Decided to check out Le Petit Cafe after not being there for many years. You know this place has been in Bloomington forever. Our experience wasn't bad. But it wasn't nearly as good as it was back in the day. Sorry to say, the food was good, but it wasn't nearly as good as it used to be. The prices , we thought, were fairly high. I believe it's the only French restaurant in town. If you're a big fan of French cuisine, by all means give it a try. read more

I love this restaurant. The owners are great people, and serve you personally. I went for the lunch special, which was delicious. The dessert was perhaps the best thing I have ever eaten. Also, the quality and quantity of food you get for what you pay is a huge plus; I was stuffed when I finished. A cute, top-notch restaurant. I highly, highly recommend it. -Paige read more

Our experience here was wonderful! Everything they made was quality. You could tell they cared a great deal about the food they served. We had the cheese in pastry for and appetizer, it was fabulous! We then moved on to a steak dinner. The steak was cooked perfectly and the sauce they had on top was delicious. Our sides were generous and tasty. Our dessert was a custard and cookie soaked in brandy. Every element of the dessert melted in my mouth. My husband had a glass of red wine that was, you guessed it, delicious! I loved the French couple who owned the restaurant. You can tell it is there baby and they take great pride in it. They were very friendly, kind, and accommodating. I highly recommend coming here! read more

Went for dinner: Simple (not flashy focus is on the food) and cozy (low lightening, close tables but wasn't a full restaurant, comfortable table, friendly staff made you feel at home, bathroom was eclectic with funny articles to read) Mediterranean steak option w/ salad Perfect portion, standard salad with leafy greens, perfectly cooked steak, well balanced sauce, really enjoyed this dish, very reasonable price. Poulet a la sauge and olives w/ green yogurt soup. Soup was amazing, almost like a green smoothie. Chicken was baked, nothing to write home about, sauce was safe but good. This was a dish for your picky eaters who want to try something new. Sides...potatoes drenched in olive oil and onions so good. Green quiche, strange texture but hit the spot. Their brunch window in the mornings is amazing!!!! read more

This place is a little bit strange when you walk in. First, it's pretty much in a garage. Then you sit down and there's no menu, just a difficult to read white board which lists "Pork", "Chicken", etc but in French. I thought I might have to leave because I did not see a vegetarian option listed. Luckily, there was an option, they just didn't list it on their board. I know that the French are not really into vegetarianism but to not list it on the board but to have it seemed strange. Our entrees and sides were good but not especially flavorful. My mushroom tart was probably the most mushrooms I've ever eaten in one sitting. It good but I likely wouldn't have chosen it if I had several veggie options to select from. read more

The wine is bad, the food is totally mediocre and the staff upcharges if you have a child that cries. Why anyone would go there is beyond me. read more

Tried their lunch buffet once. Not very impressive on me. Only a few dishes to choose from. Maybe that's just what I paid for. But with the price, around 7 or 8, I will be better off to dine in Tudor room with student discount after 1:00pm. read more

I don't understand the bad reviews on this site--haters gonna hate. I love this restaurant. '94 IU grad here and I've been back a number times since graduation. I love the food, the atmosphere, and the owners. This place brings back so many wonderful memories! . read more

This place is a Bloomington institution for a reason. They offer a spectacular Thursday buffet, a can't miss Saturday morning B-line window, or regular meals other times, but always serve the most wonderful French provincial food. This isn't snobbish couture fare, this is straightforward, delicious, and loving. Yes, you can taste the love (hint: it tastes like butter) and once you come around a few times you start to feel like family. This is our go-to celebration place and we've never been disappointed. read more

I can honestly say that this is my favorite restaurant in Bloomington, and the one I always go to whenever I come back to town. The menu varies daily, and is by no means large, usually only 4 items total to pick from for a main course, and maybe an appetizer or two as well. Always a choice of soup (homemade and can be cold or hot) or salad with homemade dressing with your entree, and they do superb deserts too. I would call this place classic rustic french cuisine, it's completely unpretentious but yet always extremely flavorful. I have eaten here many times and I've yet to have a mediocre meal here. If you can get here and they're open for dinner, I say try it, and hopefully you'll enjoy it as much as I do. read more

Someone took me on a date here one evening. We ended up making an excuse and leaving early once we paid for the food. The restaurant was empty, and for good reason. We came because of all the positive reviews, but the actual experience was anything but. The couple that owns this place is so sweet and welcoming, and I suspect that may be why people refrain from posting negative reviews. I really came in with an open mind and good expectations. But my chicken looked like dog food and tasted like flavorless slop straight from a prison. While I only had a couple of bites, my stomach felt upset for the remainder of the evening. Maybe it was a one-time occurrence, but there are a lot of reliably good restaurants in Bloomington for you to frequent instead. read more

Small restaurant run by a French couple. The menu changes daily. On a recent evening there were 4 entrees: rabbit with olives, chicken with mushrooms, steak with garlic, and a shrimp dish (and a veggie quiche). Dinners came with a green salad or a fresh garlic-vegetable soup. There were 2 appetizers: cheese in puff pastry or pate. There were 2 deserts: a blueberry cake with cream or a fig cheesecake. Carafes of red or white were available. The food was wonderful and the staff were very friendly. Highly recommended. My only suggestion is that some French music might be a better background than rock... Entrees 15-20 and other items about $5. read more

If you want a place where the place settings cost as much as my first car, the waiters are snobs in fancy clothes and the food is so "complex" you can't figure out what you are eating, DON'T go here. This place is where the owners are your best friends and the food has real flavor. I had cheese puffs, garlic soup, mussels and Spanish style crème brulee. Never had such good food! The mussels were huge yet tender and tasty. read more

Not only was the Black Forest cake very very mediocre, the price listed on the menu was $6.25 per slice, but we were charged after the fact $10 per slice. After asking the owner, he said he "raised the prices for graduation", even though it was still listed as $6.25 on the printed menu. This is criminal and we won't ever return. It seems like they have a habit of gouging people whenever they feel the need! read more

Real French cuisine from two real French people. Very decent prices, top quality! Don't miss it!

I asked for the chicken pâté on bread and there was so much pâté, I had to ask for more bread! Love the women who served me. Nice to know that a French restaurant is run by French people. read more

We went at an awkward time on a weekday night for dinner, and Le Petit Cafe met and exceeded all my expectations. I don't know what happened to the other people when they ate there, but my food was fantastic--the veal was fork-tender!--as were the meals of everyone else in my party. It's not haute French cuisine, it's solid, rustic, delicious French cuisine. The ambiance was casual but pleasant; French without being twee or pretentious. The couple who run the place catered to our every need and were awesome to talk to. I can't wait to go back. read more

As a vegetarian, I find it hard to eat at French restaurants (French cuisine is heavy on the meat). This place caters well to vegetarians; if I know I am going, I'll call in advance to see what their veg special is. They serve simple, provincial French food. High quality, and tasty. Could I make this stuff at home? Probably; but the ambiance, and cute/homey staff make the trip here worth it. read more

The thing I love most about this place is the owners. They are a hard working french couple ans they are so invested in their restaurant and the community they have brewed around it. They are both kind and proud to present to you what they do. The husband takes your orders and approaches you with a warmth and friendliness not often found among french people. I'm not saying french people are rude (I've traveled a great deal around france) but they are not warm and chatty like most Americans. To me, the owner is the perfect balance between a kind and gracious good provider, and a formal french man. He always brings wine and bread to the table with a smirk on his face and is quick to talk about the specials with pride. The food was good for french food in the Midwest. It's not what you would find in a major city, but everything was always well seasoned ans appropriately cooked when I visited. Vegetarian options need to be specifically asked for as they are sometimes not posted, but always available The interior is charming and when you walk in it feels like you're in a house with the piano and the staircase and the magazine stack. I've never been any place like this. It feels so informal, yet still feels like a nice, fine dining place. read more

Love the homey feel of this place, and the food is very good. The owners are a very nice French couple. I'll be back next time I'm in town.

Horrible experience. Freezing cold (60 degrees at best) and owner kept turning down the heat every time his wife tried to turn up the thermostat to make the customers more comfortable. Everyone in there was freezing. Served cheap Italian house wine - at a french restaurant. Food was mediocre at best but charged high-end prices for Bloomington. Small iceberg lettuce SIDE salad with grated carrots and store bought dressing was $8. $21 for a not great steak. Price would be fine if it the food -- but it was not $21 steak for Bloomington. And then they added an mandatory 20% tip in (there were only 3 of us so it wasn't an issue of a large group). read more

Simplicity at its finest ~ This week I had a wonderful dinner with my 18 year old Grandson. He had steak with Bearnaise Sauce (first time for him to have Bearnaise sauce) and he loved it! I had chicken with a light garlic sauce that was wonderful! Wonderful restaurant read more

This is a great restaurant! The food is good. The service is good. Please ignore all of the comment from people offended by a Facebook note about an isolated incident. Most of these people are not even residents of Bloomington. For some reason they have taken it as their crusade to ruin this fine establishment, and have extrapolated beyond the facts to make the Facebook note out to be worse than it was. Take it from someone who has actually been there, this is a great restaurant. On top of that, if I had been in the restaurant and two babies had been screaming (not "fussy" as one inflammatory comment says), I would have appreciated it if the mothers had left. I will be giving Le Petit Cafe even more business now that I know they are committed to providing a peaceful environment to the vast majority of their customers who do not have screaming babies instead of kowtowing to the minority of customer who do. read more

Dinner was ok....red wine just tasted bad (probably a cheap expired wine....almost a vinaigrette dressing).... and after a romantic "parisian" dinner they overcharged my credit card.......so watch your credit/debit card statement after leaving. (someone mentioned this before) au revoir!, salut! read more

Loved this place! The service was excellent and the food was delicious. I was able to order an appetizer, soup, an entree and dessert for 2 for $40 dollars. I would highly recommend this restaurant, especially in the Bloomington area. It truly was an amazing experience. read more

A quirky, fun kind of place. The food was delicious, different, and fresh, which we appreciate. The bread pudding was very good too. We will definitely comeb back. read more

I went here on Thursday, for the $7.95 lunch buffet. The food was excellent, selections included fish lasagna, cheese pastries, steamed spinach, beef stew and a salad bar. The only complaint is the dining room is in a decorated garage, so the room is a bit chilly. Subsequent buffet vists (I've never tried the regular menu) have been tasty also. read more

Hmm. This one is interesting. I lived in France for a while and never really had anything like this. But that's fine! If French people (the couple come from France) are to cook for Midwesterners and use Midwestern ingredients then I'd guess it would taste something like this. And the taste is good. But cheese and cream will usually taste nice. The sauces are yummy (I like the taste of cream like most people) but flat. The decor is a bit strange as the dining room kind of looks like a garage with some plastic place settings. I think that they could make some relatively small changes that could better fit the high expectations that the prices would entail. read more

Came for the Thursday lunch buffet. The selection was limited with only 4 options and a limited salad bar. The selections were quite bland and a little lukewarm. Will not be back. I had heard great things about this spot so it may have been an off day. read more

Food was awful, served cold. Puffed pastry appetizer tasted like supermarket frozen puff pastry with cheap cheese. You can get better pate in any supermarket. Meat quality was terrible, tough & fatty. Prices far exceed the quality of food. Definitely will not eat here again. read more

What a beautiful little place. The owner's are friendly and wonderful, the food delicious. The Thursday lunch buffet is Bloomington's best and very reasonable. I love Le Petit! read more

Nice, warm, intimate. Food are fresh and good ( daily servings introduced by their super friendly boss). Perfect for a chilling Friday night :) read more

This place is kind of strange. Maybe it's because I've only come for the lunch buffet... but somehow it never seems particularly French or particularly interesting. Boring salad bar on one side (I've had iceberg lettuce at least once) and then the hot foods side varies but is limited. And has random stuff, like shepherd's pie or quesadillas. Nothing is inherently terrible but nothing is shout out delicious (or even French!) either. Again, maybe it's just because this is the lunch buffet and the dinner is much more interesting. But I have to say I've never been intrigued to try it because of this. I've also tried a few things that they offer on Market mornings. Their croques madames are nice and I'm glad I tried them, but everything else we've tried has been kind of a gooey messy disappointment. I've had French food in other cities and have even been to France and this is not what I think of as French food. Luckily there's a new French cafe in town (La Vie En Rose), so I think I'll just go there from now on. read more

I've been going to Petit Cafe since I was a student at IU in the 1980's. I go back every time I visit from Los Angeles. This is one of my favorite restaurants of all time. The dishes are always freshly prepared and interesting. I haven't had the same meal twice. Be sure and ask the owners what to have---they always have fantastic suggestions. Not sure what happened during the fellow's visit who gave it 2 stars, but for over 20 years this is my "must go" restaurant. read more

I love this place. Having been pretty much a regular for the sunday brunches for an year+, I can vouch for the amazing quality of food. To add to that Patrick and Marina are super-friendly. I love going there and waiting for items to come out 1 after the other. (I dont even have to say 'surprise me' :-)). I have moved away from Bloomington but everytime I visit, I make sure to get into Le Petit. read more

Very good ambience, classic simple French food.

Loved it! Went here in February and was good. I was completely out of my comfort zone. Steak, potatoes, salad, soup, and a slice of chocolate cake to split. Delicious. I only wish there were more potatoes. And a heater by the garage door because it was freezing in there. read more

Not worth the price. Finally tried this after hearing a few good things but the service seemed off from the beginning. It took them 15 minutes to take our order and we waited over 30 for the food. They offered no apology. There was a very strong "we don't want to be here" from the staff. Return the favor and stay away. read more

This is one of my favorite restaurants in Bloomington. It is so charming and the owners are so sweet. They make it such a personal experience and come up and talk to you, they're also French so it's all very authentic. The food is amazing, I'd recommend this to anyone, perfect date kind of restaurant. read more

This place was great. They had a pâté with rosemary that was excellent. We could choose from four entrees, which were all good. The "poulet" choice is made with white meat chicken, but my mother prefers dark. She asked if she could have that instead and the chef/owner said "of course". My mother loved it. I also love that you order a glass of wine, either red or white. Just as in a French home. Nothing fancy, but entirely satisfying. I can't wait to go back next year, when I return to Bloomington for a week. read more