La Bohème is exactly the kind of place you hope to find when you're craving a true French dining experience. I was not disappointed. The ingredients were fresh, beautifully balanced, and honestly so good I considered ordering another round. The bread was solid too -- perfectly crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside. We tried a range of dishes and everything delivered. The omelette stuffed with shrimp was generous and great value, the French onion soup, mussels, and entrecôte were all absolutely spot on, and the chocolate mousse to finish was delicious. Next time, I'm definitely coming back for the soufflé. Even the fruit bowl stood out -- you could tell it was freshly cut, with each fruit tasting crisp and distinct rather than blended together. It's those little details that really show care. The space itself is charming and cozy, with a lovely French ambiance. It's a medium-sized restaurant , with additional outdoor seating, and a decor that makes you want to linger. What really stood out, though, was the service. Absolutely top notch. You can tell the staff and chefs genuinely care about what they're doing -- and that makes all the difference. Honestly, I'm surprised it wasn't more packed -- it deserves to be. We'll absolutely be back to explore more read more

We went for an early Valentine's day dinner (the 13th instead of the 14th). We had a reservation and were seated immediately. The staff were warm and nice and I liked the ambiance of the restaurant. I ordered a coke to drink and my partner had a French beer. We proceeded to order the charcuterie and french onion soup for appetizers and the duck breast and french burger for entrees. The soup came and it was fine- it tasted like french onion soup. The charcuterie never came; I guess they forgot to put the order in or forgot to make it. It was awkward just sitting there starving while my husband ate his soup though. We figured maybe they were bringing it after he finished the soup so there'd be room on the table but nope. The burger looked nice and was cooked to the ordered temp of medium rare. Otherwise it was like any other burger anywhere else, not overly special. The fries were crisp and well salted. The duck was underwhelming. It's $38 for this plate of food and it came with totally flavorless and dry mashed potatoes, whose texture was akin to boxed potatoes. No butter or cream flavor to speak of. The vegetables were so disappointing. They had no seasoning whatsoever and were as soft as baby food- I am not exaggerating on that. I was surprised by how mushy the carrots were. For almost $40 I expect more exciting veg than broccoli, cauliflower and carrots all steamed to death. The duck was okay. There was a large tendon running through the middle of every piece and I could only eat half of it due to gristly fat. The port wine reduction that covered it totally masked the flavor of the duck. All I tasted was soy sauce. We let them know about the missing charcuterie to make sure it was not included on the bill. Other small things that detracted from the experience included them never clearing any dishes from the table (like the basket from the complimentary bread, appetizer plates or the huge wine glasses that neither of us needed) and not checking in on us to see how everything was going. The table was so cluttered it was hard to eat. It took a really long time to get the check and was so uncomfortable just sitting there obviously done with our food. For the prices charged I expected a higher level of service that was blatantly absent. Overall will not return. Over priced, slow, bland food. read more

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Went with a large party & the restaurant was able to accommodate well. Service was friendly and attentive. All of the portion sizes were large & definitely left the restaurant feeling full. The steak was good, but nothing to write home about. read more

La Boheme - Steak - French Near Me - Palo Alto, California

Our brunch was led with excellent service, large, delicious portion of tuna on my salad, slightly weak portion of shrimp on the shrimp salad. Overall, it was very tasty and lovely on your outdoor seating. read more

Delicious - and they have kir!! I always judge a spot by their escargot and I was not disappointed! The ingredients were fresh and well balanced and I honestly thought about ordering another. The bread was decent - crunchy on the outside, soft inside, and 4/5 on flavor. The omelette was stuffed with shrimp so it was a really good value and the fruit was honestly the best fruit bowls ever - you could tell it was freshly cut as the flavors were independent and everything was crisp. I was so happy to see kir and kir royale that I had two! The inside is honestly super cute and I'm sad this spot was more packed - it definitely deserves to be! You can tell the staff and chefs actually care about the restaurant, which is always wonderful to experience. I'll be back and explore more - and with a kir of course! Thank you! read more

La Boheme - Shrimp omelette - French Near Me - Palo Alto, California

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Our party of 6 arrived a little before noon on a Sunday and were able to be seated indoors right away. All of the outdoor seating was occupied but would have been very nice to sit in given the lovely day. The staff was friendly and service was prompt - really couldn't have asked for more from the staff. We all ordered variations of the brunch dishes and shared a plate of beignets. I got the duck benedict with roasted potatoes as a side. It a solid Benedict dish and I'd get the potatoes again in a heartbeat. I had two nit picks - 1) the poached eggs were a smidge too well done in that the edges of the yolk were solid 2) the duck or hollandaise could use a little more salt or other flavor, although I'll admit it's refreshing to see a restaurant not overdo it on the salt. The beignets themselves were also good. They did not look like what I think of as beignets, having grown up in the South, but these were still soft and went well with the chocolate sauce. read more

La Boheme - Duck Benedict - French Near Me - Palo Alto, California

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Downgrading to 2 stars after last night's experience where the food was simply not good. Of the four dishes we ordered, only one (charcuterie plate) qualified as "good" and the rest varied from disaster to not good. We ate inside the restaurant for the first time and I have to say the ambiance is quite nice. I wish the food was up to the interior decor. I started with the crab cakes largely because I couldn't find any other starter that appealed to me, which itself was a problem. Why not offer pate de campagne, foie gras, oeufs dur a la mayonnaise, prosciutto/melon, a soup other than cheese-loaded onion (e.g., soupe de poisson), or a starter-size portion of their wonderful mussels? The crab cakes were not good. Swimming in sauce and small cheeseburger-sized they lack flavor and freshness. Even the side salad they came with was kind of limp and the house dressing lacked flavor. (A briefly thought perhaps I'd caught Covid and lost my sense of taste/smell.). My wife's charcuterie plate was very good. If we came again, I'd just split that. I had the cassoulet special and didn't like it. The beans/stew was only lukewarm and not particularly tasty. The pork was sickly salty and very dry. The toulouse sausage was quite good but -- it was preternaturally hot, evoking fears of it having been microwaved. If nothing else, due to the uneven temperature of the ingredients, it's clear that the dish was "assembled" in the kitchen which is maybe the only way to do it, but I don't know. My wife's steak frites was an unmitigated disaster because she ordered it medium-rare and it arrived not medium, not medium-well, but absolutely 100% well done. No pink or red to be found. So we sent it back, I finished my meal while she waited for hers, and the new steak arrived; on the "bleu" side of rare. Barely cooked. My wife ate it, but she didn't enjoy it and personally it drives me insane when you ordered medium rare, get well done, and then very rare on the redo -- almost as if you are the problem and you don't know what medium rare is. We skipped dessert and left. This place gets less French every day and you see it in the food. I won't be back. Oh, and the bread was good. read more

La Boheme - Cassoulet special. Not very good. - French Near Me - Palo Alto, California

Came here as a group of 4 on a Saturday around 11 AM; we had no reservation, but we were seated inside with no wait, which was really nice! Especially since many of the other brunch spots around had a substantial wait. Friendly staff, and a good variety of French-inspired brunch choices! ~The Food~ Le Canard Sandwich - A sandwich which had shredded duck confit, caramelized onions, brie, lettuce, tomatoes, and basil aioli. - I really enjoyed this sandwich, as I thought all the components of the sandwich was well seasoned and paired really well together! The bread was nice and cripsy but fluffy! - I do wish they added a bit more of the caramelized onion. - The sandwich comes with the option of side salad or fries, but the waiter let me know that you can order half salad half fries as an option as well! Went with that and I thought both the fries and salad were great! Special Benedict - A standard Eggs Benedict, but with Salmon cakes + red onions! - The salmon cakes were pretty good! Not too fishy, and was very flakey! - We chose the side of hashbrowns and it was SO crispy and delicious! ~Overall Experience~ - Staff were very friendly and the inside was nice and cozy - Parking is not bad! Usually there's plenty of parking spots in the parking lots around the area! - One small downside: My water glass had a lipstick stain on it so I didn't drink from the glass and made me feel a bit wary about the cleanliness of the other utensils/plates. read more

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Food: -mozzarella with sliced cheap tomatoes with dead flower on top? What's the purpose of the flower? Bad presentation, ok taste -chicken cordon bleu- dried, tasteless, the worst we have ever tasted. -beef bourguignon - it's ok, where is the bacon? And what's up with the flower?? -crème brûlée - meh... Service: ok, the guy sat next to us was done and they never cleaned the table until we left. Ambiance: ok Price: waaaaayyyy overpriced for a lame meal. read more

La Boheme - Beef bourguignon and sad chicken cordon bleu - French Near Me - Palo Alto, California

The place is cute. It definitely has a Paris theme going on. The hosts/servers are friendly and polite. We love the French onion soup there. It is so good. I love the soft onions, sweet tasty broth and the cheese. And when we choose to be bad the soufflé hits the spot. It's warm and moist and oh so delicious. read more

La Boheme - French Near Me - Palo Alto, California

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Was walking around looking for a place to eat and stumbled upon this French bistro. Wow what a gem! French onion soup, mussels, entrecôte all yummy. Dessert was chocolate mousse. Next time will try a soufflé. Service was top notch. Medium size place with about 20 tables inside. Looks like there was outdoor seating as well. Great decor and cozy French feeling. Will be back. read more

So, since my first visit here about eight years ago, we've come back here a few more times. Each time the experience has been rather good, not fantastic, but enjoyable enough that we keep coming back. We returned a few nights ago for a farewell dinner for my brother-in-law and his daughter. She had never been to a French restaurant before and was excited to give it a try. The menu is diverse, with a lot of familiar French creations. Probably the only thing missing, IMO, is cassoulet. But we had lots of dishes to choose from. Our server (who didn't speak any French, c'est dommage) was very helpful, especially in addressing our questions about allergens. On our table that evening: Escargot - my niece was super thrilled to see this and was eager to try something completely new. I'm plus/minus about escargot; sometimes I feel that they're too earthy, as if they were plucked straight out of our vegetable garden. These were actually pretty good, prepared in a garlicky butter sauce (I think there was an entire stick of butter melted into the dish). The texture was nice, but there was a slight bitterness to a couple of the pieces. Gateaux de crabe/crab cakes - lightly breaded and fried and topped with a thin tartar-like sauce with a small salad. Quite good. Croque monsieur - typical ham and Swiss sandwich with a bechamel sauce and fries on the side. This was a little messy to eat and rather filling, but good nonetheless. Magret de canard/duck breast - rich flavor, generous slices of duck, served with mashed potatoes and vegetables. Well-liked. Mussels with Cajun seasoning - I was a little skeptical of this flavor, as it seemed that it wouldn't be much different a Cajun seafood boil, and I tend to prefer either a garlic or mustard preparation. However, this was actually quite good. The mussels were large and meaty and well-cooked so that they weren't too chewy. The fries on the side were crispy and delicious as well. Coq au vin - this was a special for the evening. The chicken was moist and fell off the bone very nicely, but there were too many small pieces of bone fragments that should have been removed before cooking and serving. But the flavor was delicious. The accompanying vegetables were overcooked, unfortunately, which seems to be a recurring theme here. So, here we are eight years since my initial review, and I'd still say it's a solid four-star experience. It's a tiny bit pricey but not unreasonable, and worth a visit every once in a while. read more

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I placed a lunch order for the office today. I got the French Toast with Nutella. It had fruit and delicious syrup on the side. It was so delicious. I am in French Toast heaven. The others ordered the Chicken Sandwich and Burger and they loved it as well. So good and a nice walk across the street to pick up. read more

Cute place where we had a galentine brunch. The food was decent, the omelette I ordered came with a cute pan au chocolate. We had a good time there. read more

La Boheme - Special omelette - French Near Me - Palo Alto, California

As a vegetarian I found really yumm food . We had white and red wine and the owner gave me a little bit to taste to ensure I liked it . The artichoke goat cheese croquettes with salad was really yum and I never realized how great this pairing works . The spinach ravioli tasted great as other reviewers have also suggested . The vegetarian croque monsieur was fine . The profiteroles with the vanilla ice cream and hot chocolate were out of the world and we couldn't stop eating . It's a small place but with a lovely ambience . The owner was so friendly and i had a lovely conversation with him on music and food . Make reservations before you head here . It's a place i will come again and maybe this time i will try their brunch . read more

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Such a great French restaurant! The food was absolutely delicious -especially the escargot and French onion soup. Honestly, this is the closest to real French food I've ever had. Everything was flavorful, comforting, and perfectly cooked. If you're craving authentic French dishes, this place is a must-try! read more

I went up to Stanford to visit a friend and we popped into this restaurant after Joanie's Cafe next door was closed on a Sunday. We were greeted and seated almost immediately inside. The inside was quite small but they had a large area outside as well. The waitstaff was very attentive and continuously made rounds to fill up our waters. The staff were knowledgeable about the menu and were able to answer questions we had. Most of us ordered omelettes. I personally had the cocotte that had tomato and chicken sausage. Since it was a weekend, we were able to order a pain au chocolat. We didn't know the food also came out with a mini croissant or pain au chocolat- so we likely wouldn't order the regular full sized version next time. Our omelettes were okay but the real stars were the crispy potatoes and the beignets. They were soft and pillowy with the perfect amount of powdered sugar and delicious chocolate dipping sauce. I would not be surprised if I found myself eating here again! read more

La Boheme - French Near Me - Palo Alto, California

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Adorable french restaurant serving exotic dishes like rabbit and bison, also duck one of my faves. For dinner, we got the charcuteri et patés (duck & pork paté, sliced sausage, and pickles) as an appetizer, lapin a la moutarde (rabbit dish with a creamy savory mustard sauce), and magret de canard (pan seared duck breast sliced into bite size pieces). Our sides were exactly the same in both entrees, the vegetables kinda soggy but the flavor good, and the mashed potatoes were fluffy and buttery. The mango and pomegranate mimosa was delicious and refreshing. We made online reservations and chose outdoor seating, but were seated indoors when we arrived, which was just as lovely so it was fine. They advertise live jazz on Friday nights on their website, but there was none during our visit (first Friday of the new year), so I'm not sure the season for this. We enjoyed our meals nonetheless in this beautiful french inspired setting, with lovely artworks on the walls, friendly and professional service, and good vibes all around. read more

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My friend and I were in the area getting our nails done and were looking for a spot for dinner on a Friday night. We stopped here and although we didn't have a reservation, they were able to seat us right away. The ambiance is so cute, you feel like you're in a French cafe but with helpful, friendly service! They seem like they truly want you to have a great meal/experience. Drink wise, my friend got the Kir royal but with pear instead and it was delicous! I got a sangria special which was so delicious and only $6. We both got the Le Boheme sandwich. I got mine with grilled chicken while she got hers with tuna. If you can't pick between salad and fries for your side, you can get half and half. Everything was fresh and delicious and really good quality. Would definitely go back! read more

I have to give 4 stars mainly because I did not get something to eat - just a coffee. I was meeting up with a pretty big group of people (a French speaking group on meetup.com) thinking we were just going to eat at a cafe, so I had already eaten and was only going to order coffee. In any case, the service was good. There is also plenty of outside seating, and outside seating was basically covered by a tent. I would have to come back to sit inside one of these days though ! As a francophile, it felt so nostalgic walking through the inside of the restaurant when I needed to use the restroom. I live a bit a ways from downtown Palo Alto, but I would definitely love to actually sit down and have a meal one of these days ! read more

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I rounded up to 4 stars, but I really think of this as being more of a 3.5 star restaurant. They serve up fresh mussels and tasty sandwiches, but you might notice that the salad in the attached photo looks a little bit sad. I've had the bouillabaisse twice; the first time was lovely, but the second time the fish was overcooked and rubbery. This bistro does have the uncanny effect of making the diner feel transported into a slow-living provincial town at lunchtime. This is nice and rather unique; most other places design themselves in ways that engineer hustle and bustle. read more

La Boheme - Mussels and fries; duck confit sandwich with salad - French Near Me - Palo Alto, California

I ordered food from La Boheme over the phone while I was at the salon with my hairstylist Quy (who recommended this place to me). The lady who brought my food to the salon was so kind and friendly! The food itself was delicious everything was fresh and flavorful. The service was great and the food is tasty I highly recommend it. read more

La Boheme - So good! Ordered from La Boheme -- fresh, flavorful, and perfectly cooked. Will definitely order again! - French Near Me - Palo Alto, California

I great friendly service with authentic French food. The ambience,decor and staff were all wonderful

I've been meeting friends here for brunch for several years and have enjoyed the meals until recently. Had dinner there a few months ago and ordered the duck salad. Was working through touch duck pieces and great salad dressing until I got to old, rusty lettuce in the middle and that's when I sent the salad back. Resisted returning for brunch until yesterday. We ordered bread and butter to eat while we waited for our food. But that was unnecessary. It came out minutes later with our order. The look of the food was apparent why it came so quickly. Preprepared and heated. Had trouble finding the tiny eggs under the molten cheese. Avocado that had turned brown. Unripe fruit. The best food on my plate was the crispy taco. Does not warrant the $35 price. read more

Overview: love the ambiance of this place - they're pretty in your face with the French decor and the live music is the best when they have it. The food isn't cheap but it's good - I think I like dinner here more than brunch. The beef bourguignon was cooked well - the beef was so tender, and the mashed potatoes were in a nice rose shape. The duck sandwich (le canard) was flavorful with wonderfully soft bread. A tad too much onion in it. Kind service. Even the free bread was good! read more

La Boheme - Le Canard - French Near Me - Palo Alto, California

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Lamb Benedict 3 shredded lamb, caramelized onions, poached eggs, hollandaise, medium flavorful Cassoulet de Toulouse 4 white bean stew, on top: flavorful pork sausage, tender duck leg, not dry, medium juicy pork belly, medium flavorful Hash Brown 3 crispy, ketchup read more

They have good food and the staff are very friendly. And I like the decor. I haven't been for a while but I called to check on something and they were very friendly and helpful. I'm meeting friends there this coming Sunday for brunch. read more

Excellent food and ambiance! Speedy and friendly service. Highly recommended. My family and I will return again read more

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terrible execution of dishes and non existent service. Will not return. I had high hopes. It's like a Denny's with French words for things but honestly Denny's would have tasted better. read more

Great for large parties. Our server handled our party of 15 well and helped us take photos for our mini law school reunion. Parking was easy despite the farmer's market. Would come here again. Plenty of variety on the drink menu and for lunch. read more

La Boheme's sandwich with the Tuna meat is fresh, with high-quality ingredients. The bread was perfectly toasted, and the tuna nicely done. However, I found that there was not enough sauce on my sandwhich. read more

If the front door wouldn't make so much noise, would have been a 5, good was good overall, so was service, I'll go back someday when I can drink some French wine read more

Great food Super food very true to French cuisine Coq au vin delicious ! Steak frites omg! Oysters off the wall ! How could it get any better ? Did I say the French onion soup or grand mariner soufle?! read more

From the moment I stepped inside I felt a sense of genuine hospitality that carried through the entire visit the employees were polite and attentive making sure I had everything I needed without hovering the menu featured a nice mix of options that sounded fresh and appealing I picked a dish that was flavorful with spices balanced nicely and the texture was just right not too heavy or bland the portion was satisfying and left me feeling happy with my choice the place itself was tidy and comfortable giving a calm atmosphere to enjoy my food the service was consistently kind and thoughtful from the way they welcomed guests to the little check-ins throughout the meal it showed they really cared about the experience I would recommend this spot to anyone wanting a good meal with friendly people who take their work seriously read more

From what I had heard from friends, I anticipated a lovely evening for a nice dinner with a longtime friend, and we were sorely disappointed. Never again! The service was unrelentingly rude. The waiter brought salads and immediately spun around and left before we could ask for ground pepper. Similarly, he brought entres and left before we could ask for more wine. The person who brought the bill processed it aloud at the table, opening the check in front of my companion, announcing the total of the bill, and then dropped my credit card on the floor. All servers were rushed, rude, and not at all attentive. It's an understatement to say the food was very bland and mediocre at best. We ordered traditional French dishes, but you wouldn't have known it was a French restaurant from what was served to us. My friend's cassoulet was a bowl of beans with meats apparently nuked and then added on top, but certainly not cooked together in the traditional preparation of this entre. My bouef bourguignon was a bland beef stew, with no bourguignon: tough pieces of beef covered in a nondescript brown gravy that tasted like there was no wine in it, and it lacked the usual vegetables traditionally cooked in the wine sauce. There were a few mushy pieces of cauliflower on the side, along with sliced carrots that had disintegrated into squishy, tasteless blob. Only the mashed potatoes were edible. All in all, it was a miserable dining experience. If it were possible, I would give NO stars. read more

Very late review, came to eat here a couple months ago with three other people. Overall, pretty good restaurant! Seems like brunch is more popular here than dinner, my party was one of two groups inside on a Friday evening. To be fair, they had a couple parties who were using their outdoor seating. The staff were very accommodating and welcoming. Food was excellent for the most part, I really enjoyed the escargot, baked brie (soft gooey cheese with pastry), and beef bourguignon. Desserts are a big thing for me and unfortunately I remember not being totally blown away by them. Ranking the desserts that I tried, I would put the chocolate souffle as the best, followed by the apple tart, and the beignets last. I thought the beignets were quite dry. Still, whatever was missed in the food was made up for with excellent service. They have live music performances sometimes too which is awesome. I am not sure if I will be back, but I would definitely recommend trying this restaurant at least once if you're on the fence about it. read more

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We ordered the duck breast (Magret de Canard, $36) and salmon entree (Saumon au Cabernet, $34), followed by the Chocolate and Grand Marnier soufflés. We really wanted to like the place but The meal was incredibly disappointing. Both the duck and salmon tasted bland, with the texture suggesting they were cooked from frozen. At those prices, we expected fresh, high-quality tasty ingredients--or at least some semblance of skill in preparation. The soufflés arrived completely deflated, lacking the light, airy texture they're known for. For a $150+ meal, we expected better. With other options available, we won't be returning. read more

Good food. Nice ambience. Had the Coq Au Vin. It was tasty. French food tends to be on the saltier side of world cuisines. I enjoyed the soufflé for dessert. This is an area full of decent restaurants and La Boheme is a great addition to the line-up of wonderful eateries in Palo Alto. read more

La Boheme - Ribeye - French Near Me - Palo Alto, California

I ordered the duck confit salad since it was lunch. I've never had duck confit so dry, crunchy & tough. They over fried it to probably to reheat it. I was ready to return it but we were busy talking so I picked thru it. No flavor or acidity to the lightly dressed salad. The plate was lined w/poached pears that were not fresh. I was very disappointed by this salad. We shared the beignets and they were another bad choice. They were flat & doughy, the only saving item was the side of chocolate sauce. My friend had avocado toast w/bacon, hash brown & scrambled eggs. Really, how can you ruin breakfast. Not much to cook on that dish. She had no opinion on that dish either. So, never again for the poor quality and I can just stay in SF for better food. Sorry... read more

My family loves coming to La Boheme! The food is great and reasonably priced, and there's great variety. Also great ambiance.