Got there on Friday night @5:30 and we were seated right away, no wait. Beautiful place tucked away behind a garden with outdoor seating. We sat inside by a window and were instantly greeted by our cheerful waiter. He asked if we wanted some bread and anything to drink. We ordered a couple specialty cocktails and he brought them with some nice toasted sourdough bread. We kept it simple tonight with a warm Brie and fig jam appetizer, followed by a wedge salad and French onion soup. Everything was delicious and well timed on delivery. The chef came by to make sure we were satisfied, very nice touch! We will be back to try some of the amazing maid dishes we saw being delivered at the tables nearby. read more

Terrific food, terrific service. Love the neighborhood. Would definitely come back here again. Looks like a nice place for a party. Would not recommend bringing kids here but it looks like the restaurant will accommodate. read more

Cafe Lafayette - Menu April 4, 2026 - French Near Me - Exeter, California

Love this placed for lunch. I ordered macaroni and cheese with Shrimp Caesar Salad. The chef even came out to check on the table and food. This place is always tidy and kept well. Aside from lunch time, I also recommend their Sunday brunch. The best French toast ever read more

Cafe Lafayette - Shrimp Caesar salad - French Near Me - Exeter, California

Nice little gem in Exeter. Seems like they have a very small team but everyone was really nice and attentive. The one who served us, who is also the chef's wife, was prompt in refilling our drinks, and is highly professional yet friendly. We had the chicken cordon bleu and mac and cheese. Both excellent dishes! Expect a bit of a wait though. But still worth it. The patio is nice. Would be good when it gets a bit cooler. Don't miss out on this place! read more

Went there for dinner last night with my wife. We ate around 6pm and it was slow for a Saturday night, but it seemed like the entire area closes early. Got the table quickly we put in a couple salads for our hors d'oeuvres. I ordered the beef brisket, and my wife the filet mignon. The brisket came with Mac and cheese which was very good however the brisket was very dry and tough. My wife's fillet was also tough to the point that their own steak knife could barely it; we had to saw it so she could get a bite. Her sides were mashed potatoes and veggies which those were very tasty. I think the morale of this story is don't order anything other than sides. Ps. Our hors d'oeuvres never came out, had to cancel them. Pps. I went there to specifically try their rib eye steak, as it is my favorite cut. I found that their menu is seasonal, and no longer offered it. read more

We recently attended an 80th birthday gathering at Cafe Lafayette. Because of the size of the group, we were not expecting a great meal Or service. We were astounded by the food and service. I ordered the pistachio crusted salmon and it was perfect. My husband ordered the Australian rack of lamb, and he said it was the best he had ever had (and he is picky). He also really liked the clam chowder and the people who ordered the onion soup, also raved about it. The service was superb, not too little or too much. Great place to hold a party or enjoy top notch food. read more

The service was impeccable but the food took forever and was overly salted. For the prices, the portions and execution should have been better. I came in when Cafe Lafayette opened for dinner and was immediately seated. Despite putting our orders in immediately, it took an hour for the entrees to come out. The drinks came out quickly but the complementary bread somehow came out after my soup. Don't come hungry cause my entire dining experience took nearly 2 hours. =ORDERED= *Bread: very, very crusty. The butter was chilled and salted. While the bread came out hot, it was too tough and sharp on the mouth. *Lobster Bisque: the lobster wasn't noticeable and it was rather salty. It was on the runnier side and heavy on the stock. A bit too heavy as a starter and the seafood wasn't prominent. *Lavender Gimlet: supposedly lavender vodka with fresh blackberries. Vodka was the prominent flavor and there was no floral essence nor freshness from the fruit. Tasted more like a well drink. *Australian Rack of Lamb: very disappointed in the portion of lamb in comparison to those seen in pictures. Came with only four small pieces and two sides. The lamb was cooked perfectly and tender. The scalloped potatoes were creamy and soft. The sweet potato puree with almonds was my favorite. It was sweet, nutty and buttery. *Beef Wellington: overcooked and the filet came out incredibly chewy. The mushrooms were too damp and overly salted. There was a splash of additionally salty sauce on top which left the pastry mushy. Given this dish was nearly $60, I was disappointed in how it was practically inedible. The lamb and sides were the only acceptable items for dinner. The meal was far too expensive for the time it took and quality we received. While the service was especially kind, I can't imagine spending another $160 and 2 hours for this type of meal. read more

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Super good lil place! I got the chicken and waffles. It came out fast. Will be coming back again. :)

A delightful surprise in Exeter - first the downtown area is a small and easy walking area with murals on the sides of buildings - the map is just down from Cafe Lexington On our visit on a Saturday around Memorial Day we arrive to the beautiful outdoor patio leading into the restaurant and bar. We started with cocktails and wife had a nice white wine. We had the French cheese plate with a rich Roquefort and Camembert.Wife had the French onion soup with a hearty broth. The main dishes of lamb and chicken cordon bleu were great. Service was attentive and made effort to make sure we were paid attention to. Well worth the effort to get here and we look forward to coming back. read more

Enjoyed a nice birthday dinner here during the week. Must try items: the french onion soup and the Beef Wellington. Both entrees came with the same two sides: scalloped potatoes and lightly seasoned veggies. The potatoes came out beautiful but were lacking in flavor. The service was nice and overall pretty busy working solo with seated patrons so it was a little slow on our end. The decor indoors is very cute and festive and overall makes for a nice fine-dining dinner experience. Note: not a vegetarian-friendly establishment. read more

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We had no trouble making reservations for Easter brunch. Sat outside by our choice, beautiful weather. Attentive service, not overbearing. Great coffee and food. Not cheap, but worth the price paid. Will go again, nice little jewel in Exeter. read more

Tacos on Wednesday are Amazing!!! The Bread, seriously the bread, SOOOO GOOOD!!! Pork Belly, yup, the pork belly is best I have ever had!! The Mixologist, Ashley, pours perfect drinks every time, seriously the best mixed drinks I have had in Tulare County... top shelf. The Owner and chef is a real gentleman and truly a fantastic chef... Friendly place, amazing cuisine, and the drinks alone are enough to bring you back. The ambiance is sooo nice. The whole package is 5 star across the board, in my opinion. read more

Food is very delicious and flavourful. The price was great, for the quality of the food. It is a casual place, but i can say it can be a fancy place if they wish, but it is best to keep it as is. The server was great, no complains there, and explain a the few questions we had. read more

A much needed morning dining experience resulted in our go to favorite, Cafe Lafayette. Sunday Brunch is a good time graze on some yummy items. Wife unit had the Croque Monsuier, me, my favorite Blackened Salmon Benedict. Exceptional. Our server Tiffany is gem. She is gracious and attentive, a real sweetheart. read more

Cafe Lafayette - French Near Me - Exeter, California

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Delicious tacos on taco night and guava coconut cream margarita. I will be back again for that! So so good and amazing staff, so nice and caring! read more

I had my 10 year Anniversary Party here. It was basically another wedding but without the Ceremony. We rented the entire restaurant with dinner in the back patio and dancing at the front patio. We had 48 guests with plated dinner service. Our guests were greeted with charcuterie cups that had our guest names with their table number for the seating chart. Then once they found their seat they had bruschetta Crostini's intermixed between our decor on the tables for appetizers. Later they brought out bread and butter. Once all of our guests had arrived and cocktail hour was complete, dinner service began. We had the best french onion soup to start. We have our guests the dinner entree options of Filet Mignon, Chicken Cordon Bleu or Vegan. The majority chose Filet Mignon and everyone RAVED how good it was. I have been to fine dine establishments all over California trying Filet Mignon (it's my favorite) and Cafe Lafayette's is barr none the best. The service was impeccable. I am a retired wedding planner as well as a former fine dine server before that so I'm very particular. They did my settings perfectly, even for my vegan settings which were a different setup, they got those right. They were johnny on the spot with serving from the left and clearing immediately from the right side. The tables were never left very long with empty dishes or glasses. My guests never ran out of water in their glasses. They did a specialty cocktail menu for me and the drinks were so good and the bar never got behind. I had a A LOT of drinkers too. I highly recommend Cafe Lafayette for regular dining as well. I've always had a great experience when eating here. I can't thank Fred and Ashley enough for their great service and letting me have my 2nd dream wedding here. It was the best night of my life. read more

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Beautiful location and excellent food. Great service. Ambiance a plus! We can recommend!

I have been here multiple times for dinner and at times drinks only. My husband and I like dining both inside and outside. It's nice to have the option. The wait staff are always courteous and helpful. The wine was fine. I ordered a French Mule and a Bloody Mary. The Mule was okay but the Bloody Mary was unique so next time I'm definitely getting that again. Starting out, the bread was warm and delicious. I don't understand why the butter is always cold and hard as a rock. Multiple reviews have mentioned how annoying that is. Why don't they fix that? My husband ordered the ribeye with garlic mashed potatoes and butternut squash with asparagus. Is the squash supposed to be firm? I prefer my squash to be softer. Other than that my husband's entree was great. I ordered the leg of lamb with pineapple coleslaw and macaroni and cheese. The waitress said that the lamb was tender and falling apart. It was dry and flavorless however the sides were very good especially the macaroni and cheese. Dessert was crème brûlée. It was good but my husband didn't care for it. read more

Went here for a cute date night with the significant other. I was here once before for lunch and it was amazing! I sat on the patio, the sun was shining, the service was great, an adorable cat was prancing around - the vibes were on point. It felt like I was in France. SO I had high expectations for this dinner date and it was a HUGE let down. Let me break down the night. 1. Ambience - the interior is very neat and spacious. A great place to go with friends or a large group but they dont have any cozy spots that could really create a romantic ambiance. So it left my date night feeling quite sterile 2. The service was very good! I thought the waitress was attentive and very helpful! Definitely checked in an appropriate amount of times and made sure we were comfortable 3. The food - DEAR GAWD this is TRULY what brought the score down. So I heard that the owner of this location used to own or work at monets so I was expecting TOP TIER food. But it was a flop every step of the way. - The Pork belly appetizer: was the best thing we had that night. The pork was perfectly cooked. Crispy and tender BUT the flavor was extremely common. It tasted like it was slathered in sweet baby rays which is delicious but not when you're paying $20 - lasagna entree - I could tell they were using some high quality cheese but for some reason this dish could not stay warm. It came to us luke warm to cold and even after asking it to be re heated it became cold extremely fast. Plus the meat sauce was very bland and simple. - calamari steak entree - WOULD NOT RECOMMEND. Every aspect of this dish is flavorless if you do not eat it with a caper. The rissoto the calamari itself was like textured water. With the caper it was better but once again not very special and I feel like it is weird for a dish to be so dependent on one ingredient to be good. But maybe this is an aspect of French cuisine I wasn't aware of. At this point my heart couldn't take being disappointed by dessert so we decided to call it a night and go home. The end price was really the kicker - ~$120 - $150 If the food itself was disappointing the price just made it so heart breaking I think maybe this place is best as a lunch spot hanging with the girls on a nice sunny day. Definitely would not come back for dinner read more

Cafe Lafayette - The best thing if the meal but wasn't special. It was well cooked but tasted like any ole BBQ sauce - French Near Me - Exeter, California

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Cafe Lafayette is amazing! Went for brunch with the girls. Fantastic service, delicious food - best eggs Benedict I've ever seen. I had Croque Madame and it was devine. Large portions and any wait is occupied by a complimentary beautiful-buttery croissant with fresh fruit cup. Drinks are creative and they offer unlimited Mamosa's. Can't wait to go back! read more

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Me and my husband had an incredible delight to have dinner at Lafayette and now it's my favorite French restaurant! Starting with atmosphere, outdoor seating is magically beautiful, great music puts you in a right mood and omg the food! Yes prices are on higher end but we live in Los Angeles and tried a lot of expensive restaurants there where we never got to experience such an incredibly kind and attentive service/food and atmosphere, our waitress Ashley was just an angel and even though we were trying this place for the first time we didn't have much expectation food came out like in the best restaurants in Europe, and we traveled a lot and had many great dinners there, didn't expect to find such a high quality European experience here. I ordered filet mignon which was made perfectly and mash potato and veggies on the side were all complimenting each other, my martini was perfect and dessert! Wow, this creme brûlée was to die for I would add also that my husband is VEGAN and chef kindly offered couple options that included vegetable gnocchi and garlic French fry and it was just perfectly made and well balanced. And we very much appreciated their attitude about this and making him this delicious food even though it wasn't on a menu. Overall we truly felt like we are having dinner somewhere in Europe, with great tasting food, nice stuff, music and clean atmosphere. My congregations to the chef ( who is himself French)for creating this beautiful dishes and truly making them with knowledge and love We would be back again and wouldn't hesitate to drive here from LA for this incredible food. read more

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The service and ambiance was good. Very nice restaurant. The food was okay but not a place I need to rush back to.

We were staying in Exter to be near the national park and were not expecting a restaurant of this quality in such a small town. I had the lamb and my husband had the filet au poive. Both were excellent and cooked to perfection. The lamb had a great sauce. Service was exceptional. Nice decor in the French theme. read more

Just incredible! Not just an amazing meal, but an authentic French dining experience. One of the most memorable evenings of my life. C'est si bon! read more

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Party of 7 celebrated a birthday, dinner was great along with appetizers. Dinning atmosphere was wonderful with outdoor dining ambiance. We ate inside as it was a warmer day, which is also pleasant. Great meal options, bar was good, service was quick, attentive and pleasant. read more

I will NEVER eat here again. Our 1st experience here when they 1st opened ended up with hubby PUKING ALL NIGHT. I talked hubby into trying it again with my parents a few years back. We were all greatly underwhelmed with the lack of flavor, etc. for the price. Can you say SALTY French onion soup?! Was practically inedible. Came back today with my 3 yr old cuz I was starving for a quick breakfast. I should've remembered.NOTHING ABOUT THIS PLACE IS FAST. There were less than 10 tables, 3 servers, at least 2people in the kitchen (including the owner), and we seriously WAITED OVER AN HOUR (no joke) for our food. We did not order anything special at all. In fact, my son's scrambled eggs were the last to arrive! My husband's filet came out first (which was cold- but as a diabetic, he couldn't wait for a new one). My son's French toast was next (sans scrambled eggs) and my (presumably microwaved) piece of runny undercooked quiche came out last. I tried to eat a couple bites but quickly decided that, for the price, I should at least be able to get a piece of properly cooked quiche. We waited so long that even the table next to us (who came in after us, but got served first) asked us why they were served first. Now is when things got interesting. I informed our server that the quiche was not cooked thoroughly. After about 10 minutes, he came back and told me they were out of the quiche, but I could wait for them to cook me a new one. I told him I was starving and absolutely could not wait any longer. I told him I would just eat the hashbrowns. He asked if there was something else I wanted, and I asked him if he could maybe just cook me a couple eggs to throw on top, which they did. To my complete shock, when I got the bill, they charged me $26 for the quiche meal when all I ate were the hashbrowns!! When I pointed this out to the waiter, he pointed out to me that they didn't charge me for the eggs!! Seriously?!! I told him I should only be paying for whatever the cost of a side of hashbrowns and a side of eggs would've been. The next thing I know the owner/chef confronted me at my table in true French rudeness. He immediately began to argue with me about the quiche. I failed to engage and my response to him was simply, "Are you seriously going to argue with me about the fact that I don't like your undercooked quiche?" He stormed off in a huff. This place is a complete joke. Speaking of jokes, I overheard a table next to us joke that the elderly couple who were leaving the restaurant were "in their 20s when they arrived!!" Lol!! That's how bad it is. I honestly don't know how they are still open. Every single table around us had an issue. The man behind us had cold coffee poured to him. The table next to us was almost done with their meal before the server brought out the salt and pepper they had requested, the other table next to us were ghosted after they got their food, etc. I have heard rumors around town about how rude and nasty the owner (Fred) is, but now I definitely believe it. I will never support this establishment again, and will tell anyone and everyone I know to avoid it at all cost!! Go to Monet's instead!! The owner, Jennifer, is a sweetheart! Please know that I hate to leave horrible reviews like this, especially as a business owner myself. But this experience today, especially with a young child in tow, and being argued with by the owner, was completely unacceptable. read more

Cafe Lafayette - Disgusting undercooked quiche - French Near Me - Exeter, California

Everything was perfect until desert! We ordered the burrata which was perfection. 5/5 My husband ordered the special: beef stroganoff, and I ordered the beef brisket. Both were 4/5 I thought the stroganoff was a little too salty and the briskets could have been a bit more tender. Then we ordered the creme brûlée and the sugar was not torched, so there was no crack, it came out mushy and the custard had split/curdled so it was a pile of oil and curds of dairy. Nonetheless, the ambiance and service was fantastic. The food was great but could be better to achieve 5 stars. read more

This review is based on the misleading price, customer service, and impulsive/rude owner. We ordered the 8 oz. Filet Mignon Steak on the phone and thought the price was about $33. However, when we picked it up, we were charged for $42.50 The cashier said the price on the website was the price for the sample menu and the updated price was on Facebook & Instagram. We looked up their social media accounts posted 10 hours ago, it was listed as 12 oz filet at $42.50. How did we get charged the same price for 8 oz? If it was 12 oz, that would make sense. We called them to double-check and they said that's what the system said. The food was good though. Update 8/29: They edited the detail on the website from 12 oz to 8 oz and said it was a typo which was understandable. I was going to edit the review from yesterday to be based on food quality, but the owner (probably Ashley) saw the review on Yelp before I got a chance and snapped. We even tipped them for the pick-up order because we know every restaurant is struggling during this time. With the unprofessional and rude responses, I'm going to leave it like this. read more

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What a great meal we recently had. The food was delicious, the staff very attentive and a cozy warm setting to visit with friends. I highly recommend Cafe Lafayette! read more

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Delicious! Had lunch with my lady friends. We all enjoyed our lunches. I had the ribeye steak. The other ladies had the Chinese chicken salad. Definitely would go back. read more

Cafe Lafayette - Cafe Lafayette. Exeter, ca - French Near Me - Exeter, California

Really excellent restaurant. Great service. Good wine selection. We had a baked Brie appetizer and I had the chicken my wife had the baked calamari. Good ambience. They have an attractive outdoor patio which would be fun if weather was better. Only problem is is ac had trouble keeping up with the heat read more

The ambiance is spectacular and the service is always on point. I visited Cafe Lafayette recently for brunch and had the eggs benedict with the salmon. It was delicious. It had the exact amount of seasoning needed and was cooked to perfection. The brioche was fluffy and the perfect foundation for the salmon and decadent hollandaise. It was served with a side of perfectly cooked asparagus. I was in heaven and gave the chef my compliments. If you're looking for a lovely brunch experience, this cafe is the place to be. Lunch and dinner is always fantastic too! read more

WOW FACTOR!!!! we have not been here in years !!! We live in town and thought it was closed - Began to see them on social media Have them a try Had a bottle of wine - BOMB! Pork belly- good Wedge salad ! BOMB!!!! Rib eye steak!!! -AMAZING!!!! Crème brûlée- needs help !!! Service was a 10!!! Ambiance -10 Nice bar !!!!! So, excellent service with exceptional food!!! All worth it!!! Our new spot in Exeter!!! Owner came out and greeted all of us!!!! Loved that!!!! We will be back!!! Highly recommend it!!! read more

Cafe Lafayette - RIB EYE STEAK DINNER - French Near Me - Exeter, California

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Such a nice atmosphere. The food is fabulous but I can't live without the French Onion Soup. How lucky Exeter is to have this fine dining experience, read more

Walking in you would think you were going to have a really amazing meal. The waiter seated us in a nice outdoor location and even moved the umbrella so we'd have shade. He was very attentive and friendly. No complaints at all about the service. The first moment of doubt I had was when he mentioned the french onion soup and I asked what kind of cheese was on it and he didn't know. But he came back and said it was gruyere so I'm thinking it's probably great. My friend ordered a steak and a cocktail and I chose the chinese chicken salad... The wait was a little longer than I would've liked but there were quite a little crowd there when we sat down so that was fine. The atmosphere outside there is very pleasant. Music, trees, decorations all very nice. The bread soon showed up and it was quite good in fact but the herb butter had just come out of the fridge and was hard as a rock. Not conducive to spreading. The cocktail was strong which is good. So the food finally shows up and my first thought is, this is your $22 salad? Really? It was pretty small looking. Only took up half the plate. It was covered in chicken, though, so I dig in. It was ok but there wasn't nearly enough dressing and I could barely taste it at all. The dressing had almost no flavor. The chicken had a flavor but it didn't really go with the rest of the stuff in the salad and where you would expect mandarin oranges, it had regular orange segments. The rest of the ingredients were good but without that dressing to tie them together, it was very bland. My friend got the rib-eye steak which was cooked properly and tasted pretty good and he also got the french onion soup which I was excited to try. Wow... I'm not sure what it was but it was not french onion. It tasted like beef stew but without the potatoes and carrots.... just a few onions... and then they threw some cheese and bread on top. No onion flavor at all. Plus his steak had another heap of rock-hard refrigerated whipped herb butter on top of it which quickly cooled his steak. We didn't go hungry. We ate the food. It wasn't terrible or anything like that. It just wasn't the 5 stars we had hoped for and again, the service was really great. I give it 3 stars because pretty much everything but the food was excellent. read more

Burgers and salads . I would say lazy French food everything that was order off their main menu was not what I got when I arrive home I didn't get my order right . Very disappointed it was not worth the money and the wait read more

Cafe Lafayette - French Near Me - Exeter, California

We were thrilled to learn Cafe Lafayette had patio service. Desperate to eat outside of our house, my Husband and I planned a kid-free dinner. I called on a Friday night and they were able to make a reservation in the next hour (score!). We were promptly seated and brought out warm bread and garlic butter. The bus boy spilled a glass of water on me. They were apologetic and helped wipe up the mess. We placed our food order and the patio quickly filled up. We waited. And waited. Our dinner took an hour to come out. Both of our plates came with veggies and scalloped potatoes as the sides. Both were unseasoned and tasted like hospital cafeteria food. Seriously. The sauce served with my filet was over-salted and inedible. Super inconsistent. This place is too expensive to be this bad. $120 down the drain. A total let down. We really wanted to enjoy this place. The staff were kind, but there are obvious issues in the kitchen and bar. I will never be back. We would've been better off having tacos and beer down the street at Bellcraft. Very disappointing. read more

This was our first time at Café Lafayette in a few years, certainly since Covid hit. We were very pleased to drop in for lunch on this perfect late morning, and we had the pleasure of sitting outdoors-- the patio was very pleasant in every way (it can be less so in the middle of a Central Valley summer). Each of us chose one of the special sandwiches offered: the pork belly BLT and the smoked tri-tip Cheesesteak. Both sandwiches were absolutely marvelous and the servings were generous; I would not hesitate to recommend them to anyone. The side salad and the fresh fruit bowl were very tasty as well. I compliment Chris on his excellent service, and we will be certain to return very soon. read more

Good food great ambiance the morning we were there it seemed that they were understaffed our drinks took a bit long to get to us but the food was on point read more

We really enjoyed finding a cozy bistro serving authentic French food in Central CA. French onion soup was great and steak too