Rive Gauche Cafe

The food was delicious!
The service was Great! Friendly service!
Nice family atmosphere.
Good prices.
Highly Recommend for all occasion.

not a kid friendly place. the server was very rude. he didn’t even get us enough menus. Grubbed our plates before we were done.

I like the atmosphere and our waitress was very informative, however I believe their quality of food has downgraded tremendously! First of all they ran out of the fish we ordered so after 15 minutes that we had input our order our waitress came back and told two of the people on our table that they had ran out of the fish they ordered and they only had one… I would completely understand if that happens but it shouldn’t have been brought up that late into the night and it seems that the kitchen did not communicate well with the staff… I had ordered the filet mignon and I asked for medium well and they brought me a dried out well done one, and I had asked for no mashed potatoes and veggies instead but they brought potatoes … Since it was late I did not want to bother them or make them feel bad so I did not say anything… The artichoke they served was completely different from the other times I had been there as though it was not even cooked all the way thru… Just a disappointment …

Food is good, but not spectacular. Service is excellent. Corkage is $ 20.00, NOT $ 0.00. I read Unilocal reviews that said zero, so made reservations here (rather than Bizou — $ 2.00 corkage). When I arrived, I was informed that management had changed their policy, and was now $ 20.00! I said that I had read here that it was $ 0. Oh well. «I’ll tell the owner.» Special occasion (big anniversary). No free desert. We ordered two regular deserts and paid for both.

Ive visited this restaurant several times and I’m never disappointed. The food is always amazing and service is great. I definitely recommend the pork chop or short ribs, yum! Cute atmosphere and a great place to dine.

First and foremost I want to say that this is one of my old time favorite restaurants in the valley!
I have not gone to Rive Gauche Café in years. I used to go with family and friends all the time. Last night I had made reservations for 7pm to have Christmas dinner. I walked in 5 minutes to 7 and was greeted by Wendy and Kristen. They were both lovely in their own way. Wendy who happens to be the owner’s daughter escorted me to my seat right away. She was very nice, kind and helpful.
My server Alfredo was ok. Could have been a little more patient and could have taken the time to listen to what I wanted to order rather than disappearing before I finished my order. However he got everything right and I am not going to go down on my 5 star rating and make it 4, since I have been going there for so many years. I think he was kind of new.
I ordered poached salmon with asparagus and black rice along with french onion soup and as an appetizer I ordered mushrooms with crab cakes. The food was divine!!! just unbelievably delicious! Alfredo suggested a white glass of Bierra Chardonay and that also complimented my food just the right way. I was very pleased with the ambiance, service, and the food! Had a lovely time. Will return to Rive Gauche very soon. Oh, also I had dessert… cream brûlée and their delicious cheesecake. Words can not describe how good they both tasted:) Too bad it was night time or else I also wanted to sit at their beautiful patio and enjoy their cozy shops and feel like I am really in France:)))

Old school French. Favorites here are the omelettes, oysters on the half shell, French Onion soup… really great brunch. The patio is lovely on a warm day. Sitting inside reminds me of being in a small town in Northern France.

Amazing food — wine, bar, ambiance — love this place! A hidden gem!

Hidden (in plain site) treasure.
I grew up in the Valley and have seen a lot of changes on Ventura Blvd. This place is still one of the best kept secrets around. Set in a pre-​war Spanish style motel, Rive Gauche still does French food the right way in a little hideaway at the bottom of Hazeltine.
Someday the hipsters will claim that they came here «before it was cool.» But now is when it’s cool.
Oh, and try the the Duck Pâté. Ridiculous!

I was there last evening celebrating my birthday. My husband took me here as a surprise as he knows I live French food.
We sat on the patio and it was lit with romantic lighting. So pretty! Too bad it’s on Ventura Blvd. seeing all the car is a drag. They have a fountain that drowns out the sound of the street.
We ordered our cocktails, appetizer, dinner and espresso coffees. Completely hapoy with all our choices. I cannot wait to go back.
Let me make special mention to the staff. We were greeted by the hostess that was delightful, our waiter Raphael really knew the menu and made excellent recommendations.
Simply excellent dinning experience!

I cannot comment on this restaurant as we did not even get in the door. The valet parking guy raced in after us and demanded we use his services. The parking lot was empty. We had parked using a handicapped sticker. He would not accept this and said we HAD to move the car and use valet parking, so we left and went to Granville’s instead.

I love this restaurant. The environment is beautiful, and the food is great.

Came here for a dinner this last Father’s Day. I think in our previous lives, my husband and I were both French, which can only explain why we both love France and French food so much. We were both happy to find another French restaurant and this place doesn’t disappoint.
Quaint little restaurant with a cute outdoor patio. Friendly service, attentive staff.
Appetizers: we got the escargots and grilled artichokes to share. The artichokes were a little overdone, but the lemon aoli sauce was terrific.
Dinners: hubby got the filet, which was thick! Must’ve been at least a 2″ cut. Cooked well to his liking. I got the Sea Scallop served with the puff pastry, and omg my taste bud exploded with joy. The other couple got the duck breast and the ravioli du jour, which was with lobster that day. They were both very impressed with the quality.
Desserts: we got two crème brûlée, a chocolate garnache type of cake, and a chocolate covered chocolate ice cream with raspberry sorbet center. It was an orgasmic experience.
We love this place and will certainly be back for sure.

I’ve eaten here so many times and all I can say is that I’m a regular! The food is sublime, the ambiance is lovely and there is outdoor seating that is so pretty! I love how isn’t quiet and the people who come here are always pleasant and nice. It just makes you want to enjoy your time there as soon as you walk in. The Sunday brunch is delicious, I’ve had the mushroom omelette, eggs Benedict, bacon Benedict, the asparagus Oscar with poached egg and the French toast, all of its yummy! The dinner menu has some of the best scallops I’ve ever eaten and the Scottish salmon is my go to! The fresh baguette that they bring to the table is always warm and has just the right amount of crunch. It’s my favorite French restaurant in the valley by far.

As soon as we entered the restaurant, the atmosphere was «off.» It quickly became apparent why: the temperature was cranked up and it was packed with senior citizens, some of whom gave us a wide-​eyed (even stink-​eyed) look as we entered. (I tweeted about this and one of my more senior friends replied, calling it «God’s Waiting Room.») Fortunately, the hostess sat us next to the open window. We wouldn’t have been able to stay if she hadn’t. Even the poor servers were sweating.
Our server, Raphael, was fantastic. They were having a hectic night, which isn’t unusual on a Saturday night anywhere else in Los Angeles, but the atmosphere continued to be stifling. The menu is printed in this florid, scrolling font that used different versions of the same capital letters throughout; it was really difficult to scan and read.
The food was tasty, but not more so than say Le Petit Restaurant, which has a much lighter, more elegant feeling to it if you want fine French dining in the same price range. I used to live in France and I can’t say either is «authentic,» so to speak, but I think I prefer Le Petit.
Then, just before we left, one of the elderly diners at the table near ours had a health emergency and tried to leave the «waiting room.» It was awful. It’s not the restaurant’s fault, obviously. I just mention it because it certainly punctuated the strange evening.

I really wanted to like this place. It looks so quaint, like it’s out of a story book, and I love French food. Unfortunately I was very, very disappointed.
As an appetizer, we shared the stuffed mushrooms, which I had heard were supposed to be one of the best starters. When our disinterested waiter plopped the plate of yellow-​ish gray blobs in front of us, I thought they smelled a little funny. Then I cut one open to reveal the murky crab meat and – yup, something definitely smelled off. The busboy took the discarded plate from the other edge of our table without a word.
For my entrée I had scallops «vol au vent,» which means they’re served in a creamy sauce in a puff pastry crust. The scallops were remarkably tasteless, and the crust was burnt on the bottom.
To top off the experience, there was a police officer writing up some kind of report just off the main dining area that made us and the other diners visibly uncomfortable, and the staff made no effort to explain the situation. Hmm. I’m also not a fan of the bussing station in the middle of the dining room – I was sitting 3 feet away from the dirty dish bin.
I guess the only thing authentically French about this place is the horrible service. We watched our drinks sit on the bar for a good 10 minutes before the waiter bothered to bring them over, and the place wasn’t very busy. The only redeeming thing about our visit was eavesdropping on awkward Tinder dates.

I adore this place.
I’ve had ladies’ nights in the bar here and family dinners (and date nights) in the dining room. Absolutely perfect every time.
The food is incredible, the wine wonderful, and I find the staff incredibly attentive and accommodating.
My in-​laws were in from London a month ago and my husband and I took them to the finest establishments while here. The only one up to their standards was Rive, and it was the best meal of the week.
Heading back tonight with the rest of the family and honestly can’t wait.

Tucked back on to its little plot is a very quaint little restaurant. To be completely honest, I wanted to try because Kim Kardashian had been there before. I have to say, I was pretty impressed. The hostess was cheery and very nice.
We ordered the artichoke as an appetizer and although it was rather small, I was wildly impressed– especially with the lemon aoli it was served with.
For dinner I got the baked chicken with angel hair and artichoke hearts (amazing) and my boyfriend got the shrimp and pasta.
Dessert was the only disappointment. It was an apple tart, but seemed more like poached apples pressed together with a cheap caramel sauce. I only managed to take two bites before I had to call it quits on it.
Other than the dessert, I would say the meal was pretty fantastic. I highly recommend.

This had to be one of the best things I have ever eaten. Scallops in a mushroom cream sauce in a puff pastry. With a glass of organic chardonnay. Absolutely perfect.
My friends and I ate in the bar area, which is across the patio from the restaurant. The waiters were both very nice, and made some excellent suggestions on the menu and wine.
We hung out and ate at the tables, and later moved over to the couches to chat.
I would like to go back again and sit outside on the patio. The food was so amazing.

In 1975, the Rive Gauche Café was established. It used to be called the «Sherman Oaks Inn,» and you can tell it still has that courtyard, bar, and lobby feel.
The environment is tucked away beautifully from the outside; inside its den-​like décor is spacious & the fireplace by the bar is excellent.
Here’s a common theme with any French restaurant that has older management: Medieval menus with cursive text, middle-​aged waiters who are sparse & inattentive, and complacent food.
I ordered the sand dabs with roasted root vegetables. The beets, squash, and potatoes were the perfect texture, but the fish left much to be desired. If I had to do it again, I would order the grilled artichoke and the stuffed mushroom with Crab.
Older people like to have their birthday parties here… just be aware this restaurant caters to a vintage, old fashioned clientele.

I am not from the area, I just passed through and decided to eat at Jinky’s café next door to this. The parking lot was full so I drove around the alley and found myself in the valet parking for this restaurant. I went in and was in flip flops and capri’s thought I was very under dressed, it is elegant. My 11 year old and I decided to order crab stuffed mushrooms, escargot, poached salmon with cream sauce, grilled asparagus, I ordered flat iron steak with a reduction sauce and carrots and french beans, this food was excellent. The Escargot has to be eaten it’s a must.
The service was outstanding she made us feel so comfortable and was so helpful with suggestions then my son and I had to share a Chocolate Mousse absolutely the best I have ever had. I would drive an hour any time to have this french cuisine again. Truly the best french food and service I have ever had. Thank you for turning a bad night in to a great memory.

Wow.
Everything here is just perfectly executed. The plates come out perfectly tempered too. Hot, but not to the point of burning your tongue. Perfectly ready for your face.
The place looks gorgeous and the waiting staff are hospitable, kind and knowledgable.
Definitely need to have a fat wallet. It’s not cheap, but prices are reasonable considering the quality of execution and meals on offer.
My wife and I came for dinner and had:
Chilean Sea Bass — Amazing. Tender. Delicious. Worthy of man-​tears. I stole some from my wife’s plate.
Fillet Steak with Pepper sauce — Tender, succulent, no gristle. Delicious
Oysters — Perfect. I usually don’t bother with the cocktail sauce, but it tasted home made. I pretty much just scooped it out of the jar after finishing the oysters. Damn tasty.
Cheesecake — Perfect.
Belgian Chocolate Ginger Cake Thing — Perfect.
We also picked out a bottle of wine that was around $ 36. Was a Zinfandel which I usually hate, but this was exceptionally good.
All in all, we both loved it and will return when we get our next paycheck. Thanks again! :)