Cafe Pierre

WOW … one of our dear neighborhood favorites totally a disappointment tonight.
Our horse won at S.A., so we decided to have a small celebration.
1. One person in our party had a 10 hour work day, thus Café Pierre was a nice way to cap her day! Plus, it’s an easy walk from the house.
2. It took 15 mins after being seated for the server to come to the table and ask if we would like a drink (way TOOO long especially when you begin to notice… where the heck is our waiter?)
3. We ordered apps and entry — server brought entirely wrong appetizers.
4. 10 mins later appetizers arrive — They were great.
5. Personally, my wine glass was empty when apps came, but the waiter never asked would you like another? He was gone before I had a chance to ask. Seriously?
6. Flag down a different waiter — glass of wine please?
7. Dinner arrives, awesome — but one entrée was completely wrong
8. The hostess lady was there at our table (discussing wrong dinner) for a minute then turned and walked away without a comment. She seemed disinterested and the place wasn’t very busy.
9 Waiter never came back to see how dinner was or ask if we would like more bread.
10. Bill arrived at the table, the waiter never asked us if we wanted a capp or latte.
11. Topped off the evening at Starbucks for decaf lattes.
Thus giving Café Pierre an overall very disappointing ONE star.
Sorry to say that the service didn’t deserve a star.
Food was FOUR stars.
My suggestion, they might want to think about revamping the place, sort of recreate /​redesign as a «welcoming presence» downtown MB otherwise, at this rate, they won’t keep up with the competition. Note to owner: Your neighbors are your best customers.

Came here for a company holiday party and had a choice for each course. I had the Ahi Tuna Tartare, a salad, the Barramundi with cannelini beans, watercress, prosciutto and basil jus, and I finished with the brioche bread pudding. The husband had the tartare, salad, the Lamb Shank with roasted vegetables, tomatoes, chermoula sauce, and the dark chocolate mousse.
The Ahi Tuna Tartare was very strange. It was full of wasabi that really cleared up those sinuses and it came with potato chips instead of the traditional wonton chips. The potato chips really overpowered the flavor of the fish. It was meh.
The salad was good. A traditional mixed green salad with a good vinaigrette.
For the entrees, I won that round. The barramundi was nice, light, cooked perfectly, but lacking a little bit on flavor. Nothing a little salt can’t fix. The husband’s lamb shank was a bit chewy and also had some muted flavors.
For desserts, both were excellent, but I think I won by a small margin. The dark chocolate mousse was very good, but the bread pudding was incredible. It melted in my mouth and you could taste all the butter! Yum! I think if we ever go back, it will just be for dessert.

We enjoyed our dinner at Café Pierre very much. We started with the toasted goat cheese salad, had the special with Shrimp and Scallop on lemon risotto, and finished with the chocolate mousse. Everything was excellent and the service was great.

I am guilty of having lived in the South Bay for years and never tried dinner at Café Pierre. Oh, I’ve been to parties there, and had a glass of wine or two over the years. Sorry I waited! We had several excellent dishes from their dinner menu, including a terrific Steak au Poivre, a hearty Frisee salad with egg and pancetta, and a very good beef short rib. I’ve been missing out on some good eats!
Have I had better food of a similar vein? Perhaps. But having a local place that does an great job across the board is a fantastic score. Also loved that their (deep) wine list offered several bottles that were very reasonably priced. While their higher-​end bottles were steep, there were some nice moderate bottles ($ 25 – 45 retail) with less than 100% markup. Just the thing to take me from a flat-​out neophyte to a seasoned regular.

Food was awesome. Great service. Try the CP burger. Bun is baked to order and melts in your mouth. Bartender was terrific. I highly recommend!

I found out about Café Pierre a few months ago and since then my wife and I have become regulars.
We love having dinner at the bar where the atmosphere is so relaxed and everyone seems to have a good time as opposed to dining area where all the waitresses seem to be stressed out and running into each other.
Their wine selection is outstanding and make sure (if you are sitting at the bar) you ask Christian for recommendations. He is very knowledgeable and always great.
Following his reccs we have tried so far: grilled octopus, lamb sirloin, papardelle with wild boar ragu, beet salad, selection of charcuterie and cheese, steak au pouvre and a few more dishes I can’t remember. Everything was delicious and mouthwatering.

Mediocre food, and sub par service. Our waitress, who was nice and reasonably attentive, was not professional. She knew nothing about wine, and seemed to know little about the menu except what was «really popular.»
As for the food: the crispy pork belly was fatty and undercooked (definitely NOT crispy), the frisée salad was pretty good. We left after the appetizer, despite intending to stay for more apps, entrée and dessert.
We shared a glass of wine which was not good. Neither of us drank much of it. Was it opened for too long? Likely.
This is my second — and probably last — time here. Now I remember why it had been so long since my first visit.

After trying the Braised Rabbit here (twice) all I can say is I don’t root for Bugs Bunny any more because his species is just too delicious, especially with the right white wine pairing. (My wife mentioned that the Hanger Steak is good too.) As others have said it’s a bit too crowded and a bit too noisy, and the music they pipe in doesn’t add to the ambiance, but on a food and service level the place is impeccable. Corkage fee was $ 20. One of these days I’ll order something besides the rabbit. Damn those things are tasty!

Maybe our waitress had too many tables but she seemed behind all night and stressed. Cocktails were slow, wine was delivered halfway through the meal. Not great. The food was good though. The gazpacho was great, corn soup and duck risotto very good.
There are too many good choices in MB for this level of service though. I’m not coming back. Total bill $ 450.

I was super excited to come here for date night after receiving a gift certificate for Christmas. (Yes, it took us 4 months to get a babysitter and go… any good babysitter recommendations are always welcome! :)) The food was good, service was great, and our table offered a cozy atmosphere, but we decided after leaving that if we wanted to spend $ 80 on dinner again, we might try somewhere else. We did love, however, the small plate options.
Our order:
–French onion soup gratinee: yummy! And actually pretty big, so it was filling for us!
–Braised Lamb Shoulder: our favorite order — so delicious!
–Pulled Beef Short Rib Sliders: I think these could have been awesome, but our sliders were missing the horseradish cream and blue cheese, so it didn’t taste like anything special.
–Scallops with Cauliflower: Really good scallops!
–Side of Caramelized Brussels Sprouts: Had to add some veggies to the meal ;) and were glad we did because it was a really large serving and helped fill us up.
The wine list was unbelievable, and if you’re a wino, you’d love to pour over the menu to find your ideal pairings, but unfortunately I was preggo and had to settle with my ice water. The hubs had a glass of Malbec though that we liked a lot!
Give it a try though, you might love it!

Café Pierre has changed their menu and while it is new and different, nothing has been spared in quality or incredible taste!
The Shrimp and Jalapeño Pasta is awesome!
The Scallops are decadent!
The Lamb Burger is Zesty and delicious!
The special Farro Risotto with Burrata was killler!
A must go…

The menu is awesome here for selective finicky foodie eaters like myself. I love the small plate options because you can try as many things as you like and everyone gets to talk about what you’re all eating.
These are the tasty morsels I ate:
The appetizer jar; duck — was amazingly delish
Marinated olives and almonds with goat cheese — so tasty!
The lamb shoulder small plate with polenta — was actually pretty big, you could eat that alone as a meal.
The octopus small plate — again super yummy.
The service wasnt great the day I was there everyone was super slow, but sweet as can be, I am told that it was unusual, so I didnt deduct a star for it, plus our waiter was so knowledgable with everything and knew what Celiac, gluten-​free was straight away, its always nice when you dont have to explain a zillion times everytime you go out, gets super annoying.
Definitely going back for more small plate tasties!

This is one of those places I walked by a lot, but never stopped in to try. They have a menu posted outside and the barramundi drew me in. It is a buttery, sweet fish that I don’t see often at restaurants though I think I have had it at CA Fish Grill.
Café Pierre’s is small and got really crowded (and loud) toward the end of our meal. We were seated promptly and it took a while for bread and drinks, but our food came out lightening fast and we were hungry, so we didn’t mind at all.
FOOD:
Barramundi. Cannelini beans, watercress, prosciutto and basil jus ($ 27)
8-​hours Braised Beef Short Ribs. Cipollini onions, spinach, mashed potatoes, red wine sauce ($ 29).
Overall, I thought the food was above-​average in taste, quality and although the fish came with what looked like an odd mix of items, the flavors all blended well. Barramundi is a tasty fish and the cannelli beans were a nice, light side to pair with it. The short-​ribs were a larger portion– juicy, tender and everything short ribs should be when cooked for 8 hours! I will say that the only less than stellar dish was the mac and cheese side which had large round spiral pasta which was difficult to eat. They were like doughy balls of pasta.
We usually skip dessert in a place like this (and I knew there was a Cold Stone’s around the corner!), but we were relaxing there and were curious. Opted for the chocolate mousse and crème brûlée. Both were delicious. I have nothing bad to say about dessert. At $ 8 each, dessert was pricey, but that is usually the cost of dessert around the area. Price-​wise our meal wasn’t ridiculous. A cocktail, two dishes, a side and two desserts came out to $ 105. The food was good and I really enjoyed the restaurant — so no prob!
FYI — If you know a lot about wine, come here as their list is insane. Service was good. The server was busy, maybe tired, and didn’t give us specials at the beginning. We already knew what we wanted, so that may have been why. No biggie. I did appreciate his directness and lack of flowery, annoying speech. LOL. That might just be me, but I don’t need all the pretenses that go along with «great service.» Sometimes I just want to eat. The other staff who refilled drinks and bused tables were also very polite, asked to take plates away and didn’t interrupt conversation. I think this courtesy is only found in a small percentage of restaurants and even high-​end restaurants don’t always teach this subtlety.
Park in the big underground lot and walk up the escalators. Café Pierre’s is next to The Coffee Bean.

Café Pierre is a favorite restaurant of both my husband and myself. The ambiance is delightful: cheerful and alive. The staff is warm, friendly, and knowledgeable about everything from its cuisine to its bar. Incidently, the latter is a happening site within the restaurant. There are weekly wine tastings which are very popular with many people who enjoy learning and possibly adding to their favorites. The food is absolutely delicious, with often the surprise of a new amazing appetizer, entrée, or dessert. The soups are a favorite, different selection each day, and generally made without cream. One would never know this, however, for the taste is rich and true to its base. Each is a treat!
In our opinion, no matter what sends you to a restaurant — special occasion or a «I’m going to treat myself» … this is where to go!

The truth is, when you’re in the downtown district of Manhattan Beach, you could blink and miss this place. My advice? Don’t blink.
Café Pierre was a fantastic surprise! At such an affordable price point, I was expecting the dishes to be a shadow of what they were supposed to be. I couldn’t have been more wrong, the food was beautiful, flavorful, creative and absolutely scrumptious. The lamb shank was perfectly cooked and had rich flavors, the duck rilletes were a delight and the wine selection was extensive. The only minor miss was our beef braised short rib which was perfectly tender but underseasoned. They really got everything right from the simple to the complex, which in my opinion is the mark of a good establishment. From the rustic home baked bread to the chicken pâté to the melt in your mouth seafood risotto, everything was exquisitely prepared and not a detail was missed.
The service was excellent, they were both patient and attentive. We also engaged in a 15 minute conversation with the manager about Paris, her hometown, food and wine. Needless to say, we left Café Pierre a few pounds heavier and excited to have found a new go to dinner spot.

Sister restaurant to Zazou in the Riviera. I loved Zazou but loooovveeee Café Pierre even more. Why you ask?
1. Quick cab ride to Manhattan Beach.
2. Lively atmosphere at the bar during the weekend.
3. Great food, more specifically, bread pudding the way it used to be at Zazou!
4. Much better area in my opinion.
Dont get me wrong, I love both restaurants but there isnt much of anything to do in South Redondo that interest me. I prefer Manhattan Beach.
We started with the frisee salad and another appetizer she recommended. I loved the frisee salad, so light and original. Poached egg atop my salad? Yes please! Be warned, if you dont like runny yolks, dont get this. The other appetizer was literally a few small sausages and something that resembled polenta. Not my cup o tea.
For the entrees we had the wild boar ragu and steak au pouvre. The boar ragu was pretty heavy but good. The paperdelle was very tender and tasted freshly made. The steak was cooked perfectly. The sauce is what makes this dish, ask for some additional sauce on the side to dip your fries in! Yum!
Service was good and I would definitely come back.

I had diner last night and it was outstanding.
The staff was very very good, we had fun drinking good wine, good cocktails and eating awesome fish and lamb. They also have very good deserts!
A bit pricey but it worth it,
Great!

This place is absolutely fantastic. The atmosphere is classy and relaxed. The service is very friendly. The manager came by several times to check up on us. The bartender came to find us when our drinks were ready. Everyone just went the extra mile.
The food didn’t disappoint either. We started with the Ahi Tuna Tartare — which was very fresh and delicious, and the goat cheese salad — which was not drenched in sauce and actually had good leaves rather than the bitter stuff most restaurants use.
For the main course I split the Roasted Butternut Squash Ravioloni and the Steak au Poivre. We asked for the steak to come out medium rare and it actually came out medium rare. It’s sad to realize how seldom that happens. Anyway, the steak was a very good cut, very juicy and very lean. It also came with a heap of crispy fries. But my favorite was the Ravioloni, the butternut squash really came out great and whatever sauce they had worked perfectly to compliment it.
For drinks I tried their sazerac and their old fashioned. I enjoyed both but the sazerac was fantastic. Very smooth and zesty.
Great place for a date or a relaxed evening with friends.

There really isn’t anything bad to say!
Three Cheese Platter– a must try. (Taleggio is yum)
Pork Chop– I don’t eat meat but was told it was very moist which is rare for pork chops
Grilled Octopus Salad– yum
Chick pea Fries– Great
Bread Pudding Duo– the chocolate one is delish for chocolate lovers
Skip the squash ravioloni– good but there are better things on the menu
FIVE STARS for great service. Excellent waiters (we had two because one went on break). Both were helpful in making food choices. My friend is a picky eater and she couldn’t decide between a few entrees. Our first waiter offered to have my friend give him her three top choices and he’d bring out a surprise entrée! How Fun! The manager also came over a few times to see how we were doing. I was very impressed.

Café Pierre is a small, classy yet casual spot right by Manhattan Beach.
I came with a friend and we were seated promptly by the window.
They started us off with complimentary bread that came with an eggplant spread and an olive spread. I’ve had better bread, but the eggplant spread was quite enjoyable. The olives, on the other hand, were way too salty.
For the appetizer, we ordered the ahi tuna tartare, which was delicious! The tuna was fresh and mixed well with the other ingredients, and it was served with ruffles-​like potato chips.
For my main course, I had the 70 hour beef short ribs. That 70 hours worked its magic because the meat was flavorful and so tender! The fries it came with were ordinary, and the spinach was okay. I wish it were creamed spinach instead. :)
The roasted jidori chicken my friend ordered was also really tender.
Then for dessert, we went with the special of the day, which was some sort of meringue. I initially wanted the tiramisu or bread pudding, but I decided to try something new. Haha, bad idea. The bottom portion was like astronaut ice cream, and it left me unsatisfied. :(
Despite the dessert disappointment, I would recommend trying Café Pierre! It’s definitely a nice restaurant, and service is pleasant. And when you’re done with dinner, you can always walk to the beach!