My girlfriend and I were celebrating our anniversary and decided to try this spot on October 4th at 8pm. We ordered the Moules Poulette au Vin Blanc for the appetizers which was nice and delicate. The mussels were cooked perfectly and were complimented by the white wine shallot cream sauce. At first, my girlfriend said the dish may need more salt, but as we continued eating, we realized how adding more salt would have made it too heavy and drowned out the taste of the mussels. We also ordered the Magret de Canard aux Poivres Exotiques and Les Tournedos de Boeuf, Blanc et Noir. Our amazing server Matthew also helped us pick wines that complimented both dishes. The duck was amazingly cooked and seasoned. The fat ratio was amazing and the red wine peppercorn sauce brought it to the next level. The wine our server picked, paired beautifully with the rich and fatty consistency of the duck. The filet mignon was cooked a beautiful medium rare and the white wine and red wine sauces on the same plate was an adventure of flavors. The rich umami flavor of the white wine sauce with the flavor of the well seasoned beef was definitely a favorite. We ordered a pineapple dessert that was not on the menu and it was probably one of the best prepared pineapple dessert we had tasted. The cognac infused sauce with the perfectly cooked pineapple complimented the puff pastry and the fresh whipped cream. Usually, when the pineapple is cooked, it gets mushy and too sweet, but with the dessert presented to us, the integrity of the tangy pineapple was intact and brought out by the sweet cognac sauce. The ambience was nice, dark and perfect for any romantic date. The price is very reasonable and is well worth the price. Food: Delicious Service: Amazing and fast Ambience: romantic and intimate I definitely recommend giving this place a shot. read more

Small, quiet, dark and romantic. Great menu. Our "go to" restaurant in Riverside. Great staff and ambieance.

Amazing food, attentive staff and wonderful place for a special occasion. Small and intimate.

Delicious good, great service, can't go wrong coming here! Fish is amazing, escargot was great!!

Good time, great service very quaint little restaurant. You are transported to France immediately. Service was attentive and quick. Our waiter was very charming and professional. It was a good experience. read more

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We arrived five minutes before closing and were warmly greeted and seated! The service was outstanding! It was a quiet and calm atmosphere. We enjoyed a variety of starters and entrees--and were satisfied. We will be back! read more

Le Chat Noir - Our new favorite French restaurant in the IE - French Near Me - Riverside, California

Great French spot! The food was all amazing. Our service Johannes is very hospitable. The ambiance is perfect for date night or a reunion with friends. read more

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Another fabulous evening at Chat Noir- Food, ambiance, service and company all just lovely. read more

The restaurant was amazing! Came here for an anniversary and it was romantic, great food and service, will definitely be back to try again! read more

Le Chat Noir - Duck and venison - French Near Me - Riverside, California

We came here during the Festival of Lights to have an early dinner and visit the festival. The atmosphere was friendly and it seemed they had quite a few regular customers. Our group of 4 had two orders of duck breast, a chicken breast and a Halibut entree. Only the chicken was "good", the other entrees did not meet our expectations. Duck breast is usually served with the flavorful crispy skin included, but these were served skinless, only slightly warm, and coated with a salty brown sauce that tasted exactly like Maggi brown braten gravy. The halibut had a fishy smell that was noticeable to the whole table. The vegetables were nice, and the dab of mashed potato extruded from a pastry bag was okay. We had coffee afterwards, which was ordinary Denny's quality brewed coffee. The dessert sampler was very good, especially the chocolate mousse. Prices would have been acceptable if the food quality had risen to the occasion. read more

My boyfriend and I came for our anniversary last year and honestly the food was pretty good! He got the Duck and it was so delicious and very tender. We also got Escargots de Roquefort was delicious especially with bread, I highly recommend, the escargot was kind of rubbery but wasn't bad at all just not my cup of tea. I wouldn't NOT recommend the Pheasant. It was small, tough, and disappointing. The sauce however was delicious and honestly just use chicken and it would be great. Service was okay, we are young so it was awkward and tense when talking to our waiter and it felt like everything we were asking for was a drag. The ambiance was kind of nice but a bit outdated. read more

One of the best French restaurants I have ever been to . Took my parents there for thanksgiving and immediately booked to take my best friend there for pre-Xmas celebration. Both times we were impressed. The appetizers (esp shrimp sautéed with Dijon mustard and mushroom stuffed with escargot were incredibly tasty). Venison and lamb were both cooked to perfection and paired with rich and delicious sauce. Crème brûlée was outstanding Such a hidden jewel in riverside. Will def come back. read more

Le Chat Noir - Pistachio crusted lamb - French Near Me - Riverside, California

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Gotta love Le chat....from start to finish it was 5 star!!!! We had French onion soup and mussels with white wine cream sauce to start which was perfect, we paired it with a Pinot which worked perfectly. Our main course was filet with pepper corn sauce and duck breast which was perfectly prepared. We had puff pastry fresh fruit dessert which was perfect for dessert. We had a French pinot and courvoisier cognac which brought everything together. To say you gotta try Le chat would be an understatement....it was as if we were back in Paris enjoying dinner. Well done. read more

1/20/24 The place is small and quaint. The service was great. I believe Johann was his name, he was very attentive to us. Everything that we ordered tonight was 10 out of 10..!! We ordered their Venison and their Filet Mignon for the main entree. Their Escargot and Onion soup for starters. For dessert, we ordered their Napoleon and Crème Brûlée. Everything we ate hit the spot. read more

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Wonderful ambiance, excellent service, delicious food, and decadent deserts. Second time here and loved it just as much the first time too. Best French restaurant in Riverside, by far. read more

This place is fantastic in so many ways. The food is classical French all the way. The flaming Brie, the escargot, and any main dish are wonderful. I ordered the Sand Dabs, which I have not had for over 40 years. Desserts are tough to pick just one, but you can share, of course. If you love wine, just ask your server. This is what we did, we each told him what we like in a wine. He came back with suggestions that were excellent and well matched with our foods. Needless to say, the service is impeccable. read more

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We had the rack of lamb, filet, pâté, and escargot and everything was delicious! Service was lovely. Will def go back. read more

Le Chat Noir - Lamb - French Near Me - Riverside, California

Food was French in name only. The magre du canard covered with a brown gravy that lacked the wonderful piquency of a typical magret du canard. The fresh fish was passable, but not delectable, and the plate du fromage was straight out of a nearby Albertsons. The mousse chocolate was not at all fluffy and light, but hard, dense, dry, chocolate pudding. On the bright side, the service was superb. read more

we travel to France annually and have our favorite dining locations there yet we found this quaint but very "French" restaurant in Riverside. WOW, no travel Orange or LA County. It sooo reminds me of the "chic" decorated restaurants in Paris. The service was beyond great and we actually enjoyed every coarse without any push for us to speed up...very European. Of course the french onion soup was wonderful. The duck was done perfectly with an amazing peppercorn sauce that tastes as though it was personally paired just for duck....not steak. My wife had the rack of lamb, so tender and tasty with garlic mash potatoes and steamed fresh vegetables. Of course the evening started with escargot and smoked salmon. The coarse presentations were 5 star and this Chef is truly an artist in each area. The restaurant, while full was still quiet to enjoy conversation. So surprised that this 5 coarse extraordinary experience was moderately priced and here in Riverside. Best mouth watering duck I have had statewide. We will return often. Thank you to our chef and incredible waiter for an outstanding Valentine experience!!!! Merci' C'est délicieux. read more

This little hidden gem was such a good find . Came here the day before bday to avoid the crowds and it was such a cute little intimate corner restaurant. They had a vday menu , the indoor vibes were very dim and romantic . Our waiter was amazing . With suggestions and also attentiveness.We really loved it . It's definitely a date night restaurant for our books and so close to home too . We will def be coming back read more

First time here. This was a Christmas present from a friend. The food was amazing. I enjoyed so much that I started eating before taking a photo. Matthew our server was knowledgeable and friendly. The restaurant was intimate and classy. Highly recommend. I think the menu offers something for everyone to enjoy. Great wine list to pair with food choices. read more

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Celebrated my wedding anniversary last night. Le Chat Noir is located in the White Building on the corner of Market & Ninth in downtown Riverside. Free parking in the back of the building after 5pm, limited parking right in front of the building, and there's a parking structure across the street. My husband made reservations (which I highly recommend, as they have a small dining room and limited seating). The restaurant is a lovely place for a date night! We ordered & shared: escargot, mussels in a white wine cream shallot sauce, and onion soup. The servers were excellent and kept bringing us piping hot & toasty bread, which we happily used to soak up the delicious white wine sauce that the mussels were in. The whipped butter was light, airy with a touch of salt and also went perfectly with the bread. They offered 3 different fish dishes not listed on the menu and my husband opted for the Mexican sea bass and I chose the halibut. Both dishes were served with steamed vegetables and rice pilaf. For dessert, my husband ordered the creme brûlée, and I (being greedy and having a sweet tooth, lol) chose their sampler of mini desserts - which was also served with coffee. I highly recommend this, if you can't decide on which dessert to get. It definitely was an amazing choice and a great end to an excellent meal. read more

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Came here on a Wednesday night with my boyfriend and his dad who was visiting Riverside and wanted to take him to a French restaurant. Called in advance to make a reservation and they were very accommodating as we had to push back the time 30 minutes since we were running late. Ambiance: (5/5) The restaurant is conveniently located on the corner of the street in Downtown Riverside. Such a great location for this restaurant as it's nearby several attractions such as hotels, the Food lab, Arcade, Mission Inn, Fox Theater, and many others. This is definitely a whole in the wall restaurant and I'm so glad my boyfriend came across it on Yelp. The interior of the restaurant is very romantic and nicely decorated which is perfect for any formal and intimate occasion. Named "The Black Cat" in French, there are black cats all around the restaurant and other cat themed decorations. The name was nostalgic to my boyfriend as his dad as it reminded them of an old radio show called Guy Noir. There offer many tables indoors and a couple outdoor tables as well. Service: (5/5) Our server Adrian was a personality to say the least and made our experience at this restaurant so special to me! He was so funny and coversed a lot with us about every detail possible to ensure we enjoyed our meal and throughly understood everything. He had extensive knowledge about the whole menu and wines. As someone that rarely goes to French restaurants, I was so relieved that Adrian was more than willing to explain all the details to me and educate me on the menu and wine we selected. He mentioned that the food at the restaurant is either creamy or crunchy. He also gave us a demonstration on the wine we selected. Adrain honestly made this dinner a one of a kind experience and loved how personable he was and kept the conversation and dinner going. Food: (5/5) Pate Maison: The Pate came with different kinds of pate, vegetables, and a mustard sauce. We ate the pate with the sliced baguette that we were given and it paired extremely well with the mustard. We ended up asking for more bread to eat with the pate. Poitrine de Faisan au Champagne: I ordered the pheasant as recommended by Adrain and it was delicious. I was intimated at first since as I've never tried pheasant before but it tasted absolutely divine. The pheasant tasted like chicken and was served with a bed mushrooms, cream sauce, mashed potatoes, and one of each vegetable (carrot, asparagus, and broccoli). I'm so glad this dish came with mashed potatoes and the delicious cream sauce paired well with everything on the plate. I savored every last bite of this dish. My only complaint would be that I wish it came with more veggies. Overall: (5/5) Hands down such an amazing find and will definitely be coming back here one day! Pro Tip and Notes: -Can call to make a reservation -Parking at the structure across the street (was free for us when we came) -Restaurant owner is the chef himself! read more

I'm here on business and stopped in to have dessert and wine, solely set on grabbing a creme brulee and glass of red. I walked in and was greeted by tall, dark, and handsome Arturo. He is greeting, seating, and otherwise making work easier for tall, pale and handsome, Adrien! Excellent service from both gentlemen tonight! They're attentive, professional, and seen. If you've ever worked in a restaurant, or eaten in a restaurant, you know it's amazing when the wait staff is attentive (aka seen and seeing). Food and service were excellent, Adrien turned me on to a new wine... amazing experience! I'm be back!! read more

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We love this place. Whenever we are in the area we make sure we have dinner reservations. We highly recommend it. The only thing that I am not happy about is that they no longer serve soufflé for dessert. I miss it so much. read more

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Tried this place for my birthday dinner with my spouse. The food and service were amazing.

My daughter has this odd love of anything French. I don't know where it came from, but having traveled the world thanks to my time in the Army (including Paris) I like to encourage that kind of stuff. It just so happens there's an authentic French restaurant 15 minutes from me. So I made a reservation at Le Chat Noir to see how she likes it. Located on the corner of 9th and Market, Le Chat Noir is relatively new to downtown Riverside. I walked in with the kiddo and you are met with a nice ambiance. This place screams "date night" and no doubt your date would be impressed. We already kinda knew what we wanted so I ordered the stuff you see in the pictures. The escargot was excellent. The kiddo liked the flavor but she had a hard time getting over the texture. I mean, it is snail. They bring you fresh baked French bread quite often so I was dipping that in the sauce. The French onion soup was also delicious. Great broth with lots of onions and the gruyere cheese. Kiddo definitely loved that one. I got the rack of lamb. Perfectly cooked. Tender as all get out and the crust was excellent. Kiddo got the Chicken Provençal and she killed it. Service was decent but friendly. They are understaffed so I get it. My water glass was rarely empty and the bread was always arriving at the right moment. However, food coming out of the kitchen was glacial. The escargot came out in 20 minutes. The soup was about 40 minutes. Entrees were over an hour and some change after we sat down. I noticed if you ordered the seafood special it came out much faster. The couple next to us sat down an hour after we did and got their (seafood) entrees before we did. That said, would I return? Yes. The food was absolutely phenomenal. They know what they are doing in the kitchen. If you want to impress your date, this is the place to take them. Recommended! read more

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The food was very good and was the service. Very cozy. Looking for a good date night ... here is your spot..

Some of the best damn food I've ever had. High quality, delicious, executed to perfection.

Definitely a memorable visit last night. Johannes was our waiter. He was attentive, funny and made a special night greater. First and foremost, Le Chat Noir is our go to place French Restaurant. Located steps away from us now, it was a short walk to the restaurant. Johannes showed us to our table and we ordered Escargot Stuffed Mushrooms and Pate. Both were excellent with the complimentary fresh French bread. The thing about French food is their sauces and when you sop the bread w the garlic butter it's amazing. The entrees we ordered were the Lamb Lion w Lingonberry and Gorgonzola, and the Bronzino, Sea Bass, with Brown Butter. Both were excellent. The sea bass I tried was filling. The two fillets were over wild rice and veggies. It tasted delicious. Our dessert was the Crème brûlée and special donut w a message :) Overall, a very memorable visit. Thank you read more

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We have been coming to Le Chat Noir for years. This is our special place. We come here for special occasions as well as date nights. We LOVE the atmosphere, attentive service and amazing food. I highly recommend Le Chat Noir! read more

If you love French cooking, you will love this restaurant from appetizer to the dessert. Absolutely delicious. And the service is like you don't experience in California anymore special thank you to Adrien our wonderful Garson! I think that's how waiter spelled in French! read more

The escargot was very rubbery. But the venison was delicious. The staff were very friendly.

To be greeted personally by first name by our server , Adrian, was such a treat for me , felt so special . My friend and I tried this restaurant for the first time and looks like we're already planning our next visit . Our food was superb scrumptiously delicious !!! I had the rack of venison and my friend got the halibut , but for starters we had the mushrooms stuffed with escargot in garlic sauce .. and for desert creme brûlée , Hail to the "chef John Pierre" for an awesome meal and salute to Adrian who courteously opened the door for us upon leaving the restaurant . read more

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The worst service ever!!!!!!!! We had a reservation at 7:30pm after we were told there was nothing earlier. We get to the restaurant at our reservation and are told our table isn't ready that the party is still eating. Okay fine we can wait. It is 20 min into our reservation and we check in since it's cold and there is no place to wait inside. We ask to speak to the manager and the hostess tells us "You're gonna have to come to the kitchen to talk to the manager." The most ridiculous thing ever. Why take reservations if you don't plan to honor them. Would skip. read more

One of my fav in riverside yum love it Spent a lot here but so worth it lots good memories here read more

Made reservation for our anniversary. The waiter was very attentive and hep us order the food. It was my kids first time eating french food. I asked my teenager that we are going to try something special and shut up and try it, if they can't eat it then we can get Chicken nuggets later. Daughter ate the steak with white and brown sauce. My son tried the duck, it's improvement that he is trying. He ate all the bread tho. My wife had the fish special and it is the beat fish we have ever eaten. Mushroom snails were the best. I can eat that with flip flop. Mussels were great but the snails are just a little better. read more

Le Chat Noir - Our 20 something anniversary date. - French Near Me - Riverside, California

Don't bother making reservations...they'll just say "we're busy" when you arrive, regardless ....

Fantastic experience. Food was excellent. Our server, Adrian, was on point and so was the Dom !!!

I've been eyeing this place for a while and finally decided to make a reservation which was very easy the person I talked to was also very friendly. My date & I were not disappointed! It's small/intimate and the food was great. Server was very attentive 10/10 would recommend. I will be returning. read more

Le Chat Noir - French Near Me - Riverside, California