For dinner one evening I visited French 75, a Laguna Beach Bistro and Champagne bar and one of The Retreat In Laguna’s partner restaurants. The restaurant is located in a 60-year old country cottage and offers a beautiful outdoor patio lit by antique chandeliers and fireplace.
It was a bit chilly the night I went so we sat inside instead at a beautiful large leather booth with a view of the bar and live musician. The musician offered the perfect blend of jazz and contemporary music providing guests with an inviting atmosphere.
Unsure of what to order for a cocktail I let the bartender Forrest choose for me. One thing I’ve learned over the years is bartenders always know best, just tell them the type of drink (I was in the mood for something fruity) and they will make you the best drink! He did not disappoint with a raspberry flavored mixed martini.
The servers were extremely attentive making us feel as though we were the only table in the restaurant. I’m always open to trying new things so when it was suggested we get escargot as a starter I was all for it. Delicious! We also had their marinated Ahi tuna and endive salad. Each perfectly presented and tasty.
As an entree I had their wild salmon with mushroom risotto. It was fantastic. Cooked to perfection and the flavors together were incredible.
(It was quite dark, they set the mood just right for dinner atmosphere, but not for taking pictures)
I’m a dessert girl, always have been, always will be. We couldn’t decide which we wanted more so we ordered three; a lemon tart, soufflé and deep fried ice cream. Forrest (our bartender) advised us to hold off on eating the ice cream as he had a surprise for us. He made us a ‘deconstructed banana split’ with 3 cocktails as chasers to our ice cream treat. I’ve never had anything like it. It was incredibly delicious. I’m not a huge fan of banana, but the chocolate strawberry won me over.
Overall, my experience at French 75 was one of the best I’ve had at a restaurant. Their attention to detail, presentation, service and of course food made for an extremely enjoyable dinner. When can I go back?
This is the second part of a series, for the part one see Intern Breanne Arrives in Laguna.
