We made a reservation by phone to go to Monet's a few hrs before we went. It had been 10 years since I had been there. It was an extremely hot day and the restaurant, which has about 8 tables, was hot. A man was sitting toward the front playing wonderful music on a clarinet. We were seated by the window and promptly served water while we looked over the menu and decided on drinks. We ended up buying a bottle of pinot to share. Our meal choices were pizza, a panini and lavender cheesecake. Everything was plated beautifully and tasted amazing. It is a small restaurant and it is pretty loud inside with voices when full. Very elegant and fun. read more

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Me and My husband LOVE Monet's! It's a cute restaurant/wine bar that we go to every month for date night. The food is always so good. Every wine we've had has been perfect with our meals. The staff is always great. They get busy so it might be better to have a reservation especially on Saturdays. I'm so glad we found this little place in Exeter. read more

Monets Wine Bistro - French Near Me - Exeter, California

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Love the French vibe in a super cute town. Great food and wine selection. Owners and staff are really friendly, and the service is excellent. read more

Food quality is inconsistent. The server was new and recommended the dinner special: gnocchi with peas in a butter thyme sauce and optional seared rockfish. The dinners on the table next to us looked outstanding and we ordered exactly what they did, including the wine. My friend ordered the ribeye and fingerling potatoes and I had the special. Our dishes arrived and although my plate looked tasty, there were no peas. I requested my plate be sent back and have peas added. The owner returned, and after placing the plate back in front of me, she held her hands behind her back, smiled and while nodding her head asked a rhetorical question, "Isn't it good you didn't order peas?" I was taken aback by the question, which implied I did not want peas. Why would I send back the plate to add the missing peas (a key ingredient) and then be told no peas is what I wanted? Sounds like gas lighting to me. Strangely enough, the owner then contradicts herself and says, "The reason you don't have peas on your plate is because we ran out of peas." The context, via tone and body language, felt as though I was supposed to be ok that there were no peas. After a couple beats of silence, she goes on, "Did you want peas?" I replied, "Yes, that's why I ordered the special." Why would the restauranteur return a $28.50 dinner special I did not order and then try and guide me into saying it is what I ordered? I was uncomfortable. What came next was very cringe-worthy. She chastised our server, in front of us, for not paying attention to our orders, referring to the idea that I did in fact want peas when she just admitted I didn't get peas because they were out. She left the table to put in an alternative vegetable I was finally offered. Throughout our dinner, two waitress and the owner asked how our dinners were. I noticed my friend was not making eye contact and would say, "It's fine. I'm okay." I then asked how her potatoes were because I noticed she was not eating them. My friend admitted, to me, she could not get her fork through the potatoes (oven roasted fingerlings sliced lengthwise). I tried her potato and yes, they were undercooked to the point of being nearly raw in the middle. It was difficult to get the fork into the potatoes and difficult to cut. They crunched partially raw when trying to chew. When the waitress asked "How is your dinner?" my friend finally said, "I just want to suggest the chef check potatoes before placing, to make sure they are fully cooked." The waitress offered to have the potatoes taken back and cooked longer. My friend refused stating "I'm not going to eat the potatoes just let the chef know for the next customer." The waitress kindly offered a free dessert which my friend accepted. The next exchange with the owner was when she came to our table with our desserts in hand and said "This is for the undercooked potatoes. We are human and it was a mistake. It is not normal for them to be undercooked but it can happen because we are human." It felt slightly confrontational. My friend and I were polite about the feedback and we weren't asking for special treatment. We remained pleasant throughout the dinner but this comment really irritated me and convinced me this place is a joke. It poses the question, how do they keep their quality control if the cooks are not testing what they are making and sending out? As a restaurant owner, it is her job to know the standard of product and maintain that. It is her BUSINESS. If you truly value your name brand, you will keep strict quality control and not minimize customer feedback by retorting, "We're human." Give me a break. What is most concerning is the owner assumed zero responsibility. She blamed the cook ( I say cook because a real chef would not let a plate like that leave the kitchen), the waitress and even me when she tried to make me believe I ordered something I did not. How do you deliver a $42 steak and potato dinner plate and not even know your potatoes are undercooked? And then say "we're human" as though my friend and I are being unreasonable and not understanding. I understand we're being fully charged for undercooked food and missing ingredients; That's what I understand. Steak and potatoes, a simple dish. The "chef" can't stick a fork in them to make sure they're done before being sent out? Furthermore, to be told it is not normal their potatoes are undercooked is debatable. I have dined here 4 times and had those potatoes 3 times. They were undercooked twice; that is a 66% outcome of being undercooked. I was very, very annoyed by then end of the night. I apologized to my friend and I regretted bringing the place business as I have brought 5 people over the course of my 4 visits. To be treated this way was an eye opener to the character of this owner. To close, why come to our table and ask how we're doing if the feedback isn't welcomed? Just make the food and subject us to human error. read more

Monets Wine Bistro - The special: gnocchi, peas, butter thyme sauce and rockfish (without the peas). - French Near Me - Exeter, California

Lovely atmosphere , service and food: the wine was interestingly and carefully explained. Dining here was definitely a getaway experience, which we thoroughly enjoyed! Minus one star- Mid July and much too warm inside. read more

We have been in the Visalia area for two months and have not found an authentic restaurant until now. I wish we had taken pictures of the food, we had a burger with goat cheese and fig, it was amazing. The hot spinach salad with salmon was great, the salmon was expertly cooked. They have a good wine and desert selection. Can't wait to return! read more

Monets Wine Bistro - Porch front dining - French Near Me - Exeter, California

I was greeted by one of the owners who seemed to want to push me back out instead of saying welcome. The restaurant is crowed, loud...service is not the greatest. They have one bathroom tucked into a small crowed area. So if you have to go, you better time it accordingly. Food is not the greatest, mediocre for the price. I have no problem paying for a Great meal but this is disappointing and my second time here. Cocktails are over priced - tasted watered down, and I'm taking medication...it should have hit me but it didn't. The wait staff only asked if we wanted a refill on drink an hour later. No one asked how the meal was. Sitting next to the door I'm greeted by every one's crotch. And it's cold. Not the greatest second experience. I don't recommend this place. read more

Monets Wine Bistro - Ceiling to Monets - French Near Me - Exeter, California

Had an amazing time. First time @ Monet & first time in Exeter. The ravioli medley w/ lobster sauce was incredible. Paired with the perfect Einstok Icelandic beer. Lastly the owner & our waitress Katy were exceptional, warm & had the best smiles ever. Can't wait to come back. read more

Monets Wine Bistro - Ravioli Medley & Einstok Icelandic Christmas Beer. - French Near Me - Exeter, California

Stars for service, ambiance (great jazz clarinetist), and Brie/ wild mushroom soup. Escargot had NO flavor. Croque Monsieur and Flank Steak Panini were disappointing. Overrated and overpriced. read more

Stopped by to look after dinner some where else. We went in for coffee and desert which was great. Going back on December 16th for a special event. I am really looking forward to it. Owners are great, came out, talked to use and made us feel welcomed. read more

Went here on a Tuesday night for dinner. The restaurant is very small and there were only 2 other tables there when my party of 2 arrived. By the time we sat down one of the tables had left. It took very long (20 mins) to get our orders put in considering that we were the only ones there that had just been seated. The other table was alrdy done eating. When the food finally did come out it was good I'm not gonna lie but for the slow service I will not be returning, especially at the price that they charge. read more

We had a fabulous dinner last night. The warm spinach salad with grilled salmon was very good. The ravioli medley with salmon with half pesto cream and lobster sauce was wonderful. To start the Artichoke lobster bake was excellent. To finish the meal we shared a piece of the lavender cheese cake with blue berries. Everything we had last night was excellent keep up the great service. read more

Monets Wine Bistro - Caprese - French Near Me - Exeter, California

Wow! Just wow! I haven't had such a nice experience in a restaurant I think ever. Monet's is the cutest little place in a quaint little town 2.5 hours out of LA. One would not expect to find such a place here but boy are we glad we did. From the comfortable and welcoming ambiance to the friendly staff and absolutely delicious food, we couldn't have been more pleased with our experience. I believe anything you try on the menu will leave you more than satisfied. We we were lucky to meet the owner, Jennifer, who was lovely. The clarinet player is also a bonus, definitely elevating the overall experience. If we are ever in the area again, we will definitely be stopping by Monet's. read more

A gorgeous restaurant. Live music. Friendly service. I felt pampered! There was so many tempting options on the menu. A couple celebrating their anniversary got serenaded by the jazz player. They held up their uber ride to get the full effect! It was super sweet. The owner couldn't have been nicer! You could tell she was delighted to take care of her customers! I can't wait to return! read more

The food & everything was good. They had a small select menu as it was valentine's day but it was a good selection. My concern is that there was a waiter, (i'm not sure if he was an owner or just worked there) & he went around to all the lovely couples & asked them about their relationship, how long they had been together, etc. As soon as he got to our table he asked us if we were done with our plates & took them away. Me & my partner felt a bit weirded out. We are both women but we were very obviously a couple & it felt very rude. Such a sad experience as this is only our second time here & the first time our waitress was lovely & acknowledged that we were together & was just so sweet & even gave us postcards to mail out for free! Again, food is amazing but that was just such an odd experience on what was supposed to be a romantic, lovely day. read more

We stopped in on Sunday for brunch. We entered and weren't greeted or acknowledged. We waited while a waitress went back and forth with a table. Then after a few minutes of us standing, she told us we could sit at a table. We sat for a good while and then she brought out the menus. Service was slow the entire time even though there was only two more tables. We went in at around 11 and left at 2. Everything from the appetizer to dessert was absolutely delicious. Such a small restaurant that delivers such big taste. Food was 5 stars. Customer service is another story. Hoping we have a better experience next time because we want to try their dinner menu. read more

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I've been there a couple of times, so maybe not the most reliable review you'll read... but the first time was amazing, the hosts gave a personal touch to our dining experience, and that's the main reason of my going there to dine again. But the second time, felt rushed, with average meals and poor service by the servers. It was unfortunate because I had built up the expectations of the people I was dining with. read more

My husband said halfway through our 3 hour meal he couldn't think of a restaurant he likes more. Bomb dropped! This comes from a Bay Area man who LOVES his food and who's also an excellent cook. October 2018 We ordered the mushroom soup, baked Brie with shallots, cheese platter, salad with peppers, beef stroganoff with mignon, ribeye, 4 desserts, lavender latte, JT port, a couple different wines (I.e.Luna). This is the best restaurant steak you'll ever order. I started with an Americano and two Zinfandels - Oplolo and Zinderella. Both Zinfandels are delicious. October 2019 we ordered the pork belly- which was a mistake. I should only order pork belly at an Asian place. We had several glasses of wine. The staff here is amazing and never lets your glass run dry! The staff is attentive and kind. Brendan N Lauren F's review (who happens to be my friend) couldn't be more wrong! This place has been pretty epic, with the exception of the pork belly. Side note, they did switch chefs in 2019. If you're looking for chic vibes, whether romantic or a girls' night, with an impressive selection of wines, and scrumptious food, you must come here. Come enjoy your petite piece de la France! Absolument! read more

Halley was amazing at the restaurant and food and drinks exquisite. A must visit in Exeter. Wow just wow.

The best part about this place is the atmosphere. Small, cozy, private. I had a work lunch and so I cannot say much about the wine collection, but it looks very promising. The service is wonderful and personable. The food is a mixture of French, Italian, and American. I ordered the lobster ravioli. The taste is there, portion is light. The food is good but not outstanding. read more

Monets Wine Bistro - French Near Me - Exeter, California

This place is not very French, but false advertising is not it's biggest problem. The food is terrible. Brie and goat cheese app was bland and not melty and delicious even though they placed it on a warmer at the table. Bread that came with it was dry. Escargot was dry, flavorless and disgusting. Ribeye steak undercooked and tasted like it'd been in the freezer too long and served with undercooked and under seasoned potato's - price tag 42$ The staff was very welcoming and friendly but they left empty glasses and dishes on the table for way too long. Like, came to the table and checked on us several times but left the clutter of empty's. Maybe a good dessert stop, with delicious lavender cheesecake and espresso. I know it's slim pickings in Exeter but don't waste your money on dinner at Monet's. read more

Just 20 minutes from Tulare in the quaint town of Exeter. The place is small but the ambience is perfect for an intimate dinner. It gives one a cozy feeling as soon as you enter the restaurant. There were only 2 of us and got seated at a corner. No it didn't give us a feeling that we were on a time out. Instead, it kinda gave us more privacy as we were not in the flow of traffic, not that there was a lot of it. There was a big mirror on the side wall which made the restaurant look bigger. On the other side were bottles and bottles of wine that served as a storage and a decor. We were greeted by a friendly wait staff. The menu was interesting, with a lot of "lavender" items in it. It was limited but it was well thought of. We started we the lavender Brie. It was Brie with balsamic vinegar, some onions and lavender honey. It was interesting but probably would have been better with a little more lavender honey. My niece ordered a, I forgot what it's called, but it's gin with lavender honey. That was refreshing! They mix it but gives you an option to add more lavender honey to suit your taste. Their wine list was adequate. A lot of California wines. I love how they patronize local wines. I had a Harmony 2019 Riesling which was perfect for the weather and our choice of entree. We had the seasonal berry salad. My niece's entree came with a small portion of it and it looked really good that I had to order one myself. My wild mushroom linguine was good! I am a marinara person but this came with a very light creamy sauce and a generous amount of mushrooms that I really enjoyed. You get to choose a protein to go with it and the salmon was perfectly cooked. Crunchy on the outside and moist and juicy on the inside. I am not a dessert person but my niece got the Jack Daniels chocolate pecan pie which she loved. The place was small but the noise level was just right and still able to carry on a conversation. We took our time enjoying our food and the wait staff stopped by our table just enough times to check on us. We didn't feel hurried at all. It was a very good experience that I would drive 2 hours to Tulare and another 20 minutes to dine in this restaurant again! read more

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Love Monet's! It's such a treat. Love to go on the wine tasting nights. Food and service is always great. The owner, Jennifer, is always present and greets customers/visits the tables. read more

We stayed in the small town of Exeter while visiting the national parks, and were totally blown away by the gourmet meal we had at Monet's! We live in a big city and go out to nice restaurants regularly, but the meal at Monet's was the best one we had in a long time. Not only was the food fantastic, but the owners could not have been friendlier. If you're ever in or near Exeter, Monet's is an absolute must! read more

Monets Wine Bistro - French Near Me - Exeter, California

Good food, good service, friendly staff. Reasonably priced. Don't leave your husband there alone, the owner will get mighty friendly with him! read more

Welcoming and friendly! Live music definitely added to the relaxing vibe. And the food was delicious!

The positive is the delicious tarts and deserts. The NEGATIVE is the horrible service. The order was wrong at every turn. The 'strawberry salad " had ONE strawberry cut up. We were the for 3 hours from the time we ordered to when we finished because service was extremely slow . The waitress was not accommodating and rarely came to our table and when she did it was with an attitude. The food is average. I will not go back mainly because of the rude service of the wait staff. read more

I sitting outside and the stree is beautiful and quite. Food is great and very good service. Very enjoy here. read more

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We happened upon this place during a weekend in town. The atmosphere was buzzing, lively and happy. The staff is all so friendly and attentive, water classes never empty, empty plates cleared quickly and always gave a wave or spoke directly to our 5 year old making him feel included in the experience. Our dinner was superb! Escargot appetizer, mono Lisa pizza for me, cheese pizza for our son and my husband had the cod Wellington. We all tasted each others and all were absolutely delicious. When it came time for dessert we were having a hard time deciding so the owner suggest we do half servings of the three we were stumped on - the dessert flight was born! We had jack Daniels bourbon pecan chocolate torte, salted caramel chocolate torte and their best seller - lavender cheesecake! They were all amazing. Our 5 year old devoured the cheese cake but shared to bites with us and it's easy to see why it's so popular. A must try for sure. The owners are so friendly. I love when owners come and check on tables. It just add a flair of caring. They also had a man in the corner playing beautiful soft jazzy almost type music which just added to the great atmosphere. I'm sure I'm missing aspects of our experience but can say without doubt we will be back, soon! read more

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I am extremely patient, and I understand being busy, and overworked as I worked at a Starbucks, but my partner and I waited two hours outside in the cold to receive our food. While the food was delicious, it wasn't worth the 2 hour wait (and they gave my partner the wrong side dish). It was frustrating to see even certain parties inside getting their plates before us, when they came after us. We didn't even get comped for waiting the time we did. We saw a party leave, and maybe we should have left behind them. read more

It has been so long since I have been able to enjoy such a lovely dining experience! Ordered the lavendar prosecco cocktail (simple perfection), the Roasted Duck and Rice soup (umami comfort food that I'm going to crave next time I feel under the weather), the Brie with crispy caramelized shallots and lavender appetizer (absolute perfection, like eyes roll back in your head delightful), and the ravioli with Pesto sauce (delicious). Everything was presented beautifully, the place is cozy and classy. I live 45 minutes away and have been wanting to come here for years....now I'm going to have to make up for lost time. I REEEAALLY want the roasted peach and ricotta burger, but it was unavailable at this time due to them not having the peaches at the moment. I must return. I'd really like to hide out all day in their cozy back room with a book and munch off the entire menu all day lol. read more

Monets Wine Bistro - Lavender brie, roasted duck soup, lavendar prosecco cocktail - French Near Me - Exeter, California

Such a darling cafe! Delicious and unique food with such a quaint and lovely ambiance. The service is too notch! If you get a chance to talk to the owners Hoy should. Just a wonderful couple that have brought a taste of France to the Central Valley. You won't be disappointed, but you may want a reservation read more

Wow! That's all I can say! It was a party on my pallet! So many decadent flavors, so delicate and flavorful in both flavor and texture. Talk about eye appeal! Each dish was better than the last and how is that even possible? This is a hidden treasure. If you have not visited this location, you don't know what you're missing! read more

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Loved this place! Had a date night here a while back and would 100% come back. Ambiance - amazing cozy vibes with nice lighting. It can get pretty loud and crowded in the front but I was lucky enough to be seated in the back. Drinks - I honestly cannot remember what cocktail I got but it was very good, pretty, and refreshing. My partner got a glass of wine and I would NOT recommend getting it. I cannot remember which one it was but when we looked up the cost of the bottle it was equal to the glass! Food- I had the special of the day which was $40 -50 for a 3 course meal and it was totally worth it. It was okra with corn, lamb chops, and a peach Garrett. The appetizer was very fresh,my lamb was cooked to PERFECTION, and the dessert was meh. The ice cream was melted and didn't really have a huge wow factor. I would say portions are smaller. Luckily I don't have a huge appetite so I was very satisfied at the end. My partner had the flambe mushroom, mushroom burger, and the lavender cheesecake. DO NOT get the flambe mushroom it is too small for how much it costed. It was 1/3 of a baguette and maybe 3 mushrooms? And although I am sure it was very high quality ingredients it did not break even for cost point. Especially when other fancy restaurants give more slices of bread complimentary. Now the lavender cheesecake I HIGHLY recommend. The cheesecake is a classic and delicious but the added lavender topping makes you come back wanting more! Overall and excellent experience! I would come back for their set meal special and lavender cheesecake! read more

My husband and I went for Valentine's Day. He had the scallops and enjoyed them. I had the halibut in a cream sauce that was probably the best I've ever tasted. Salad was delicious and the pear Brie was scrumptious. Sides were couscous and cauliflower. The couscous was a cold gelatinous mass. cauliflower was cold and mushy, so I didn't eat them. Staff was delightful and the place is cozy and we loved the ambiance. Overall a nice experience. I would recommend. read more

Great food and ambiance, we especially enjoyed the live music playing clarinet. Great selection of French bistro and also American cuisine

This quaint, little restaurant is truly a gem. I will Be coming back. I had the aubergine napoleon for entree and blood orange crepe for dessert. As always, california wine is amazing. Will Be coming back very soon. read more

This is a very cute restaurant. I felt like I was in a Parisian bistro. Our server, Miriah, was very friendly, although not very attentive. The only thing that caught our eye was a "Bento Box", unfortunately it was a lunch item only. So we inquired about the size of the "pizza's". We were surprised when our pizza arrived and it was french bread with toppings. We overcame our disappointment as soon as we sunk our teeth into the bread. The flavors were great. We got the Picasso which was pesto, tomatoes and cheese. The pesto was perfect and the tomatoes were dressed in balsamic vinegar which went well on the pizza. They have a very good selection of wines. We went on a Saturday at 5:00 and there were no paper towels in the bathroom when I went into wash my hands. I hope the filthy looking bathroom sink was stained and not actual grim. Dust covered the items hanging on the wall. read more

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I came in tonight with my wife for after dinner drinks. Jen and Karina took better than amazing care of us. Between the wines the beer the good talks we both can't wait to come back. 8 thumbs up!l read more

So I'm going to precursor this with a warning. I am a snob. I grew up in LA with some of the best restaurants and more so my family had an international catering business. So I take my food seriously. Additionally I was here to celebrate my boyfriend's birthday. So there was extra pressure and expectations that Monet had to live up to. They exceeded all expectations. Our steaks were perfectly cooked and the lavender drinks were amazing and so refreshing on a hot day. The desserts were perfectly made and reminded me of my time in Paris. Really lovely and to top it off the staff was friendly and extremely accommodating. They but a candle on my bf lavender cheesecake and saved us the specials because man did they have foot traffic. And they reserved us a table on their patio. Thank you for making our experience special. read more