Café de France

Love this little hidden spot on Park Ave. Have been here before to eat and have also ordered food to go. I adore their croque monsieur. It comes with a homemade sauce for dipping and the most delicious show straw french fries. The sandwich itself has so much flavor and is the perfect amount of crispy. The price for this is extremely affordable and reasonable as well. I will have to come back and try something else!

Took my wife to CDF last night for our anniversary. Fantastic experience. We’ve been to just about every good restaurant in Central Florida, and Café de France is our favorite. It is intimate, casual, romantic, and charming. Sue had lamb chops and I had duck with a nice Spanish wine. Food and presentations were excellent, excellent, excellent. Our waitress, Elena, was also charming and always there, but never interrupting. We go there at least a couple of times a year and are always more than pleased with our experience. This time was no exception. Café de France is the best restaurant in Central Florida.

Four of us visited on a rainy afternoon — the room is very inviting and casual with French restaurant paintings on the walls. We had fun identifying where we were on our last trip to Paris. Onion soup was delish as were the escargots. Entrees were excellent. The two servers were knowledgeable and very nice. We all enjoyed our lunch very much and will be returning very soon.

Had I written this review two years ago, it would have been a full five-​star review. This has been one of our family’s favorite restaurants for years. Recently, we have had some disappointing experiences — not enough to end our patronage, but worth mention.
Overall, the environment is intimate, romantic, yet casual. This is the kind of place you could go for a special night out, or wander in (with a reservation!) in shorts after a sweaty day walking Park Avenue. It is family-​owned and, normally, you get that homey, caring vibe.
The dishes are classic French dishes, although it does seem recently they have become more adventurous with their dishes. Truthfully, I preferred more classic (I have had a chip on my shoulder ever since their delicious and wonderful osso bucco was removed from the menu). The dishes are executed to perfection (as is, of course, required of French cuisine) — except one recent experience with the chocolate soufflé. The cream atop the soufflé was sour — leaving a literal bad taste in our mouth.
I still think this is one of the best restaurants on Park Avenue — and I will always be partial to French food. However, I hope they get back on track and remain consistent with their roots, as a Winter Park mainstay.

We visited for the first time recently and were impressed with every aspect of the experience from the food to the service and the atmosphere. The service is attentive without hovering. Our server knew the menu in and out and was able to easily answer our questions and offer recommendations. Our cocktails were superb. The food was excecuted perfectly. My wife had the scallops and I had the duck. Both were very flavorful and well played. Unfortunately, we were too full for dessert and opted for coffee instead. We will certainly be back.

Absolutely the best experience. Very authentic French food. I came here with my boyfriend for a romantic date night and it was perfect. He’s a picky eater but he found several options to choose from. I love that’s it’s locally owned as well and has been for some 30 years. Definitely one of the best restaurants on the avenue. Great service, wonderful wine selection, and amazing food for the price.

My husband made reservations at this lovely little place for a date night. It atmosphere is quaint and inviting with French café music playing. We started with French onion soup, which I love and try just about everywhere. The soup had a more clear flavorful broth with scallions thrown in at the last minute so they were still bright and crisp. There was just enough Gruyère cheese to enjoy but not overwhelm the soup. My husband ordered a special of buffalo steak. He loved the grilled vegetables and the potatoes. He said the steak was good but not excellent. He does travel out west frequently, so he has eaten a lot of buffalo. He loved the Nutella crêpe and even passed up crème brûlée for Nutella. I had the Coq au vin which was very good. Three pieces of chicken in the sauce over creamy mashed potatoes. I enjoyed the dark chocolate fondant to end my meal. We will be back, service was great too!

What took me so long to enjoy this wonderful place! Loved the menu, and my choice of the duck confit was deliciously prepared.

My BF took me here on Friday (06÷26÷15) for a birthday dinner. The ambiance was nice and restaurant quiet, since there was probably only 5 other tables with people.
For starters we had the escargot and terrine. I never had escargot, and didn’t expect what we got, but it was good. The terrine with the cornichons was amazing though. Never had it, but boy… super good.
I got the Duck confit with a side of grilled artichokes and the BF got the seared scallops with some green risotto stuff… the presentation was lovely and the food tasted good. So far, the best duck confit I’ve had.
And since it was my birthday, the waitress brought out a candle and icecream. Cute and greatly appreciated.
It’s nice for a special dinner, since you’ll probably end up spending $ 50+ per person. I enjoyed myself and so did the BF. I would come back again.

This is a delightful little place. The server, Sarah, was very friendly and engaged us in conversation about the area (which we were unfamiliar with). For those looking for a completely authentic French restaurant, they may be a bit disappointed-​there is definitely some American influence (i.e. the special pulled pork bagel sandwich with melted provolone, green apple, and Dijon). However, the dishes are unique French twists on American classics interspersed with classic French dishes that are wonderfully made. Almost everything is homemade, from the terrine to the ketchup! The duck sandwich is superb-​melty Brie and rich duck create a taste experience. I also recommend the French Onion Soup. Café de France is ooh la la good!

They nicely plate the food. The food is bland though. And the sauces left something to be desired.
The service was excellent.

Let me explain how disappointing this restaurant was. The server was great, very knowledgable and extremely helpful. Starting out we had the escargot and carrot soup. They were great. Put hope in is For our entrees. I order the duck confit, which is my favorite food! The server said it was the best. I had high hopes. I changed my sides to the potatoes au gratin (which didn’t taste cooked at all) and the marinated artichoke hearts (which were phenomenal). The duck was horribly greasy and the skin was gooey and falling apart. So gross. I barely ate my entrée and my date barely ate his we complained to the server and told her we were skipping dessert, because we wanted out of there. Instead of removing the uneaten entrees she dropped the check to not return until we put the card in the check (which was $ 107.45 for mostly uneaten food) outraged we paid for it and left on the back of the receipt what we didn’t like about the food. It seemed no one cared about the lack of quality. For a park ave restaurant it’s not worth it. Don’t waste your money at this place! If you want good quality and great tasting French food hit up La Coq Au Von. I will NEVER RETURN!

We went for an anniversary dinner on a Friday night. They were happy to handle a reservation and the ambiance was excellent. The waitresses were polite, and very knowledgeable about both the wines and the food options (it was our first visit.)
Great place for an evening more elegant than a typical date. Will be returning soon!

I had an incredible experience at Café de France. This is a wonderful place for date night if you are willing to spend a little.
Our waiter was excellent, attentive and friendly. The food was magnificent, and the wine list was good. We got a bottle of right bank Bordeaux, which was delightful.
The steak tartar appetizer was perfect. The Duck L’orange was probably the best I have had so far. My gf loved the steak with béarnaise sauce and she is particular about her food. The crème brûlée was good, but pairing it with the Sauternes was heavenly.

Stopped by on a slow, rainy Thursday.
A little sluggish on the service for so few people in the restaurant. Other people in the back of the restaurant I guess were «important» so they received more attention from the very attractive waitress who apparently isn’t used to being told by a guy to pay a little more attention.
Had the sweetbreads appetizer, very tasty but tiny portions for the price.
Duck entrée was fantastic.
Coq au Vin had good flavor but could definitely tell is was made earlier in the week and just re-​heated. I have made this dish myself and understand that proper preparation actually takes 2 days but the shriveled up pieces of chicken I received were definitely 3x the size when it was started. If this is a «signature» dish they need to come up with a more frequent cooking schedule.

Great staff, wonderful afternoon with our friends. Simple salads and menu sampling for a late brunch mid-​week. Nice wine selection, creative whites. Great job.

Best place to eat in the Orlando metro area. You should not miss this Restuarant. Escargot and mussels are simply amazing

The best part of this lunch experience was the server who was a character and a little bit goofy. Other than that, our food took a while to get to us when there was only one other party in the restaurant. I had the salmon and itt was good but overly salty and seemed like a small portion for the price. It is a cute place with potential for great atmosphere but I don’t think I will be back there soon.

I’ve been to France before, Normandy, Paris, Provence, so I get to compare what I had there, with French restaurants here. Unfortunately, I can’t seem to find the quality of food I had there, with any place in America. I think what makes the food so much better in France, is lots of dishes are made with local fresh ingredients. So I’m going to try not making an unfair review base on that comparison.
I came here with some family for lunch on Christmas eve. I actual chose the place, since I was in the mood for french food, and I’ve never been to the place. I was able to make last minute reservations a couple hours before. The setting inside is nice and small. We were 6 people and fit comfortably in the back.
The waiter was very friendly, answering our questions and gave us suggestions. They brought out some good warm bread and butter.
4 of us shared a bottle of the Merlot Bordeaux. The wine was definitely full bodied, which I think made us all drink it very slowly, that we didn’t need a second bottle.
We all shared the Escargot and arugula salad. Both very good and fresh.
I also had the soup of the day, which for some reason I can’t remember what it was, but don’t remember not liking it
For an entrée I had the Roaster Ashley Farms All Natural Chicken Breast. I felt like it was a little dry, but at the same time tasted good and crisp too. Maybe a little too much salt added too. It also had the side of Orzo pasta tossed with tapenade, lemon and chive crème fraiche. I think this had more taste than the chicken.
By the end of the lunch, I had me some espresso, that was a nice larger than normal serving.
I’m going to say I’m a fan for now and I hope to check them out again.

Nice atmosphere, very good service, good food. We started with the mussels and they were perfectly done, definitely the highlight of our meal here. For my main course I chose the filet mignon. Very tender but I was slightly put off that their medium is really a medium-​well. My wife got a the fish of the day, I believe salmon. She wasn’t overly impressed. For dessert we chose the soufflé. It was ok, but very small and to be honest we have had much better.
I would probably come back for a lunch here but dinner is out of the question. Far too expensive for a meal that was ‘just ok’

I was so excited to try this establishment but now we never will~ we bought a TravelZoo voucher (that this establishment signed up to be a part of, mind you!), called to make a reservation to use it before the expiration date (following all of the TZ voucher rules!) and were told they that «WE’RE JUST NOT ACCEPTING THEM ANYMORE. Try calling TZ and maybe they’ll refund you because we’re just not taking them.». WHAT?! You signed up to sell these, we bought one, it’s still valid/​not expired and now you’re just not honoring them? Bad Business. You lost a couple of customers who love to dine out.

I went here this weekend with a girlfriend for a girls night. I had not heard of it before. CDF is a quaint little restaurant tucked into one of the store fronts on park ave. The serve was informative, attentive, and friendly. The food was superb.
My friend got the french onion soup was rich and decadent. I’m not usually a huge fan of it, but CDFs was sweet and filling.
For my appetizer I chose the citrus and vodka gravlax, and I couldn’t have asked for better. It included: beautifully sliced, extremely fresh salmon, toaated bagel chips, and a side of light sour cream toped with scallions, fresh cracked pepper, and caviar. Together these made a delicate appitizer I will no doubtedly have again.
For my main course I selected the grilled swordfish special with a bacon onion topping and brussel sprouts and carrots, served with mashed califlower. The meal was excellent, even though I would have preferred the mashed califlower to have been mashed potatoes, to give the dish a bit more heartiness. With that being said, if you are looking for a light, healthy meal, this would definitely fufill that desire.
All in all, the portion size, the atmosphere, and the flavor was all great. The only reason this place doesn’t 5 stars is due to the price and my preference for food which is a bit mire robust.

Now I know that service is just as important as the food and in some cases, it is more important depending on the type of establishment. That being said, I suppose I was just lucky enough to always have great service. I’m sorry for the people who did not experience this, if that is really the case. Personally I know after working in the industry for 20 years that you simply can not please everyone, try as hard as you may.
You know what really grinds my gears though?(LOL) «Foodies» as they call themselves. I saw a couple reviewers commenting on the food in a negative way. One person actually said there were a bunch of kids in t-​shirts cooking in the back. That’s a flat out fabrication. Seriously? (insert long sigh here) This is the only thing that actually sucks about Unilocal is you do have people who know good food… who don’t have to be called «foodies» to actually know what they are talking about, but then you have these people with a palate built for fried chicken night at Golden Corral. All right! Let’s pile-​up a nice big plate with a mountain of salty crap and then smother it all in gravy. Oh boy!
When you over-​season and over-​sauce dishes… your only trying to cover up one thing… your inability and inexperience as a Chef.(free tip for all you «foodies»)
Keep doing the amazing job that you guys do! Can’t wait to get a day off to come back in again!

Good food & pleasant atmosphere however service is cold & abrupt. Crepes were delicious as was the French bread, but boy are they stingey with the butter! BYOB!
I’d return if I thought it matters to them, but I doubt they’d care.

In a town that used to be filled with French restaurants, Café de France is one of the only survivors, and deservedly so. The ambiance is friendly and the food is consistently good. There are a lot of authentic things going on here, but also an American spin on a lot of the items. Ask about their wine pairing dinners, which are an excellent deal.

C’est Mardi, mais pourquoi il n’y a personne dans ce restaurant? Quel dommage.
So we decide to tackle our second French restaurant in 10 days to celebrate my bride’s birthday. A modest exterieur hides an elegant room with a quiet air of intimacy — perhaps a touch TOO intimate, as in, I wish the table was a touch bigger. We scored the only window table. Started with the pâté, followed by the escargots; both turned out very good. The pâté was a bit loose in texture, but had a pleasant taste, nicely presented with streaks of hot mustard. Initially, I thought the escargots bland, but with a good texture; but when I combined it with the fried salty garlic pieces that were there, it gained much more character (was maybe looking for a sprinkle of chopped parsley?). Eight of them for $ 6 or $ 7 — good price. Our potage was a cream of asparagus and corn, with a drizzle of jalapeño oil on top (it was not spicy) — also very good. We both liked my lamb shank (excellent!) a lot more than my wife’s pork tenderloin, which was one of the specials of the day. The lamb was perfectly cooked, tender, but not disintegrating, with some french-​rich mashed. The pork, as the owner later on agreed, could have used a bit more definition and a bit more sauce. It was «merely» good.
Wine choices: I was tempted to go for the $ 95 Gevrey Chambertin over the $ 59 Cotes de Nuit (both 2009, a great year for burgundy), but restraint won out. Their Chateauneuf du Pape was a 2010 (didn’t even know they’d already released the 2010 CdP!, but found out later it was an outstanding vintage); the $ 65 Gigondas was an attractive choice that I almost fell for.
Service was fine: only small request was that I wished Colin would have brought a little plate, seeing how we were sharing two appetizers. Instead, we had to rely on our side plates. No biggie.
When I was planning this b-​day dinner, my romantic side urged me to call Luma to reserve their cellar for just the two of us. «We can certainly do that…», I was told — there’s a $ 1,500 minimum charge, and in any case, «Tuesday night, we’re booked». So it was serendipity that took us to Café de France: we were the only table the entire night :-)
p. s.: I cannot give you the price of the special, or the soup, or the big bottle of Voss — I was so busy talking to the owner I didn’t look, and they didn’t give me back the detailed receipt when they brought back the credit card slip; but I will post some pictures later