Cafe Lafayette

Had a celebration lunch event for my daughter today! Tim’s passion for the perfect dining experience is so evident-​great food, atmosphere-​and everyone treats you like family!

Best burgers around!!! Delicious! The tuna tartare is amazing, too! Don’t miss this gem.

Delightful and Delicious!
I had the wonderful pleasure of having breakfast this morning at this enchanting family owned restaurant! I love Corned Beef Hash and theirs was particularly delicious… Large fresh slices of corned beef with lots of perfectly grilled potatoes that were all cooked and a little crispy on the outside with plenty of peppers and onions. Remembering it now my mouth is watering.
The owners greeted me as if I was a beloved regular versus the new stranger coming in for the my first time.
It is a quant restaurant that is run with care and warmth. The menu had plenty of choices and moderately priced. The coffee… if you love deep rich strong coffee, you will be in HEAVEN!
There were some very interesting wine choices on the shelves and in a very specialized cooler located at the front door. I am looking forward to my return visit for dinner sometime soon!

We celebrated celebrating our New Year’s eve dinner here. They had a good Prix Fixe Dinner menu. As always the food was awesome. Service was great and such ambiance! ON the prix fixe menu we opted for Charbroiled Pancetta wrapped tenderloin w/​truffle butter. Had refills of sparkling champagne. We will definitely be back.

I recently came here with my friend for dinner during an off-​season, mid-​week night. I had never been here before, but I love Seal Beach and love trying new places, so why not?
They’re happy hour during the week is 4−7pm, so we were able to indulge in sangrias at the happy hour price.
From the outside, the restaurant gives you the impression that they serve French food, based on the door-​sized EIffel Tower they have lit up at night; however they serve a bit of everything: pizza, Italian food, some French food, and burgers. The food is really tasty and the service is friendly. I had the lasagna and it was scrumptious!
I don’t know if it was necessary to have a TV over the bar, as it does take away from the ambience, but I guess for those die-​hards, who need to see sports wherever they go, it’s a must. Probably the restaurant is competing with the restaurants nearby who are more sports bar types.
I’ll definitely return to this little gem.

Stumbled across this place while walking around town. I liked the hand painted pictures on the wall and the bright interior. We took a glance at the menu outside and decided to stay. I ordered the Cajun scramble topped with sour cream and served with a side of home style potatoes. The scramble was delicious and I would absolutely order it again… The potatoes were good, but very simple and lacked flavor. Which is good for people that don’t like breakfast potatoes with other items mixed in for flavor. I asked for a side of salsa and that had great flavor, but wasn’t the least bit spicy, which again is good for those that like flavor without heat. Service was very attentive and the food was ready daily quickly. All in all a good meal and we will be back.

Excellent food and excellent service! Pasta, pizza and other fine entrees. They also have a very nice wine selection.

Wait was too long at Crema so we had breakfast here today, very impressed and will come back again in the future. Good food, good service

This has been one of our very favorite restaurants for many years. My last time there felt very different. I didn’t recognize any of the wait staff and the service was very slow. We were a party of three and two of us had finished part of our meal before the third person got her food. We actually inquired about the missing meal twice. Very uncomfortable situation. I had my favorite cream of lemon chicken soup and a salad. I didn’t even finish the salad because it was so salty, and I’ve always loved their salads. I’m not sure if the restaurant has changed hands or if it was just an «off» night.
I will try it again with the hopes it was just an off night.

My husband and I ended up at this place last night after a bad experience with a disgruntled hostess at another nearby restaurant. We walked in 10 minutes before closing (yikes! I know), but they greeted us with open arms. The atmosphere is quaint and warm, the service was amazing, and the food, PHENOMENAL! Our waitress, Vanessa, was very personable and attentive. I would highly recommend trying this little Seal Beach gem!

Best omelet I’ve ever had! (This is a brunch review…)
Tim, the owner, asked my friend and me if we’d ever eaten there before and took time to chat with us outside before we decided to walk in. Other restaurants nearby had long wait times, but we were seated here immediately and greeted with warm hospitality.
They serve breakfast until noon, at least on weekends. That’s good news for me. I got their «bacado» omelet, which had bacon, avocado, jack cheese, sour cream, and green onions. It was so fucking buttery — I’ve never tasted eggs that melted in my mouth quite like that. The breakfast potatoes were crispy on the outside and soft on the inside — served with a little side of ketchup, so I didn’t even have to ask or worry about it. Overall, I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of my meal for the price I paid. I added a dollar extra for a toasted bagel with cream cheese. For $ 12, I think it was a steal.
I heard Tim ask another table if they wanted their bacon crispy or chewy. He was walking around to each table making sure each guest was enjoying their time/​food. I was impressed by his authenticity. He wants your business, but he’s mainly concerned about you having a nice time. I don’t know why this place isn’t crowded all the time for breakfast/​lunch. I heard you have to make reservations for dinner, though… oh well. I can’t wait to go back.

What a friendly place! The food was really good too. Went in on Wednesday with a friend for lunch, we were in a hurry. Totally accommodated us and The owner came over introduced himself and was so friendly. I had an infant (3months) and he was so sweet with her. I ended up making reservations to come and have dinner with my in-​laws for my birthday the next night. When we got there there was a card for me on the table with a little present, The owner even got a little present for my daughter! That’s public relations! Dinner was awesome! My father-​in-​law and I had Chilean Seabass, so good. Lemon chicken soap was so good! Very kid friendly we brought my three year old too and he loved it. He had eggs bacon and toast for dinner! Will totally be back:)
And I got a cookie with ice cream on it for my birthday!!! Yummy

My wife and I decided to explore Long Beach and for the first time, came to Café Lafayette. I got the Cajun Scrambler with a side of cottage cheese and my wife got the salmon bagel. We were both beyond pleased with the food quality and service. The quality of the food was great and the scrambler itself was very unique and delicious!
For desert, we got the Nutella and banana crêpe. Amazing!
I highly recommend this place and looking forward to coming back.

Came today for brunch with a group of 8 people after not wanting to wait at other places in the area. They were able to get us a table right away. I had never been here before.
The food here is amazing! We had omelettes and pancakes and burritos and everything was so good! Iced tea and mimosas was delicious too!
Honestly screw the wait and the food at other places. This place is a gem!!!
*** it was my birthday and they brought out a delicious dessert with a candle AND a bday card AND a little cupcake notepad for a present. Absolutely adorable and thoughtful. I will definitely be back!!!

Went here on a Saturday afternoon during a car show. The fact that it wasn’t crowded should have been a hint. We were seated right away at a table by the door. We weren’t given menus and it took about 10 minutes for someone to take our drink order. We also had to grab our own menus because our server never thought to do that.
We got our food order in and got our soup very quickly. The lemon chicken soup was hardly above room temperature and had 1 small shred of chicken in it. The rest was all broth. It would’ve actually been good if it was hot and they didn’t forget to put the chicken and the rice in it.
It took 40 minutes to get my BLT. Yes… just a plain old BLT took 40 mins after the soup came. During that wait not 1 person came by to refill our drinks, clear the dishes, ask if everything was good… the owner was too busy chatting up the female server and taking pictures of her on his phone.
The BLT was decent but underwhelming. The bacon they used was pretty good and the avocado was fresh, but the sandwich lacked flavor and the bread was really dry. It was grilled in a panini press with no butter on the bread. One side of the sandwich was all soggy somehow. The food was decent but the fact that you can have such poor service with 5 employees standing around and only 7 tables is beyond me. I will not be returning to Café Lafayette.

Went here for breakfast with some family.
I ordered the Cajun Scrambler. The Scrambler itself was very good, but the breakfast potatoes that came with it were so hard on the outside that I couldn’t even eat them. I guess they were over fried or something.
The other people I was with all enjoyed their food, so I’m giving it 3 stars despite my experience.

What a hidden GEM on Main Street!!! My neighbor & I were craving a steak dinner & Café Lafayette delivered. We started w/​the Spicy Tuna a top Eggplant Tempura… IT WAS OFF THE HOOK!!! Served on top of drizzled balsamic vinegar, this dish took my breath away. Our next course was the Beet Salad served over arugula w/​sliced green apples, walnuts & feta cheese. Beautiful presentation with flavors completely complimentary to each other. Our entrée, the rib eye, was cooked to perfection served w/​Bleu cheese butter on top. It was so tender we cut it w/​a butter knife! The meal was finished off w/​homemade Profiteroles stuffed w/​vanilla ice cream… HEAVEN!!! Btw — Every dish paired beautifully with their house red :)
Brianna, our server was AWESOME!!! She made wonderful suggestions & made us feel welcome. We will most definitely be back… probably w/​more neighbors!

Came here on a groupon deal. $ 39 for Sunday brunch and unlimited mimosas for two.
Quick seating at around 9 am. I’m not sure why, but there was only one employee being host, server, cashier, bussing, everything! And there were 7 tables! It shouldn’t be a surprise that it’s a little crowded on a Sunday. There definitely should have been another person there. She was doing great and running around helping everyone in a good amount of time and she was very attentive. I just felt very bad that she was under so much pressure and literally couldn’t catch a break helping the entire restaurant. She said the manager wasn’t there and that person definitely should have been helping.
The food was okay. I got an eggs Benedict and my boyfriend got corn beef hash. We both agreed that the food was just okay. There was nothing special about it.
We were all about the unlimited mimosas, though. But there’s definitely some downsides to the groupon deal. We kept getting refills because it was served in a champagne flute, so we finished them pretty quickly. Our waiter came over and apologized for having them in a flute and said that they aren’t allowed to give them in the regular glass for the groupon. The table next to us had their mimosas in a wine glass, which is the size they usually give. We didn’t think anything of it at first, just some weird groupon thing. But then after we paid and asked for another round of mimosas, she said she’d have to get us another check because they charge tax on each mimosa! It makes sense now. They give you a smaller glass so they get more money by charging you tax on each one. It really is bull, especially since it doesn’t say that anywhere on the groupon and they don’t tell you up front!
I wouldn’t come here. Food is nothing special, and the groupon ends up being WAY more than you pay for. Not worth it.

Café Lafayette, thank you for a wonderful, long, boozy-​brunch. Everything was fantastic. My sister and I dined here after she found a Groupon for brunch with bottomless mimosas and coffee — SCORE — and it was as awesome as it sounds.
We arrived on a sunny Thursday morning and sat at a window table. Soon, our first round of mimosas and coffees were brought out and we ordered — she chose the baked french toast, and I chose the Lafayette omelette. A few rounds of ‘mosas later, the food was brought out and everything was absolutely delicious. The french toast got a few ogles from nearby tables because it was a huge, quite impressive plate. (It also tasted amazing and came with a side of some fabulous berry sauce)
My omelette was perfect — loaded with vegetables, cheese, and topped with avocado and scallions. The potatoes that came with it were hot and crispy (the best kind of breakfast potatoes).
Our waiter took good care of us and kept us well-​hydrated with the ‘mosas, coffee, and water. It was also nice to really take our time through a very leisurely meal and not feel pressured to rush.
This place was such a nice way to start our beachy adventure day. The location is great for a stroll down to Seal Beach or shopping along the way. Whenever I return, I’ll definitely be back!

CAFÉ near the beach in LAYFETTE
My family is from New Orleans and I LOVE PARIS it stands the reason I LOVE all things FRENCH and I want it as authentic as I can get it!
So I popped in here for lunch after the original place I wanted to go to CLOSED early on CHRISTMAS EVE! Would have been nice to post a sign!
This place was a few doors down and I had been dying to try it for a while since I first saw a Groupon or Living Social for it! I quickly went to my NOT so smart Iphone in search of the coupon! Sadly it was only for dinner and I was STARVING NOW having missed BREAKFAST because I had to take my dog to the vet!
So I was finally going to get a chance to eat here! I wanted to get something UBER YUMMY with a FRENCH TWIST and I don’t mean the hair do either! But I didn’t really see anything that blew up my skirt so I went for a NICE healthy Chinese chicken salad! I don’t know how that salad got its name because I’ve been to China several times and have NEVER seen that salad there! But I am guessing it has something to do with the mandarin oranges they put on top! While most mandarins are produced in China we probably get ours from the OC or Florida! Anyway, my cohort dining with me had a tuna sandwich with fruit!
It was a yet another beautiful day and we chatted and waited for our food to come out! It was the day before Christmas so there were not too many people in the restaurant probably because they were out shopping or at home wrapping gifts! Wrapping paper is silly and a waste of time and money, which is why they invented gift bags and those wonderful boxing that look like they have wrapping paper on them! SO MUCH EASIER!
Our food came out and I was very pleased! My salad was a nice mound of cabbage and romaine all PERFECTLY mixed together and lightly dusted with dressing! SO HAPPY they did NOT drown my salad in dressing! I HATE THAT and it completely NEGATES the reason I got a salad in the first place! DUH!
We REALLY ENJOYED our lunch! No server coming over every 2 minutes to see if we enjoyed our food! They kept an eye on our glasses to refill them when they were almost empty! SUPER GREAT! I LOVE THAT! I was able to eat every piece of bunny food in my bowl and nearly liked the inside clean as the DRESSING WAS DA-​BOMB!
We sat and chatted afterward with ON ONE hounding us to leave and NO MAD DOGGIN GLARES to pay and get out! It was PERFECTLY DELIGHTFUL afternoon!
I will for sure go back with my GROUPON/​LIVING SOCIAL for sinner! I must try something more FRENCH INSPIRED!