Bistro le Crillon

Love this place. We are fortunate that we can walk here from our home which we do frequently. The owners, Diego and Chantal are great. We are stuck in our ways and always get the bacon wrapped dates for appy and bolognese pizza and Gorgonzola gnocchi. Alex has served us for years and does an outstanding job! If you haven’t tried Bistro Le Crillon do yourself a favor!

Outstanding in every way. The staff (owners too) are considerate and welcoming. The wine list is unabridged dictionary size and only comparable to Berns in Tampa in diverse selection and price point. I thoroughly enjoyed the escargot and rack of lamb tonight. The escargot was seasoned just right– burgundy style and jay right in the snail was moist (not overcooked.) The rack of lamb is sourced from Neiman Ranch, near Napa, and tonight it was cooked delicately and spot on as the exterior was crisp and interior was moist. I look forward to returning to enjoy more wine and dining.

Small place you have to know about in order to find it. Very relaxing casual décor, puts you in the mood of a small countryside restaurant somewhere in France or Italy (that’s what the restaurant serves).
Very substantial wine list (restaurant has Wine Spectator Award of Excellence), with the emphasis on Bordeaux, but overall, well rounded, with number of well priced options.
We shared an appetizer of Charcuterie which was quite tasty. And I was particularly excited to find one of my absolutely favorite French dishes on the menu — Cassoulet. This was masterfully done, rich, hearty, body and soul warming and absolutely delicious. One of my dining companions had Beef Bourguignon which was also very tasty.
Friendly and prompt service.
Recommended.

Another great meal… The owners were so fun and we had a great time. Our guests enjoyed it and everyone was impressed by the food and drink… I bought 3 bottles of superior champagne (with complimentary fresh preserves) to give as gifts… It’s a one stop shop for a great meal and exclusive gifts and homemade pastries and preserves… Ok so back to the food: we had a bevy of different appetizers: all good. My fav was the duck terrine and the ravioli but it was all good– caprese, eggplant, olives, bread, assortment of meats, cheese, everything, yum… I had the dover sole with brown butter and capers which I always have and I can’t say enough good things about it… There were some very exotic dishes which we didn’t get but I’m very confident would have been perfect. My husband and brother in law had lasagne with meat and sausage– divine– I had a bite and almost passed out it was so good. My sister had a rack of lamb but I didn’t sample it. Bathroom was clean. Deserts were good but we accidentally ordered too many… Profiteroles, lavender crème brûlée, I ordered a pear tart but they accidentally brought me an apple flambé– fine, it was good so I’m not complaining. There was soufflé available but I didn’t want to wait for it. I’ve had it in the past and it’s great. Anyhow I’m shocked this place is not packed out all the time. They even have organic ingredients which is important to me… Very good!
Ps I forgot the dill salmon with terragon– wow! Last time I had sous vide salmon dill and it blew the whole table out of the water — so good!

I had an amazzzzzing dinner here with my family!!!
Absolutely delicious!
Here’s what I recommend —
The duck terrine, the eggplant appetizer, the lasagna that was out of this world, the rack of lamb, the salmon with dill, and all of the desserts. I specifically loved the lavender crème brûlée, it was amazing!
If I had to narrow it down even further — I would se the duck terrine, the eggplant, salmon with dill, and the crème brûlée!
The ambiance is lovely. The service was wonderful!
It was a fabulous meal!!!

Wife and I went out for romantic dinner to this well established French restaurant. Tasty food. Service good. But once we ordered dessert and after-​dinner drinks everything took a turn for the worst. While waiting for dessert, a new server appeared — an older gentleman whom we suspect to be the owner. He brought 2 bottles of Grand Marnier — one supposedly regular vintage and another supposed upgrade 150 yr old vintage. GM is our standard after-​dinner drink so we know what we should be getting. Suffice it say that he was pouring regular from a 150 bottle and trying to up charge while presenting very watered down regular. Scam scam scam. This is the second time this has happened in Orange County. These guys must all talk to each other. Watch out.

Skip it. Despite being completely empty when we got here, I felt like I was imposing to even ask for water to be refilled. No message on Happy Hour Menu, but apparently you have to buy a drink to be able to order an appetizer. The waiter, despite obviously not going to have a big crowd, was annoyingly short and brisk with us. I did not tip him anything more than the required 10%. I was a college graduate student who waited tables and I never tip poorly, ever… today I broke that rule.
Ordered the Vegetarian Lasagna, was okay but I had WAY better at Maggiano’s and maybe, dare I say, Olive Garden.
My friend got the Beouf Bourguignon and she said it was really good; great combination of wine vs. seasoning.
Beware: If you are hungry, don’t bother… small portions. Food was about 3 stars but ambiance, was 0 stars.
Additionally, the owner was speaking to the table next to us, the only other table. Then, as we were waiting for our drinks, another group came in, the owner came and spoke to them at their table, but I guess we were not worthy ;-(I knew the second party was not there

i have eaten here about 6 times. i always have a great meal. an Italian guy (owner?) seems to run the place and he is treat. knows everything about food and wine.
the service is slower paced which i like. more european style. the décor is great.
the steaks are excellent and the french onion soup is my favorite. the wine list is extensive and they have some exotic dishes like deer and boar and elk too i believe.

One of our favorite places to grab a local meal. Friendly staff, food is always excellent.

It’s a hit and miss place. Sometimes it’s great, food wise, service eye, other times it’s just ok. Overall I like, it’s convenient for the neighborhood and has a semi decent wine list.

Before making my way into Provenance the night before, I almost wanted to change my mind and head my way into Bistro le Crillon instead. It looked nice and cozy from the outside, but I eventually found my way in the area again after reviewing the offerings for it on
.
Upon entrance at 8pm on a Friday evening, the restaurant was super quiet with a couple diners just finishing up dinner. It actually remained pretty empty throughout dinner as we were the only ones left just before closing. The interior is small, but they accommodate for space by extending their covered patio for more tables. The lighting is interesting… maybe to keep things romantic with a light reddish tone, but it made it difficult to see things with clarity.
We decided to go with the Restaurant Week menu, but I noticed they have a $ 30 prix fixe option on their regular menu that almost mirrors the same offerings. We made our selections and also indulged in a bit of wine to celebrate weekend beginnings. My brother got the 2012 Jadot White Burgundy from France (additional $ 9.50) and I got the Mondavi (additional $ 6.00), which were the wine pairings for our entrees. They also have an extensive wine list to choose from.
~ First Course ~
Baked Turkish dates wrapped in pancetta. Thick slices of pancetta wraps the sweet, carmelized dates. The bite size morsels were enjoyable and I wished they had more than just four to snack on. I think a basket would suffice.
Organic Soup of the Day: Tomato Soup with cream and croutons. Our server made sure that we had no allergies before the dish came out. Great gesture considering cream wasn’t explicitly mentioned when he told us about the soup of the day. The soup was creamy and extremely hot as it was served in a tureen, which contained the heat.
~ Second Course ~
French Boeuf Bourguignon (French Meat Stew) is an additional $ 5. The beef braised in red wine produced such a rich and deep flavorful broth, but the beef… ruined it all. It was dry and the huge chunks were difficult to bite through. I would have cut them into smaller pieces, but I was only equipped with a fork and butter knife. Yes, I ate the stew with a fork and then asked them to box the rest. It just felt like it was missing some carbs, like bread to soak the broth or pasta. The next day, I reheated it for lunch with rice and it was WAY better, but I still avoided the bricks of beef.
Scottish Loch Duhart Baked Salmon (additional $ 5) with a side of potato gratin, harricot vert and heirloom carrots. The salmon was cooked to about medium rare and was served with a lemon and dill sauce as accompaniments. Tender and seasoned perfectly, my brother enjoyed his dish as he left nothing behind.
~ Third Course ~
An order of the cappuccino (additional $ 5.00) also comes with chocolate profiteroles so you get double the sweets if you want the after-​meal coffee. The Chocolate Profiteroles were stuffed with coffee ice cream, then drizzled generously with chocolate sauce and topped with whipped cream.
So even though the $ 30 restaurant week menu enticed us to come in, our bill actually added up to about the same price as to what was spent at Provenance. It was just under $ 100 for two people not including tip. The food was mediocre or not as highly executed for the value, but service was excellent and we were checked on periodically even though we were the only two people in the restaurant after 9pm.
At the time we came in, they had just made a fresh batch of pastries (apple turnovers, blueberry muffins, chocolate croissants, etc). If I plan on stopping in the area, I’ll have to try those out. Otherwise, it was nice to come through, but not a place I would find myself returning to for dinner.

I went here during Newport Restaurant week with my boss for lunch. Very quaint place, very cute patio area.
Prix fixe menu for $ 10 with a few add-​ons to some items. Most of the salads listed are already $ 10 on the regular menu.
I tried the tuna nicoise salad thinking it would be a tuna steak. Instead i ended up with tuna salad on top of mixed greens. It was alright, but I probably wouldn’t order it again.
My boss got the burger and added a caesar salad for $ 2.50. It’s open faced (french style) with some type of sautéed mushrooms. It looked pretty good.
The service was OK.
Overall, not sure if I would go back. I feel like I could get something more for $ 10 at another restaurant.

Delicious food and a very good service!

Well,
DISAPPOINTED… start at the end… Chocolate soufflé LOL
It wasn’t even HOT, like a warm chocolate sponge cake, massively topped with
canned whipped cream, that was not melting, and even worse finished off
with Hershey chocolate syrup. I complained and got hands in the air, shrug of
shoulders, and a weak sorry. WOW
Caprese salad was ok… tomatoes lack taste, not enough basil
Bread fine and warm, asked for seconds, came but served cold. YUK
Sole was cooked perfect
Canaloni was delightful
Salami was ordinary and swiss chees ok/​serving too small
White wine chilled perfectly
My chair faced the kitchen area… awful looking at
rubber dish trays, boxes… lacking in concern… could be
screened of decorated
Especially enjoyed fresh roses at each table.
SOOOOOO
Hit & Miss
Will probably not return, as we in Newport haxe many
lovely places to dine properly/​
Sad) ;:) Face

We live a couple of miles away so we thought we would try this place out in hopes that it might be a regular for us.
I once went to a restaurant when my associate order a tuna melt. The sandwich came on a baguette roll. How is that a melt sandwich when the only requirements for a melt are that the sandwich be grilled or fried? In other words it was a complete misrepresentation of a tuna melt.
That’s essentially what happened last night with the spaghetti shrimp puttanesca. I love puttanesca, It’s an amazing dish I make at home with regularity. I understand that dishes can be varied but there are basics and the basics to puttanesca require, olives, capers, anchovies, garlic and tomato. Puttanesca is tangy and salty bursting with flavor.
We re’cd our puttanesca and I haven’t been this disappointed in a long time. It had only the garic, none of the other main ingredients required to call it puttanesca. It was shockingly bland. We sent it back and asked for some tomato sauce to be added and it came back almost worse. Really the dish was a disaster. However the shrimp in the dish was tasty.
On the bright side, the ambiance of the restaurant is very nice, service was very good.
We might try it one more time but I’m uncertain at this point. They have been around for 22 yrs so they must be doing something right.
Then the owner/​chef came by our table to say hi and see how everything was for us. What could I say to her???

Thought we would try out this place. I had seen it pop up on my Unilocal.The atmosphere is really cute and they are slightly pricey. The service is ok. They’re pretty consistent in trying to check up on you.
I had their French onion soup which was a tad disappointing cause it was a lot sweeter than I had hoped. I got a croissant on the side to try to balance out the sweetness. Still decent. My mom had the mushroom filled omelet. That was pretty good.
It’s a pretty decent place. Haven’t tried any of their other stuff but I’d say they aren’t too bad.

So I ordered their Croquet Monsieur baked ham sandwich. Fancy name but absolutely nothing fancy about this sandwich. Well, this sandwich was nothing more than a glorified grilled ham and cheese sandwich that I can make at home in a hurry. It was covered up with melted cheese and inside it had some pieces of cold ham, which it looked like the kind you get at a grocery store. Keep in mind, this entire sandwich was supposed to be baked in the oven so why was my ham cold then? Liars!
Then the only thing that accompanied the sandwich was a little tiny piece of twisted tomatoe which in all honesty that wasn’t even an eight of a regular tomatoe.
And to top it all off they charge $ 10 for this? Such a royal and blatant rip off.
The only thing I actually liked and enjoyed was their patio. It was very nice and cozy.

Came here for my mother-in-law’s birthday over the weekend. Biggest mistake EVER!
1. They said it’s a French restaurant, but 80% of the menu is Italian.
2. They are a disgrace to Italian food with piss-​poor, slower-​than-​a-​sloth slow service.
3. We were the only customers inside the restaurant with a party of 7 and waited 50min to get our food, which over half of our orders were disgusting and cold.
4. My Spaghetti w/​Tiger Shrimp Puttanesca ($ 21) looked like a dinner plate for a 3yr old made by a 3yr old. The spaghetti (all 15 – 20 strands of it) was cold, under-​cooked, and completely bland with no sauce or seasoning. They basically half-​boiled the pasta and threw it on the plate with 4 small shrimp that was just seasoned with too much salt. RIDICULOUS!!! My father-​in-​law ordered the same thing. The owner/​manager took our dishes back and basically just added some white wine (which wasn’t reduced, just poured in) and watered down tomato sauce and served it back to us. PATHETIC!
5. My wife and friend’s Scottish Salmon ($ 20) were a joke. Old, fishy-​smelling and mushy salmon (3−4oz filet at best), most definitely frozen and defrosted was bland with no seasoning. The potato gratin was completely dried, stale with no seasoning and probably microwaved.
6. My mother-​in-​law and sister’s Penne Bolognese ($ 18) were basically frozen TV dinners microwaved to a piping heap of crap, hard and luke-​warm.
7. I hate to give high end restaurants such low ratings, but when you’re an upscale, fancy restaurant with FOUR $ signs in Newport Beach, and you’re serving food that taste THIS BAD, that’s really pathetic.
The only plus side was them giving my mother-​in-​law a free bottle of cheap Pinot for her birthday.
We will never come back here again, sorry.

I checked out the reviews before coming here. I used to live just three blocks from here, and never did come to this restaurant. I’m not quite sure why, just didn’t make it over there.
I went tonight, and was very glad that I did.
I wasn’t feeling too well, and believe the owner (or manager?) picked up on that pretty quickly. I asked to be seated outside even though no one else was out there, and to have the heater turned on. He quickly did it and with a smile.
The waiter came right away, and was very attentive throughout the entire meal. I couldn’t decide between the caprese and the prosciutto with melon appetizer. He offered to combine both on one plate, which was delicious. Very good and very nice quality. Both appetizers were very tasty. My dinnermate loved both as well, and even took the very last bite of cheese after our meal because he enjoyed it so much.
My companion ordered wine, which was quite good. I ordered the tomato soup, and the waiter asked if I wanted to add a little cream. I did and it was absolutely fantastic. Of course I probably need to do an extra mile on my run tomorrow. LOL
Throughout our dinner, the waitstaff was terrific. The ambience was romantic and quite warm on the patio even though it was very cool outside. A little bit of music outside and this would be an even better date spot!
I was still not feeling too well, and the waiter offered to wrap up my soup to take home. I will be enjoying that tomorrow. I believe my companion had the meatball dish. He scarfed down every last bite and said it was terrific as well.
I am also a sucker for butter that is soft and on great bread. Didn’t disappoint. The waiter kept the sparkling water in a cooling container so it didn’t fall warm during the meal. I rarely see this happen and it should more often.
We did not order dessert because they were closing.
Oh by the way, I was dressed terribly and so was my dinnermate. LOL so our great service was definitely not due to our appearance ;-)
I did have my Unilocal app open and had checked in as the waiter first came. I guess it’s possible that what I experienced was the Hawthorne effect, based on other reviews. LOL I will be trying this restaurant again in the next couple of weeks and will update if my experience is different, but to me it’s five stars and worth every penny.

We came here for Newport Beach restaurant week. This is a restaurant I’ve been wanting to try forever, however, the exorbitant prices has hindered us from going on a normal evening. I felt the restaurant week menus are the best way to get a chance to sample what the restaurant has to offer so I can decide whether or not I want to return on a regular night.
We were very early, around 6pm so the restaurant was empty. There were a few people at the bar having drinks, but no one else in the dining room.
There were a few things to select from and luckily there were enough of us to get a different thing each. We started with some soups… the soup of the day was a red pepper soup which was actually quite lovely. It was the French onion soup which highly disappointed. I was expecting a French restaurant to have some kick-​ass onion soup, but the one here was very light in color, weak in flavor and in general, thin and flavorless.
Entrees included an Italian (?? really??) sausage in a marinara-​style sauce with pasta. It wasn’t anything special and I’ve prepared dishes similar to this before. The other item was a chicken nicoise with a similar marinara sauce to the other one but with olives. Again, unimpressive. Beef Bourguinon was just so-​so. The meat wasn’t tender enough it didn’t really wow in any way.
By now, another party of 2 had come in but sat outside on the patio. So it is now around 7.15pm and there was one party beside ours. Based on what we’ve eaten so far, I’m honestly not that surprised.
I checked the menu for the regular prices and dishes were all bordering on the $ 30 mark with others stretching towards the $ 40 mark. I wouldn’t return for any of the 3 dishes we tried.
The dessert was a profiteroles with ice cream. The puffs were a tad stale and doused with WAY too much chocolate sauce.
The 3-​course meal was $ 40 which, when considered, compared to the regular menu is a steal. However, I’ve gotten far better restaurant week menus for that price — and less. Not impressed at all.