First off-- this Vietnamese-run French restaurant does NOT offer take-out. Service is strictly dine-in. Like in Paris, they do not do doggie bags (nor take-out containers of any kind) The spirit of French dining is alive and well here, except for the fact they do not serve wine or beer (I didn't ask if it was byob or if there was a corkage fee). La Vie has been on the corner of Fern and San Gabriel as long as I can remember. When looking for eats in the SGV, Asian food comes to mind but French food from the Julia Child days?? La Vie serves up classic -- almost kitschy -- french dishes, smack dab in the middle of the SGV: coq au vin, escargots, duck l'orange, etc. I've had an itch for steak au poivre for a while, and the featured photo on their Yelp profile beckoned (kudos to the photographer!!) I ordered their L'entrecote aux Trois Poivres -- sirloin steak with black, green, & pink peppercorn sauce. Entree includes soup of the day and a simple iceberg salad. Also, coffee if you want it. Their sides of the day-- sautéed snow peas, scalloped potatoes, and carrot purée, were also really tasty as was the soup. Pretty sure the beef was "choice", not "prime", but it was prepared really well and with care. I'm also pretty sure the cut was New York, not sirloin. The ambiance is equally nostalgic and kitschy and homey. Like the cuisine and the restaurant, this place doesn't pretend to be anything it isn't. Although it's not pho, egg rolls, rice rolls, or fan tuan, La Vie is still an SGV dining institution. It's nice to know La Vie is close by. read more

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Love coming here when we're looking for a smaller portioned French meal. My go to is the duck and then a soufflé after. Service is always friendly, even if the place is packed and we have to wait a while for the food. And be warned, you might wait for the food if it's full and/or large parties are dining. Ambiance is shabby chic Asian western restaurant read more

La Vie - French Near Me - Rosemead, California

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I've never written a negative review before, but this was one of the worst dining experiences I've ever had. My parents wanted to try something different, so we decided to give this restaurant a try. Unfortunately, it was disappointing from start to finish. Coffee was supposed to be included, but we never received it. The portion sizes were noticeably smaller than other French restaurants we've visited. We also had to ask twice just to get our water refilled. When the waitress took our order, she repeatedly tried to take the menu back while my husband was still ordering! She seemed rushed, which came across as rude. The food was not served hot, it was only warm. My daughter didn't finish her rack of lamb, and when we asked for a to-go box, the waitress brought a small brown paper bag and said they don't provide boxes. We have never been to a restaurant that refuses to provide proper take-out containers. It was ridiculous. After we finished eating, we asked for the bill and waited another 10 minutes just to receive it, even though the restaurant wasn't busy, there were only about four tables occupied. Since my parents were with us, I didn't want to make a scene. At that point, all I wanted to do was LEAVE. Overall, the entire experience was extremely frustrating and disappointing. We will never be returning. Very upsetting and absolutely the worst. read more

La Vie - Our to-go small brown bag - French Near Me - Rosemead, California

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The experience at eating at La Vie was 10/10!! The salad and mixed vegetable soup was amazing, the steak with its sides were perfectly cooked and the souffle was just perfection!! Not to mention how nice and attentive the servers were. I am going back soon to try more items! read more

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December 2025 Finally got to dine at La Vie after 8 years of eyeing this spot. Came here with my gals and we each ordered something different so we could try everything here. Love the ambiance and the staff. Truly worth the price. Small quaint and cozy spot...perfect for dates. read more

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There is a distinct lack of French restaurants in the Southern parts of the SGV so La Vie fills a niche spot. I was pleasantly surprised. It's run by a Dad and daughter duo who are Vietnamese but the cooking is all French it's not fusion. The decor is decidedly an Asian spin on French but you're not really there for that you're there for the French food and it's very solid. It's not Michelin starred or anything but if you wanted a duck a l'orange some escargot and french onion soup this will hit the spot. We had a large party with a bunch of kids and they were really understanding about the kids causing a ruckus. They were nice and kept the waters filled and tables cleared. They were great. read more

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I just love the vibe of this place. Homey classic French bistro fare in gigantic portions. I don't think the owners have updated their menu, interior decor, or plating style since it opened over a decade ago. And this old fashioned-ness is its charm. Eating here is like getting a big warm hug from an old friend you haven't seen in a while. Service is warm and friendly. The matron is particularly nice and motherly. I tried the duck with an orange sauce and rabbit with mushroom sauce. Savory and rib hugging. Also the escargot and soufflé, which were hits. One more thing - the owners are I believe a Vietnamese family. The interior would pass for a Vietnamese pho shop. Really just a distillation of living in the SGV. read more

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First time here with a friend. Our server was friendly and attentive. Restaurant is located in a small plaza with minimal parking spaces. There is ample seating inside; feels intimate. It feels very homey which makes sense; family owned. Our food was delicious. We ordered escargots to shared and it was tasty. The snails were very big pieces and flavorful; loved the garlic butter and herbs. We both really enjoyed our Chilean Seabass (the special). It was really delicious, it just melts in your mouth good. Our meals came with both soup, salad, and coffee. I didn't particularly like the salad. The dressing was too much and creamy. For dessert, we shared the souffle. The price point was a bit high. read more

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Heard about this place from my family friend and decided to give it a try. When we arrive they have a small parking out front. When we got inside, they had a cute little set up for each table. It's definitely one of the staples that has been in this area for a long time, and you can tell it is a family run restaurant. It was a very interesting French cuisine and each one of the people at my table ordered a different thing to try. I personally got the steak and it came with sides as well. Overall, waiting time was a little longer, but is expected for this type of cuisine. We also ordered a soufflé ahead of time so that it would be ready for after our meal. Everything tasted really good and was seasoned nicely. And the staff was very friendly. read more

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Very cute family-owned French restaurant Parking was pretty small so parking might be difficult Menu has a good variety, whether you want seafood, veal, steak, and even rabbit! Pricing was on the pricier side so expect to pay $20+/dish! Inside was pretty small and intimate. Service was pretty friendly and welcoming. The Filet Mignon ($23.99) was pretty good. I got it in medium rare and it was very tender and flavorful. This was 8/10 The Escargots ($14.99) were so delicious! Big pieces of snails was paired perfectly with the garlic butter and herbs! The garlic butter was so creamy and I really enjoyed dipping the snails into it. This was 9/10 Would recommend and return! read more

La Vie - Escargots were very tasty - French Near Me - Rosemead, California

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Good food, good service, reasonable prices. Easy parking, will be going back real soon.

Been to this French restaurant many times and it's always good. I gave it a five star because it took a while before we could actually place order. I especially like their French Onion Soup but they didn't have it last night. I ordered the duck and my friend ordered the scallop. Both dishes were savory and delicious. The escagot is a must order. Our meal came with soup and salad. Overall a great dining experience. This is the only restaurant in the San Gabriel area where you can eat French cuisine. read more

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Friend took me here for my birthday. It was my first time visiting but my friend has been here many times. At first sight, the interior decorations are very outdated but it is romantic, good for a date. Looked like a Chinese restaurant at first but everybody spoke in English. Their special of the day was Chilean sea bass. We ordered escargot, 2 dishes to share which included soup, salad and coffee. We got the Chilean sea bass special and another order of the filet mignon. Also ordered a souffle as dessert. Our complimentary bread and butter came first followed by the soup. It was a delicious tomato bisque soup. Very light and savory in flavor. Next came the escargots and they were hot buttery and flavorful. Each order comes with 6. Then came our entrees. The sea bass was so delicious melt in your mouth goodness. Didn't particularly love the sauce for the filet mignon and the texture was a bit weird when biting into the meat. The souffle looked great but after diving into it and pouring the sauce, it tasted very soggy. Didn't particularly love it. Would come back for their fish though. For the price you cannot beat it compared to French or American restaurants in Pasadena. But the service was lacking. Our dishes included soup, salad and coffee. We had to remind the server to bring the coffee and also remind them to refill our waters. At that point we were already eating our dessert. Not sure why coffee is being included in the dish. For somebody that cannot sleep with too much caffeine intake I only took a few sips. Also we were done with our dishes and were still talking and enjoying the meal. Didn't want to move onto dessert yet but the servers were already cleaning our plates fast. We felt rushed and compelled to move on to the last dish of the meal. Food is delicious but service could be a bit better. read more

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The food at this French Vietnamese restaurant was better than expected is a small place tucked in a corner of a strip mall.

Awful, this place went from mediocre to awful. The soup they served tasted like the fridge. The quality has definitely gone down. Nothing we ordered tasted particularly good. Never again. read more

We waited for 90 minutes only for them to give us a bill. We had to let them know we didn't even get our entrées yet. They had forgotten us. We had to get the food to go because it was gonna be too late for what we had planned by the time they made it and if we ate there. Food was ok. They didn't try to make anything right, even a small discount to apologize. I appreciate people can make mistakes, but it's how you handle it that matters. read more

We have been coming here for years and it's a nice French restaurant owned by Vietnamese people. It's a great deal for a soup, salad, and a main, and I usually get the lapin which is rabbit. We also had the soufflé dessert to share. read more

This place has been here a long time for a good reason. They serve very good french food at very affordable prices. If you go, must get the escargot and the souffle, those are really good. Dump the garlic sauce on the bread for really good garlic bread. For the entree our favorites are the sirloin steak with peppercorn sauce and the lobster tail. read more

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The food was only subpar. The ambiance was dim; not enough lighting. It was hard to eat in the corner. Im not sure if it was to give the romantic feeling. It certainly NEEDS a makeover. Food came late and "warm" ( for the seabass) . I was not feeling the vibe. The service was alright. Though the owner apologized for the late food, she also made it up by deleting a dish from our final bill. Cool. For me it's a one and done deal. If l really want a Parisian environment, l'd go to France. The only positive outcome was their souffle. That was hot out of the oven. read more

This spot is by far the one of the best French restaurants I've tasted! Y'all definitely need to check this mom and pop shop out! Food: amazing! All of their food is fresh and cooked excellently! They serve fresh baked bread and butter, then a salad and soup, and your entree shortly after. The steak was a special that night and was SO good. The flavors were well seasoned. Service: good! They are a mom and pop shop so they have a good relationship with the customers. They check in frequently and run the front of house pretty well! read more

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The French Onion soup was piping hot and so delicious, just the right amount of flavor. I also had the Chilean Sea Bass and that was delicious as well. Service was great and the ambiance was welcoming and comfortable. read more

We have been coming to LA Vie for over 15 years and the cuisine can best be described as comfort food of the highest quality. It remains exactly as delicious as it was years ago. We love the service and we feel so welcomed like family!! read more

This place has been in the San Gabriel Valley for over 25 years, as have I, but this was my first time here. Serving French-ish food and located in a nondescript mini-mall with 2 other tenants, it's an unassuming place. The walls are adorned with French-ish photos, prints, etc. that look about 25 years old. The tables were decently set, have tablecloths. Come for the food and value, not the ambience or service. Reservations can be made by phone only. I was the first customer to arrive at 5 pm. The lights and A/C were off. There was no host, so someone from the kitchen who spoke little English seated me and gave me a menu, then another kitchen staffer brought water. The thermostat read 91 degrees. I asked if the A/C was broken. He said no, but it was still peak energy usage time, and then turned the A/C on, but not the lights. A server arrived a short time later. He was very friendly, but not particularly attentive. He was looking at his phone a lot. He neglected to tell me the daily specials, did not bring a wine list, did not ask if I would be ordering a soufflé for dessert (which need 30-40 minutes to prepare). At the end of the meal I would have to ask for the check and take it up to the host counter myself, where he was again looking at his phone. It was another server who arrived just before I left who turned on the lights. Since I did not know about the specials, I ordered off the menu: 2 starters, the pate and the prawns in a mustard cream sauce. No bread was served with the pate, but every table gets some warm French bread and packaged butter. No additional bread is offered. Also, there are no refills on Iced tea, and probably not on sodas either. Both starters were quite tasty. The menu listed 17 entrees: 4 each with seafood or chicken, 2 each with veal, lamb or steak, and 1 each with sweetbreads, duck or rabbit. I ordered the duck, which came with an orange sauce with orange supremes and slices. The skin was appropriately crisp, the fat rendered nicely. There were sides of pureed carrots or sweet potato, rice and a green vegetable (broccoli in my case). All mains come with a daily soup (lentil/carrot on this day) and a simple green salad with bibb lettuce, a single grape tomato and a creamy mustard dressing. I believe coffee is also included, but I couldn't substitute the iced tea without a charge. I would find out later the specials were a Chilean sea bass and a surf/turf with NY strip and lobster tail. There were 11 desserts offered, but the fresh fruit sabayon I was interested in was no longer being made. I instead got the cherries jubilee, which was nicely presented in stemmed glassware with a sugar rim. The check is non-computerized, charmingly hand-written, although your credit card is run through one of those newer hand-held machines. There is good food and value to be found here, and worth visiting more for those reasons than the service or ambience. read more

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4.5 stars. Half a star off because they ran out of several dishes (veal, duck, salmon) and it was still early. Service was cordial yet a tiny bit distracted. Would definitely go back. read more

Service: All the waiters and waitresses were attentive and courteous. They answered all my questions and I was able to order and pay when they needed me. By the end, I was stuffed. The price, quality, and amount of the food are definitely worth it. I would recommend to call beforehand to make a reservation or ask if they are able to seat your party. Parking: This restaurant is located in a very small plaza so there is limited parking but it's not bad. There's also side street parking as well. Place is a hidden gem to get French food. Definitely would come back! Food: Escargo (seasoned with garlic and oil) comes with 6 snails. Paired with escargo utensils to help you eat this appetizer. This was my first time trying snail! So I was really excited, it reminded of of tasting clams but slightly bitter towards the end. Grand Marnier Souffle with a sauce (light alcohol flavor) cup was a great light sweet dessert dish to end the night. The souffle was baked well, I could see the caramelized brown sugar coated edges. Inside was a nice balance of baked sponge vanilla cake and goo. I know it doesn't sound that great, but if you want a lightly sweeten non heavy dessert this is your go-to. Chef's Choice for the day: Chilean Sea Bass was cooked to perfection. When you cut through the fish it falls apart like butter. I especially appreciated the fish surface was cooked to a golden brown crisp. The squirt of lemon seasoning cuts through the freshness. Definitely would recommend anyone that loves fish to order this dish. It's also paired with snow pea, sweet potato puree, and served with rice. All the other sides are cooked with the right amount of savor so it's doesn't outshine the fish. It also comes with soup (we got split pea soup) and salad (butter sauce and ice berg cut) before the meal is served. Just ordering this meal by itself should get you to a comfortable full. New York Strip (medium cooked) also comes with soup and salad before the meal is served. I was craving to eat some steak so it was cooked nicely and seasoned well. The sides comes with sliced potatoes, sweet potato puree and rice. Steak does not disappoint but I liked the Chilean bass the best! read more

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This place is a cute quiet intimate restaurant. I booked ahead of time due to my larger party. My mom loves their roast duck with orange marmalade sauce, escargot, and soufflés. They take around 20 min to make soufflés, so order it first ! The soufflé is very airy and creamy, the staff make funny punchlines while pouring the cream into the soufflé! Highly recommend checking this place out! read more

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The food tasted excellent Service was on point Classic, mellow, romantic place to eat It was my first time eating here. I'd definitely come back and try the rest of the menu read more

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I did like the small cozy place to eat! Was nice and quiet. Easy to find location and ease at parking. The entrees are good and looks good. Fulfilling portions! The escargots had tasted oily and no other flavors, did not like it. Food definitely pass and looking fancy but will definitely not order the escargots again. Service was great and attentive! read more

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Food is pretty good I liked it. Service was very nice. Nice people working there. Ambiance is a small and quiet place but has room for a big party. read more

Nice ambience.Tasty French food at very reasonable price.Excellent escargot, Grand Marnier souffle .nice lobster and sea bass read more

La Vie - Grand Marnier souffle - French Near Me - Rosemead, California

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Lived in SGV practically all my life and trying this Vietnamese-French spot for the first time. They've been here for over 25 years. I suppose the old adage of better late than never applies here. Interior: Nothing to write home about, but it's clean and I'm here for the food! Food: Started with some escargot, which I tried recently at a French restaurant in Pasadena, let me tell you, the one at Le Vie blows them away! The escargot meat was tender and the garlic butter is crack inducing. The bread they served was fresh, perfect for dipping in the garlic butter left over. For the main dish, I had the filet minon with mushroom sauce. Beef with cooked to perfection and the sauce was rich, had a good flavor to it. My wife got the Scallops and Shrimp. Both seafood were cooked to perfection and the sauce paired well with the proteins. Price: Prices are slighly lower than what you'd expect for a French place. Interior is not fancy, but food us on par with those higher end establishments. Will definitely not wait another 25 years to go back. Bon apetit! read more

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I had this place bookmarked for a while. I finally came here on a Friday evening, no reservation. We came in and saw the restaurant was fairly empty and no music was playing inside, so we opted to be seated outside. We watched the restaurant fill up quite quickly after we got seated, so I will definitely make a reservation in the future. The service was very attentive, it seemed like only one person was serving all the inside and outside tables. We ordered rack of lamb, the special of the day - Chilean sea bass, escargot and the crème brulee. Complimentary warm baguette with sticks of cold butter is always delish. 5/5 Soup of the day was cream of asparagus - 3/5 House Salad - i prefer my salad to be chopped up already instead of me cutting it myself lol - 3/5 Escargot - not bad, I think Savoy's escargot is better. 4/5 Rack of lamb - I usually do not eat lamb as it is super gamey to me, but this was perfect!! - 5/5 Chilean Sea Bass - So soft and buttery, melted in my mouth! 5/5 Creme brulee - cant go wrong with this. 5/5 We wanted to order a souflee but it would take 30 minutes. =( Note to self, will order it at the beginning of the meal hehe. The waiter even sanitized my card, which was a nice touch. I only had french cuisine twice, but I think this experience is the best so far. =) read more

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It's been quite some time since our last visit, so we were really looking forward to it, as we've always loved La Vie. Unfortunately, it was quite a letdown, and thinking back we remember having a similar bad experience with the service the last time we were in. GENERAL OBSERVATION: It's a cute little restaurant in a very small commercial center, and it's the only business open in the evenings. They have real candles on the tables, but none of them were lit. When I asked to have ours lit, our waiter instructed us that due to Covid, the staff would have to remove their masks to blow out the candles, so "Management instructed them not to light them". How about remove them from the table, or buy some battery operated candles (safer, right?). Also, they close at 9 pm and they walked around and did a "last call" for ordering anything at 8:15 pm. That was a first. SERVICE (2 stars): We had ordered a bottle of wine, which our waiter brought to our table to inspect the label, however he returned to the kitchen to open the bottle. When it was brought back to us and sat on the table, with the opened cork stuck back in the bottle, I politely mentioned to the waiter that it is customary to open the bottle at the table, allowing the customer to inspect the cork and taste the wine to make sure it is a good bottle. He seemed to be a little "ticked off" about being told this and again stated, "That's how management wants it done!". The staff never poured the wine throughout the entire evening, again something that's typically done when you purchase a bottle from the restaurant. FOOD (5 Stars): We've never had a bad meal here, and this visit was no exception. We received a complimentary basket of bread and butter, and we started with an order of the Les Escargots Bourgogne ($13.99). Prepared perfectly and super flavorful. For our entrées, my mother-in-law ordered the La Bisque de Crevettes ($6.99), a cream crab soup, which we stated that it was going to be for her entrée. IDK, miscommunication maybe, but it was brought out the same time as our soups and salads, so that caused a little bit of confusion. My wife ordered the La Carré D' Agneau Vert Pré ($32.99), roast rack of lamb crusted in garlic. I had the Les Ris de Veau Parisienne ($26.99), sweetbread in Madeira, cream, and mushrooms. Both came with pureed carrots and snap peas, but mine also included rice. In addition, all meals come with soup and salad. For dessert, we had the Soufflé au Grand Marnier ($10.99) which was superb. Again, no complaints at all with the food, but the service has been dropping off and after this experience, it might again be some time before we return. read more

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Third timer! And I think it even got better. I ordered Chilean sea bass and boy was it good. Made to perfection. Seasoned perfectly. Fresh sautéed veggies. Escargot was awesome with enty hot bread. Best of all my hot soufflé was the finale. Their coffee was high quality and definately be back read more

Came here on New Year's Eve for dinner. There is indoor and outdoor seating and they do check your vaccination card and ID before being seated. Masks are required inside except when eating or drinking. Try to get reservations ahead of time because they do get busy and it's a small restaurant. Tables inside are very close together. Parking lot is small but there's plenty of curb parking in the residential area. Overall meal was good. We ordered the pâté, french onion soup, roasted rack of lamb, prime rib, escargot, and soufflé. The entrees came with potato soup and butter lettuce salad. There's also complimentary bread (was warm) and unsalted butter for the table. I think the entrees also came with coffee or tea at the end of the meal but we decided to leave early when a huge group of people were seated next to us. My favorites were the french onion soup, lamb, escargot, and soufflé. The bread goes really well dipped in the garlic butter herb sauce from the escargot! Would be back again. read more

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I didn't have a reservation but I went to the restaurant when they just opened at 5pm. Early dinner for a casual French dining set, the steak n chicken both cooked right on, tasted delicious! The Le pâte was ok... pumpkin soup and salad were right on... It's a small French restaurant and they close sooner after 8 something pm.... I will recommend the foods! read more

La Vie - Pepper Corn Steak - French Near Me - Rosemead, California

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FYI they are closed until May 10! This sign is posted on their door. We really enjoy coming here and were sad to see they are closed as the owner is on vacation (yay for them!) I don't think don't have a website or social media so posting here in case anyone else is planning to go. read more

La Vie - FYI they are closed until May 10! This sign is posted on their door. - French Near Me - Rosemead, California

It very relaxing atmosphere with only few table. The price is very good for good French food. Service was very attentive and I check on a good amount of time. Definitely place I want to go back check out more the food read more

La Vie - Duck - French Near Me - Rosemead, California

They turned us away. The restaurant closes at 9:00pm; my son and I arrived at 8:17pm and they turned us away. They said their kitchen closed at 8:15pm. I informed the gentleman that my 7 year old just wanted to try their escargot and he basically said too bad. They closed their kitchen at 8:15 pm so they couldn't serve us. I still can't believe it. We drove from 30 min away so my son could try escargot. It was on his bucket list for his last week of summer vacation. I'm sure their food is delicious, we will never know. Unbelievably rude. read more

La Vie - French Near Me - Rosemead, California

On a whim, the hubs and I decided to try this place. From the outside, it wasn't much to look at: set in a teeny weeny strip mall that has a hair salon and a liquor store. As we walked in, we became even more hesitant: it felt more like a pho restaurant than a French bistro. The restaurant wasn't too full, but they had a pretty large party celebrating a senior's birthday! We were seated and given waters--no wine list (gasp!). We were then given menus, and we quickly perused it to view our options. I settled on the veal piccata. The hubs was trying to settle on two different mains until our waiter told us what the evening specials were: Chilean sea bass and a NY Strip with black peppercorn reduction. Final decision: the strip steak! We also ordered the house pate, escargot and the French onion soup. The escargot came out first. Holy holy-- GIANT sea snails, drowning in garlic and butter, steaming HOT! Proceeded to take our tongs and petite fork and speared a huge piece of meat out, and popped that sucker in my mouth- garlicky, buttery and well seasoned! Off to a great start! The pate came next. This was only okay. I prefer pates that are super smooth, velvety consistency, and theirs had more texture. It was still tasty so we're still happy! Next came our soups and salads, as all the entrees come with both. My French onion was also piping hot with a thick layer of gruyere cheese and toast on top. After breaking through, I finally got to the broth: true robust onion flavors, sweet and savory, and just a HINT of dry wine! The hubs got a creamy potato soup, and that was just a lovely Our entrees finally came, and we dove right in! My veal was super thin, lightly breaded with a browned butter lemony piccata sauce. The capers were left whole , great for its texture and briny flavor! My hubs ordered his steak rare, but it came out a tad more cooked than he liked (more med-rare), but the peppercorn sauce was spectacular!rounding out our dishes were lightly blanched sugar snap peas, scalloped potatoes and seasoned rice. Overall, both entrees were delicious, and I'm not embarrassed to say both the hubs and I would be part of the Clean Plate Club because there was nothing left on our plates! With no room for dessert and a time crunch, we were sad to have to pass. However, based on this experience, we are excited to add this to our repertoire of neighborhood eats! Will be bringing some friends too! read more

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