Celebrated my 70th birthday last night with 12 friends and family and EVERYONE agreed on what an exceptional evening it was. Our foodie friends from Napa and San Francisco were absolutely blown away with not only the food, but the level of service. I spent most of my adult life in the restaurant business, and to witness the seamless dinner service, not to mention every dish coming to the table at the same time as well as hot, is something very rare to experience. Thank you Quinn and her stellar crew for providing us all with such a memorable evening. read more

This is another of our go-to restaurants for special night's out. It is consistently outstanding on all aspects. Their duck entrees are the very best. Salads are ample enough for 2, and the desserts (Neapolitan and pot d'creme) are worth indulging. Service with Claire was, once again, outstanding. Despite an over full amount of people, she was steadfast in her attention to us. This is a French out of France experience not to be missed. Prices are very fair-$30-40 for the portions and taste. We highly recommend this dining experience. read more

Came by on Christmas for their holiday menu with the family! The atmosphere is nice. Everyone is pleasant and the servers are respectful and quick. I personally ordered calamari, lamb, and crème brûlée. The calamari and the crème brûlée was great! Very enjoyable. The lamb tasted a little gamey hence the 4 star review. Also had the opportunity to try escargot for the first time. TASTE SO GOOD! read more

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Had a craving for French food, we headed to Walnut Creek to La Sen Bistro. A small restaurant located in downtown on North Main Street LA Sen Bistro serves lunch and dinner. Funny little observation during our lunch there were three tables including ours and all of them were Chinese. We ordered the following: Escargot 3 stars very tiny French onion soup 4 stars very good Liver pate 5 stars excellent best dish of the day Roast chicken 4 stars good n a mushroom cream sauce Service was good. Asked for extra bread to soak up the extra sauces. Street parking only. read more

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This place is cute and cozy. They offer a three course menu that's billed per person. I ordered the lobster bisque, braised short ribs, and for dessert, the berry pastry option. Service was good, especially given it was Christmas Day. I did try the escargot as well and may I just say that was the best appetizer option on the menu. I regret not ordering it myself and this was my first time trying escargot. read more

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Had reservations and when we arrived it was a little awkward after checking in. The person who helped up somewhat just waved us off. This being the first time we didn't know if it was open seating or not. So we just sat down. Service was slow despite it being pretty much empty. Food was good and plating was very nice. I would have given a 4 star but the service team has somethings to improve on. I will be back to see if it changes because the food was good. read more

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Delicious French food! The menu was filled with all the French classics and the service was great. Great spot to come for date night or a special meal with loved ones. We'll be back! read more

La Sen Bistro - Lamb shank with mashed potatoes and veggies - French Near Me - Walnut Creek, California

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The food was delicious and loved the ambience. Had the Vol-au-Vant with shrimp and my wife had the Boef Bourguignon, then we each had a crème brûlée. read more

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Gayle, Fern, Don, and I enjoyed a nice post-Berkeley Rep dinner here last Saturday night. The only "opportunities for improvement" were: - Food was a bit slow coming out of the Kitchen. - Gayle's Beer Bourguignon was a bit more salty than she likes. - Fern hoped for an additional scallop or 2. Past that it was tasty and classy meal among friends. The restaurant is on the small side, but with genuine ambiance, and a bonus that we were seated by the front window. 2 folks ordered French Onion Soup as an appetizer, while the others opted for either the Salade de Poire or Salade au Roqufort. Our 2 mains included the Pork Chop and Moules Poulettes. The wine list was interesting, especially the dry German wines and the Lodi Old Vine Zin. A Solid 4.5 Star Experience! read more

Nice, cozy restaurant that serves great French cuisine. I ordered the duck breast, the skin was nice and crispy and the meat had great flavor, I didn't regret ordering this as opposed to the more fat option of duck confit. My wife ordered the boef bourgignon, which she let me try a bite of, it was so good, nice authentic French flavor. We also each started with soups, she got the onion soup and I got the soup of the day (mushroom) and both exceeded expectations. The dessert of creme brulee was good, but needed to be deeper dish. Our waiter was great, very friendly and attentive. read more

La Sen Bistro - Creme brulee - French Near Me - Walnut Creek, California

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This restaurant was hopping on a Saturday night, but with a reservation not a problem. The restaurant is quaint and romantically lit, but it appears families are definitely welcome. Service was very slow and someone stepped out of the kitchen to take our orders. He was super friendly and also uncorked a bottle of wine we brought in. He mentioned they were shorthanded, and it seems many restaurants are these days unfortunately. Despite this, the food came at a reasonable pace and made up for the earlier delays. The food is excellent and presentation nothing short of what you'd expect in a French restaurant, beautiful. I had the Vol-au-vant dish and it was divine. Everyone in our party seemed to enjoy the food. We'd definitely go again, but maybe a different day or time of day to avoid the crowd. Lots of parking nearby as well. read more

La Sen Bistro - Vol-au-vant - French Near Me - Walnut Creek, California

Love la Sen. Mostly an older crowd (or maybe it's just that date night with littles at home means an early dinner. I don't know what the sauce is they serve with the bread is but I could live on that and the bread alone. Their French onion soup is a MUST! read more

Honestly this is the best meal I've had in a long time. Located in Downtown Walnut Creek is this sliver of Europe with flowers and art adorning the walls. The sauce they give you with the bread is so delicious. We ordered a few appetizers, including the beef tartare which was so flavorful when paired with the sauces on the plate. The ratatouille was different than I've seen it at other restaurants, but so good. It comes with a crispy polenta which is a nice change texture wise. The cheese on top really adds another layer of flavor too. People in my group ordered the scallops and raved about them. The only thing we weren't over the top about were the profiteroles, they were vanilla and just basic / a little dry in my opinion. Great place to celebrate with friends and family. read more

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Delicious French food! We've been here a few times and the service is excellent, as well as the food. Favorite dishes are the calamari, the French onion soup, beef bourgignon and both duck dishes. Definitely our favorite French restaurant in the East Bay! read more

LOVE La Sen!!! My fav W.C. restaurant hands down. WONDERFUL food, great service and QUIET enough to hear a conversation at the table, which is getting VERY rare in W.C. Don't pass up the mushroom soup! Love the dining experience always! read more

My friend and I went out for lunch to La Sen bistro. We were lucky to sit at a window seat so we could watch all the dogs that walked by on Main Street. We both ordered the French onion soup and split the salad with the pears. Everything tasted great. We had a lovely fun waitress named Melissa Kay although apparently there are two Melissa Kays which we thought was a hoot! It was a bit pricey, but I think that is what people would always say about French restaurants! read more

La Sen Bistro - Pear salad - French Near Me - Walnut Creek, California

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Free bread was very tasty and crispy on the outside. 5/5 The French soup was probably the best I've ever had! It's not overly salty or thick like other French onion soups. 5/5 The escargot appetizer was also on the light side compared to other French Restaurants. 3/5 I ordered the scallops and love it. it was cooked perfectly. 5/5 My husband ordered the beef ribs per recommendation by our waiter, we thought it pop was okay, nothing spectacular. 3/5 This place feels just like a real French bistro in Paris! Very cozy and warm. We will be back to try some duck dishes next time. read more

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I went to La Sen Bistro for my birthday. this restaurant has such nice ambiance and the food was delicious. we started off with mushroom soup that had truff oil and homemade croutons on top. my husband had lamb and I had coc au vin. both dishes were amazing and great presentation. our server Darrin was very friendly and attentive. She made the whole evening feel special. Thank you for a wonderful dining experience! read more

Pleasantly surprised hidden gem in downtown Walnut Creek! My aunt had her birthday here and while it's a small restaurant they were able to accommodate everyone- we took up the back room with 2 big tables. Staff was so friendly and helpful, making sure everyone got their orders and everything was good. My favorite was the cream of mushroom soup- it was delicious, everything was. Parking isn't so bad, we found street parking pretty easy and my other relatives also mentioned there was a garage. I'll definitely be back here whenever I'm in the area- i wanna try more dishes off the menu read more

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4.8/5 I honestly don't know why I would dock 0.2 stars off but this restaurant was such a gem to find! Excellent service and the food was incredible. I ordered the duck breast and it was cooked to perfection. Loved the fried skin attached to the breast meat. This is a must try in Walnut Creek. read more

La Sen Bistro - French Near Me - Walnut Creek, California

Date of Visit: 6/1/2024 After our annual event at Brentwood for cherry picking, we went to Pleasanton for wine tasting and then dinner in Walnut Creek. We decided to visit the traditional French Bistro called La Sen Bistro, located in the heart of the shopping and restaurant street of Walnut Creek. La Sen Bistro was established in 2012, started out as "La Rose" in Berkeley California before relocating to the downtown area of Concord California and changing the name to La Sen Bistro. In 2017, we relocated again to downtown Walnut Creek. I made a reservation right before we left the winery in Pleasanton, and thankfully we had a reservation since the restaurant was packed during dinner hours. Leon Manbach, Pinot Noir D'Alsace 2017 France $16 I got a glass of red wine to pair with dinner. This Pinot Noir from France is an elegant light red wine with typical great cherry fruit, soft structure and nice balance. Beef Steak Tartare $22 For appetizer, we got the beef tartare with hand cut premium beef ribeye, shallots, capers, anchovies, cognac, horseradish aioli, radishes, mustard seeds, parsley, quail egg, Basil Pesto, and toast on the side. Escargot de Bourgogne $16 My favorite dish to get in a French Bistro. The escargot was stuffed with garlic, butter and parsley. Very tasty and great to mix with bread. Soupe à l'oignon $14 Love the traditional French Onion Soup with Croutons and Cheese on top. Côtelettes d'Agneau Grillées $49 For the main course, we got the roasted rack of lamb roasted to medium rare. On the side it was tarragon lamb jus, roasted potatoes, string beans, and cauliflowers. Moules Poulettes $29 The French style sauteed mussels in pastis cream sauce, shallots, fennel and leek. The mussels were not as good as others, which is not fresh enough. It was served with garlic pomme frites on the side. Flourless Chocolate Cake $14 For dinner, we got the soufflé chocolate cake with vanilla gelato on the side, and also a huge strawberry cut into 3D pieces. read more

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Magret de Canard Rôti ($37 as of May 2024). This dish is pan-roasted duck breast, bigarade sauce, polenta cake, & seasonal vegetables. The flavor was good and balanced. I especially really liked the duck breast. The crunchy skin on the duck really reminded me a lot of Chinese style pork roast. It was delicious. And the duck meat underneath was nice and tender and juicy. However, I thought that vegetables were just okay, and I did not really like the polenta cake. Overall, this dish was just, and I would probably stick with the duck confit next time. I am knocking down a couple of stars in this review, because I didn't feel like we got the best service. I thought that our waitress was not friendly at all, especially when I asked if we could get extra bread and she answered very dismissively without looking at us, as though annoyed. I thought it was very not nice. It was such a shame because otherwise we would've had the most wonderful experience. read more

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Cuzzo and her Hubs wanted to meet for dinner around their hood, and since Hubbers, Big Bro and I are o edient when it comes to our elders, we agreed. (Insert smirk here!) They picked this place and warned us not to drive too fast since it's really small and we will most likely miss it. Since there was extra traffic on Main (granted, 'tis the season on a Saturday night) plus there were three sets of eyes looking, we spotted it immediately. (For the record, It really is a small place. I've dined at Burma 2 next door and didn't even notice this existed until this visit!) We were seated immediately since we arrived a couple of minutes within our reservation time. Cuzzo and Hubs already had a couple of apps on the table to share: BEEF STEAK TARTARE: This is to DIE FOR!!! The presentation alone was a delight to our eyes, but the overall flavor takes the cake! The beef was topped with a raw quail egg meant to mix through. The toast were thin and crispy which held the proteins well. Add a dab of the green and white sauces and *insert chef's kiss here.* PATÉ DE FOIE DE CANARD: DISCLOSURE: If you're not a fan of liver, this isn't for you. But if you feel like an adventure, might wanna start with this. It was rich and packed with flavor and seasoned well. The nuts added texture and the side of pickles and jam helped with any after taste. Once again the toast served its purpose. Delish! ESCARGOT DE BOURGOGNE: I only wanted a taste since I've had my share of this dish. Soft and buttery but nothing out of the ordinary. SOUPE Â L'OIGNON: Always a must-have when I see this on the menu. I was warned the bowl will be hot (it was!) which of course produced the perfectly melted Gruyère. The broth had deep flavors - one can tell it took some time to make this. Good amount of onions and the bread inside added texture. Me likey! SAUMON POÊLÉS: Honestly, I got so full from the apps and soup, I felt I was too full for my main. I decided I would only take a taste and take the rest to go. But who was I kidding. The salmon was cooked and seared well, but sorta plain in flavor. Adding the yogurt sauce, however, elevated it plenty. Vege were fresh, especially with the green beans and its sweetness and crisp. I was extra full, but well worth it. FOOD: 4.5. SERVICE: 5. Our server was amazing! VALUE: 4. Some might think it's in the pricey end, but I felt was better than average. PARKING: Street only. There's a parking structure one block over - we got lucky as it was only $5 for the night. Some fellow Yelpers have great tips for finding freebie parking. But on a Saturday night, it will be a challenge. Plan accordingly. OVERALL: 4.5. Not on my radar then, they are on my radar now. It may be awhile, but I would love to return. read more

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Yep, they pretty much nailed everything. A celebration dinner with friends and so we sampled a lot. Crab salad was my wife's app. Just a delightfully light and flavorful patty of crab cake on mixed greens. Good as that was, however, my own choice - the cream of mushroom soup special was amazing. Rich, full, creamy - perfect. The sprinkling of broiled mushrooms on the top were a scrumptious addition. The other app was a repeat of my choice (but I choose it first!) and fried calamari. Hot and crispy. Oh, and speaking of crispy, the complimentary bread was warm, slightly chewy, and came with a room temp butter/herb spread. Yum. A pear salad was shared by the entire table, and was excellent in its own right, although I'm personally not a fan of pignoli nuts. Dindin - For me, it had to be ratatouille with polenta. And the polenta was HOT! Clearly they put that on the plate and brought it out pronto. Topped with broccolini, it was exceptional. Me at it all up! Wife's salmon was moist on the inside and crisp on the outside - perfectly done. And the duck that both the other had was, according to them, A+. Had to try dessert and went with Strawberry Napoleon. WOW! That was the most flavorful dessert I've had in a very long time. They told us everything is made in-house and it sure tasted it. Probably my favorite part of the entire meal. Lots of parking just a block away and a couple of garages nearby. For those who know the old Ottavio's, this is in the same space but the decor has been updated and lightened quite a bit. Very tasteful and pleasant. Our server, Melissa, was wonderful. Always ready to help and never hovering. We will return! read more

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We arrived about 6pm, no reservations. They were able to seat us as we were the first to arrive for dinner seating. A party of 5 and ordered escargot( French onion soup, mussels, crab cakes, short rib, and lasagna. Everything was served piping hot and stayed warm to the last bite. Impressive plating, we wished they'd served bread more generously, we did ask a couple of times for bread to dip in the soup and garlic butter from the escargot. The service was good and seemed like they did the best they could with two tables of 6 and two servers/table runners. The ambiance was suitable for a romantic dinner or family celebrations. White table cloths so a bit more fancy but we arrived pretty casual in our clothing but the other table of 6 were in dresses and dress shirts. read more

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My favorite restaurant never disappoints. Excellent varied menu including duck, rack of lamb, short ribs, scallops, soups and salads and many others. Service is excellent and noise level is great. read more

We had a wonderful lunch at La Sen Bistro ! We started with the escargot and Calamari , which were both delicious . I had the French Onion Soup , which was everything it should be. My son and daughter both had the Steak Frites -done to perfection . But the star of the show had to be the soup of the day which was Mushroom soup with truffle oil -it was unbelievably delicious -truly transcendent! Our server Darrin was also fantastic ! We will be back soon ! read more

I will be eating dinner there on the 25th with a friend then I can give you a review The two stars are only for making the reservation online I found it a bit frustrating at times, but I'm definitely looking forward to having dinner OK, I finally did have dinner and it was great. I loved it. The food was excellent to serve was professional. The atmosphere is what I hoped for. I will do it again. read more

I liked La Sen bistro, and our experience was nice. Good place for a date; well settled, and unpretentious. Simple and expensive. The service was good and we felt attended to. Wines were good and a bit pricey (I must say that quality was forward concerning ingredients and wine at La Sen bistro). The pate was delicious with Crostini, onion jam, and corniches. Crab cakes had a good crisp crust and nice noticeable pieces of lump Dungeness meat. Seasoning on the calamari was really nice and breading was not overdone. I very much enjoyed the simple cook on the vegetables which were presented as nice jewels supporting the proteins in the entrées. Cooking here is erring on the side of traditional, without much accoutrement... for the cost, I need to see greater sauce work and presentation to justify the high price of the dishes. read more

We had a reservation last Friday night with friends. We usually love this restaurant. But this time, the service was terrible. Our waiter rushed us to order when we arrived, and acted like he was doing us a favor to serve us. We asked for butter, which he forgot. My duck was overcooked and tasteless. Our reservation was at seven and we ultimately were served around 8:30. read more

I enjoyed this French restaurant with a dear friend and found the food to be delicious. The staff was accommodating in allowing us to be at a two top near the front. The ambiance is cozy fine dining. With it's Walnut Creek location it's a bit pricey. We both liked the French onion soup and fresh salad with berries and duck. We felt the duck breast was perfectly prepared and the ratatouille delicious. read more

The service was great The food very yummy. I have been there at least a dozen times and the food is always consistent and yummy read more

This is a special place. We found them is Concord about 5 years ago by accident. We were looking for a place open after the movies and they were right across the street. We lived the food so much I asked to go into the Kitchen and compliment the chef. They are now in Walnut Creek The food is exceptional , the service is superb and the ambiance is comfortable. We eat there at least 3-4 times a year. It's perfect for special occasions or just a great meal. read more

I eat out a lot and am a tough grader. This restaurant served the best meal I've had in YEARS. From the delicious calamari to the great sauces on the scallops and asparagus the chef clearly knows what he's doing. Many other things looked great on the menu. I will be back! A special note about the bread dip: I compliment the chef who makes this unusual but delicious dip. I asked for seconds! I wonder why other restaurants just settle for some version of butter or olive oil when a little thing like this could make their place really stand out! read more

Thank you once again to La Sen Bistro for a lovely meal for my son's birthday. We arrived far too early for our reservation and were graced with a beautiful seat by the window which just truly highlighted the beauty of their food. We devoured every bite! Can't wait until we can do it again. read more

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My husband and I found La Sen when they first opened years ago and fell in love with their deep rich flavors and amazing cooking skills. Most recently we took our family for Christmas Eve dinner. We also went to Christmas dinner last year. While timing got a bit muddled it was easy to understand how our 7pm reservation became 7:30. It's a holiday and people are staying and enjoying family time. It was well worth the wait. We each ordered something different so we could taste everything and it was all amazingly delicious. The duck which I have had there on several occasions was cooked and seasoned to perfection with a lightly sweet rich sauce. Mom had the scallops which never disappoint, sister had the falling off the bone short ribs in a deep rich sauce and husband had the steak which was good but the cut was slim so trying to maintain a med rare didn't not work so well. Our appetizers were a light crispy salt and pepper calamari, duck liver pate with pistachio and brioche, and 2 seasonal delectable salads. Desserts are decadent with a chocolate pots de crème, a berry pie with vanilla ice cream and burnt crème. We love this place and anyone who can carry off that level of food consistently and on a holiday is a winner in my book. We will always be back and love that it is run by a husband and wife team. My only take away is a subpar wine list that should be on level with their food. I have remedied that by taking my own wine. read more

Loved it. The food. The ambiance. The service. All was absolutely amazing. Love the decor.

French onion soup was prepared. Usually ordered before dinner order. It took 30 minutes to take our order.. Soup was hot, but cheese on top dry and burned. Entree was hot but vegetables were Lukewarm. Waited a long time between courses , over 40 minutes. Ask the waitress for more bread twice. Never came. Then we ask another waitperson to bring it and got. We have been to La Sen many times. We have recommended it to our friends. This is the first time we have been disappointed with the food and service. read more

What a little gem tucked in Walnut Creek! Smoked salmon tartare appetizer was today's special. It's so refreshing and served on mini toasts. Perfect way to start the meal. We also ordered the calamari. Lightly fried and yet tender. Perfectly seasoned. Pear salad -- delicious light honey vinaigrette dressing. Pears were perfectly ripe with a bit of crunch. Kanpachi was the special fish of the day. I didn't order it but looks delicious. My dish was the mussels and came with a plate of fries! Nice cream sauce. Presentation was awesome and great value. read more

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The food and wine menus on their website as of 12/19/2025 are not accurate. Prices are much higher. Food and service were great but was disappointed that the menus online do not reflect reality. Felt a bit duped as they must know the menus on their website are out of date. read more