Hope to go again soon read more

The ambience is great and our server was very attentive. Considering how small Exeter it was a nice surprise to find such a cute restaurant. We had the French onion soup, salmon and clam pasta. The food was definitely good but tasted more like of an American take on French cuisine. read more

Ooo la la great French restaurant I'll be back soon. Hi Fred great job will tell everyone about this wonderful place

Cafe Lafayette is a great restaurant in beautiful Exeter CA. A bit more towards the fine dining side, you find an excellent selection of meals. Though I often go for the rib-eye, everything my wife and I have had is amazing. If you like French Onion soup, theirs is fantastic. You can also head in for a drink as they have a great bar area and frequently have live music. On a beautiful day, you can enjoy the patio, and if the weather isn't to your liking the inside is well decorated and comfortable. If you don't have time to stay you can also call in your order for pick up. The food is amazing, they staff is knowledgeable and friendly, and the atmosphere is great for date night! read more

Still a go to place for us for a upscale meal, but they need a real bartender if they are going to offer signature drinks. The kid making our drinks got it wrong and waitresses seem to be on there own making drinks for their tables. Hopefully this is just a COVID thing and eventually they will get a bartender again. read more

This was our first time here. After going back and forth on reviews we decide to try Cafe Lafayette. The environment was nice , we ordered the pork belly appetizer, it was good, I was a little surprised it was very similar to country boneless rib meat as it's covered in bbq sauce. Not quite what we expected but not bad. Wedge salad was amazing, which is one of my Favorite things to get when I go out. We ordered Beef Stroganoff as our entree', which is made from beef Tenderloin. I make this at home regularly so I am familiar with how tender this meat can be. The meat was soft overall, the sauce and sour cream all mixed had a perfect flavor. Unfortunately the mushrooms in the meal were extremely gritty on the teeth , like sand was on them. Reminded me of eating clam chowed when it's got that grit to it. Not sure if they didn't get rinsed or what. We aren't the type to send back our food or complain . So we didn't mention it. However A little unexpected considering it's a '4 star Restuarant'. Overall it was edible but that feeling between ur teeth can be a little uncomfortable. The drinks were great we had some sort of blueberry cocktail which tasted great. They also give out warm bread which is sooo good. The whipped butter they add to spread was too good. I had to say "no Thank you" for anymore LOL. I would consider maybe trying the lamb or something like that next time. The gritty mushroom thing could have just been a fluke slip on quality control coming out the kitchen. read more

The food was good however it is pretty pricey. Although that is not the reason my review is so low. One of the hosts was very disrespectful during our time at Cafe Lafayette. She was giving me rude looks and was blatantly flirting with my husband. She was putting her hands on him inappropriately as well as ignoring my requests. Even my husband noticed and we agreed we would not be returning. I do hope no one else experiences this. I don't quite remember the hosts name but I believe it was Anne. This is not the kind of service I would expect at a "high end" restaurant. Because of my experience with the host I can't say I would recommend this place to any family or friends. I hope action is taken to ensure this doesn't happen to anyone else! read more

Totally stumbled upon this place and what a little gem!!!The courtyard is fabulous and romantic. We arrived a few minutes before opening (5:30 on a Saturday). We had our two little girls with us because it was on our way home from a family drive to the mountains. We ordered the lobster Crostini for an appetizer, was very good. My husband ordered the duck and it was amazing. The french onion soup is to die for. That's my favorite soup of all time and I'm very picky about it. The reason I only gave it 4 starts is because my ribeye was over cooked, I ordered it med-rare and what I received was well-done and very tough. For the price of 40+ dollars I would expect a steak to be cooked perfectly and this steak wasn't - Normally, I would have sent it back because of this but I had my two little girls (2/3 years of age) and wanted to get out before people arrived for their romantic evening. I will defiantly go back, kid-less, and enjoy what they have to offer fully. Totally a romantic place to take your partner. Side note: as we were leaving they were setting up live soft jazz music to create the full ambiance. So cute! Prices: 25-45 bucks for entree 15-23 for appetizer 7-10 bucks for a beer 10-12 for kids plates read more

This is a small out of the way surprise. They have indoor and outdoor seating. Waitress was extremely friendly and very patient with all of our questions. The presentation of the food was exceptional, very pleasant to the eye and taste was perfect, very enjoyable. I have been sharing with everyone encouraging them to make the drive to Exeter. It is well worth the drive. I will definitely be back!! read more