I came here for a drug company dinner as the restaurant has a good size private dining room at the back of the restaurant that's perfect for educational events. Service was very attentive throughout the entire event. We had crab cakes and coconut prawns as the first course. Both were perfectly cooked and seasoned. The crab cakes were stuffed with crab meat (highly recommend) and the portion size was very reasonable. The coconut prawns were huge and fried perfectly. Next course was mixed field greens with the Gorgonzola vinaigrette. This salad was surprisingly delicious so if you can find this on the regular menu, I would recommend ordering it. I got the miso glazed Chilean sea bass for the main course but it was a disappointment. Fish was under seasoned and I found a few bones left in the fish. The portion of the fish was big though. The orzo didn't go well with the sea bass so maybe it's best they switch out some of the ingredients in the future. Tempura beans were over cooked and soggy (probably bc it was drenched in the sauce). For dessert, I got the affogado with a shot of espresso. This was a bit too sweet for my taste but the espresso helped balance out some of the sweetness. The restaurant has a good size parking lot but depending on how packed the restaurant is, spots maybe hard to find. I will probably not return until they switch out some of their ingredients for certain dishes. read more

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Service was excellent, ambiance good but unfortunately the food was severely subpar. The Chilean sea bass and orzo was so under seasoned...there was no flavor to the fish...the tempura green bean was hard and became mushy in the sauce...the carrots tasted like they were boiled and put on the plate...would not order this again.. Crème brûlée was good and so the 1 star... read more

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Great food. Good music, feels very welcoming. I had great experience on my birthday dinner. Conner is very wonderful with his customer service. Definitely coming back.! read more

Excellent ambience, clean, and great service. The food is amazing even better than the food I tried in France. It is definitely a favorite Fremont restaurant! read more

Foods were very good. We ordered BEEF SHORT RIB, CHICKEN CORDON BLEU, Panko Encrusted Wild Caught Halibut and Braised Bone-in Short Rib. Very tasty dessert. We had Brown Sugar Crème Brûlée and Peach Bread Pudding. Excellent service. Nice setting. read more

Papillon never disappoints. They offer convenient parking, a comfortable bar area, and a lovely dining room. The service is consistently great, and we always enjoy the food. read more

I appreciate your consistent assistance as always. Although it's not particularly a place for children, they usually treat us very well and accommodate us nicely! We gave the children a presentation of the desert. My children were overjoyed. What a stunning treasure in Fremont. This review is long overdue; we are regulars. We never have any problems getting Kobe beef. We also added crab cakes to our list of favorites. French onion soup is a must. The salad tastes amazing. For a local fine dining experience, we adore coming here. Thank you again for the wonderful service we will see you soon again read more

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We went there to celebrate our mom's birthday. The service is flawless. The food is always delicious with fresh ingredients. I'm so in love with their Escargot Highly recommend! read more

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Great food, service and the ambiance was excellent!!! The meal, drinks and desserts were great!!!! read more

Papillon - French Near Me - Fremont, California

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We went to Papillon for a dinner this past week and we had a wonderful time. We showed up 30 minutes before our reservation (our mistake) but they were very accommodating and got us a table right away. They also asked us twice (both the host and our server) if we were celebrating any special occasion, which was very sweet! We also saw them bring dessert plates with candles for an elderly couples and a server offered to take their photo too. It was so refreshing to see how much they care! Food was good too. We ordered drinks, appetizers, dinner, and dessert! I'm full just thinking about it lol! The bread was so good that we had to get more. Brussel sprouts, crab cakes, and cream of corn soup everything was very flavorful. We were so full by the time we had our soup that we took our dinner- beef wellington and a creme brulee to go haha. Beef wellington however, was not the best. The gravy definitely added excellent flavor but the beef itself wasn't the best tasting. All in all great experience, definitely going back soon! read more

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First of all I have been here several times as a local and the moldy smell always hits me the minute I walk in. Went with my girlfriend and spent $400 for drinks and beef Wellington along with bananas foster. The place is so outdated and really bad ambiance. It feels like a moldy old people's home. On top of spending $$$ I was really sick that night with food poisoning!! Avoid at all cost!!! read more

4.5 stars for them decorating the cake we bought to the restaurant, The place is awesome and you can tell there are lots of history in it. Service and food are great The dinner meal comes with soup or salad with generous portion. The French onion soup looks like a regular order, love the pastry topping on the soup and the soup was delicious would've been better with extra cheese. Escargot is very buttery and garlicky with pesto sauce for extra dipping for their complimentary bread, The sea brass is cooked perfectly with a hint of honey and loved their sides of tempura asparagus Great choice and would definitely return read more

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Husband and I go to Papillon on special occasions, and one was to reveal the gender our my pregnancy. The crème brûlée is my only go to for dessert and it is always on point! Papillon always asks if we are celebrating anything and this was one way to be surprised after a really good and satisfying meal. Thank you Papillon! read more

Papillon - Brown Sugar Creme Brulee - French Near Me - Fremont, California

Such a lovely place to have a beautiful dinner, drinks and dessert in. I absolutely love the Chicken Cordon Bleu. My husband and I went for Valentine's Day. We so enjoyed it. read more

Papillon - Chicken cordon bleu and filet mignon. - French Near Me - Fremont, California

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We just had the most amazing dinner and service at Papillon. My husband and I treated our 2 children and their significant others to the most delicious dishes and stellar service from Frances and Sam. Our kids wanted to eat at Papillon before returning to college. It was so nice that Charlie remembered us as he seated us at our favorite table. As always, we enjoyed the warm and friendly atmosphere and hospitality. We will return soon to celebrate birthdays. Can't wait. read more

We have been dining there for over 50 years. It continues to be the best place in Fremont. LOCATION SERVICE AND FOOD IS SUPERB!!

Phenomenal dining experience!! Great food and service. Bread was soft and good, almost like a Dutch crunch. Calamari appetizer was a little small but was excellent with the lobster bisque. Lobster ravioli were like dumplings filled with chunks of lobster meat and covered with lobster bisque as a sauce. Caesar salad was great, definitely could tell dressing was fresh and made in house. Beef short rib was great. Scallops were cooked to perfection. Petrale sole, fish special was excellent. All food was just fantastic. The server was on point and kept us informed, even though the kitchen got backed up. Everything was otherwise excellent. read more

Papillon - Final bill - French Near Me - Fremont, California

Fantastic service, delicious food and quiet ambiance (until a loud group entered and talked so loudly at the bar it was as if they were at our table yelling.) My husband was hesitant about going when he saw the menu. The peppercorn sauce was to perfection- ribeye flambé. I had the filet mignon which I had had years ago. My husband is still raving about the spinach salad - 3 days later. We were celebrating my birthday and my cheese cake with a message was a great way to finish the evening. read more

Papillon is absolutely our favorite restaurant! The staff and service is above and beyond! The food is always delicious and in a comfortable environment. We recommend it to all our friends and when people are visiting we take them there every time. read more

I came here a few years ago and I didn't have a good experience so I was hesitant to come back. My fiance and I were looking for a semi fancy dinner near us and figured to give this place another shot. We had a dinner reservation during the weekday and it wasn't busy. When we got there, there was no hostess and there were two workers that saw us but didn't acknowledge us... When we finally got seated, our server did not seem like she was having it. She kept rushing us to order even when we told her to give us a few minutes to decide. The other waiter who would help out was really attentive and nice though! We got Duck Pâté, Crispy Braised Kurobuta Pork Belly, Classic Beef Wellington w/house salad, Macadamia Encrusted Wild Caught Seabass w/onion soup, and Niles Canyon Mudslide. The duck pate and pork belly was just okay, there was nothing impressive about it. I personally thought the pork belly's sauce was salty but it paired well with the complimentary bread that was given to us in the beginning. The house salad was surprisingly delicious! It was the sauce that made all the difference. My fiance enjoyed his onion soup as well! We both enjoyed our entrees, my beef Wellington was cooked perfectly and it was really juicy! The sauce was on point and the veggies were really soft. My fiance enjoyed his seabass as well, it was pretty soft and the sauce was yummy. Did you know that @papillonfremont has been around for over 40 years?! Overall, this place is reasonably priced for a French restaurant but it's not your typical fine dining experience. All the food we got was good and flavorful but our server was disappointing... I'd still recommend this place if you're up for some semi fancy dinner. read more

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The French onion soup and the bread they give you was phenomenal. I would come back just for those two items. The entrees were also good. My only Comment is this is a long dining experience, don't come if you are in a rush. read more

It was a rainy at Fremont and it was our anniversary. We decided to go to this closest restaurant to celebrate it. It's a 40 years established restaurant by a couple though when we were seated with the menu card it had the 45th anniversary so probably they need to update online. The moment you get inside there's a smell of oldness, feels like the carpets have not changed since they started. Not a great feeling at the entrance itself. They have a huge bar but it was empty except the bar tender who was welcoming us. We were sitting at the patio area inside and a few customers were already there. We started with drinks , Pomme Peartini - Grey Goose Pear, Pomegranate liqueur, fresh lemon and Triple Sec, Candy Red Appletini - Made with Vodka, butterscotch, Sour Apple Pucker, cranberry juice, and Godiva Chocolate Martini- Made with Godiva Liqueur, Absolut Vanilla and a chocolate powder rim. There drink menu is really interesting because they have a great wine list, beer and special cocktails as well. We ordered the appetizer Escargot - served in a buttery herb sauce and eaten with special tools (a clamp and a long pointed fork), this dish is unique and is a must get if it's your first time here. The sea snails are served in a shell and retain a bit of heat when you dig into them. It comes with 6 pieces. Also we ordered SPINACH SALAD Cherry Wood Bacon, Candied Walnuts, Strawberries, Orange & Rice Wine, it was delicious we enjoyed it. Then we ordered French onion soup puff pastry - most entrees will have the option to upgrade to the French onion soup over the house salad. Do it. You will not regret it. The French onion soup is delicious - hearty onion pieces with cheese and puff pastry with every bite. I have to say that I have tried this at many restaurants but nothing can beat this one. My main course was Seafood Wellington - delicious take on a seafood variation of the classic Wellington. A mix of crab, prawns and lobster encased in a puff pastry was delicious. If you love seafood then you must try it. AMERICAN KOBE`BEEF SHORT RIB SLOW OVEN BRAISED Horseradish Mashed Potatoes, White Truffle Salt, taste delicious, well cooked as it just melts in the mouth. ANGEL HAIR PASTA with Artichoke Hearts, Squash, Mushrooms, in Tomato Broth or Crème Sauce, it's a lot and we had to get a takeout box. ANGUS FILET MIGNON* with Cabernet Sauce topped with Gorgonzola, Roasted Sweet Garlic Herb Butter, it's delicious, everything has it's unique taste and flavor. We ended with Peach bread pudding with cream anglaise and vanilla ice cream with happy anniversary written on it.It was a delicious experience. They're only open for dinner service so be prepared to plan ahead and make reservations if possible. The parking lot is a small entrance to the restaurant so be careful not to miss on Mission Boulevard. It gets dark in the evening so you may have to find the parking spot carefully. When we arrived it was not that crowded so we got lucky with parking. Overall, Papillon is the perfect place to go if you have any special occasion to celebrate where you can sit down to experience their finest delicacies . There's a bit of Fremont history this being close to Charlie Chaplin's town Niles and the railway museum. During Christmas time you will see the decorated Niles train with lights running across Sunol. There's more to explore. read more

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The service and food is always 10 out of 10! The raviolis as appetizer are a perfect start. The tough part is sharing! This gem is the best! read more

Papillon - Moms favorite place, celebrated her 80th with Housemade Lobster Ravioli Roasted French Onion Soup American Kobe Beef Short Rib. - French Near Me - Fremont, California

BEWARE OF SNEAKY SURCHARGE! I am a long time customer and they never nickel and dimed customers like this before. During my last two visits, I was charged an extra 5% without prior notice. The first time, I thought it was to make up for losses during COVID. Ok, fine...I let it slide because I wanted Papillon to survive and I thought it was a temporary cost. I contacted the owner, Charles, to ask if the surcharge was still being passed to customers and he said "There should be no extra charges." That was a lie. I dined here again last week and the surcharge showed up on my bill again. When asked about it, the server said, "the owner decided to add this surcharge instead of raising food prices." This justification makes no sense because the menu prices jumped exponentially AND you're charged this surcharge. I've always had love for this place but I don't appreciate them being sneaky with this the extra charge. My receipt didn't even show the percentage of the surcharge. I calculated it myself and it came out to be 5%. The owners need to be transparent by mentioning this on the menu instead of blindsiding customers. It's our money so we deserve the right to know what they're taking from us! Attentive waiter service and good food but I'm not dining in anymore. read more

Papillon - Special: Pork belly with berry sauce was so good - French Near Me - Fremont, California

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This place never fails to bring the best experience and food! My favorite appetizer is the ahi tuna but I also tried the baked Brie (not pictured) and I can't explain how flavorful it was, definitely ordering again. For the main course I got the lobster and filet which was cooked to perfection. The filet was soft and cooked to my liking. The servers Connor and Mark were so accommodating and made sure we were taken care of at all times. The place gives an intimate vibe whether it's a party or a cute date. Will definitely be coming back. read more

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Wonderful atmosphere, super delucious food, amazing serverwe had no idea this restaurant is so close to us. Will be repeat customers for sure. We had the Crispy Brussel Sprouts (a must), French Onion soup (so good), Beef Wellington (we decided we didn't wanna share our dish this time & glad we could enjoy our fill of this delicious tender fillet) portions were quite large, but we had to have Creme Brûlée & the Cheesescake for dessert & so glad we did! read more

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Wow..... not in a good way We were celebrating our 30th anniversary yesterday and decided to go to Papillon in Fremont. We have heard so many good things and it's been a staple in Niles/Fremont for many years. The facility opened in 1978. I think the carpet (significant odor), drapes, furniture and wall decor are all original. Again that's not good. I ordered a bottle of wine from their extensive wine list (many pages and fair pricing). The waiter brought my selection, a Rombauer Zin. It was supposed to be one of their single vineyards and was highly rated. All they had and the waiter said it's all they ever have was the basic Rombauer Zin. Again not a bad bottle, but nothing close to what was on the list. The food was good. But at this price point it should be good/exceptional. The restaurant was not very busy. It was a Tuesday night. We were very much looking forward to spending an evening in Fremont and finding a restaurant that could be a repeatable one. This was amazingly similar to Massimo's or Spin a Yarn. All are 20+ years past the "sell by" date. Our service staff was fine, no issues. Sadly even with good (not great) food, the atmosphere, decor, bathrooms, parking lot and bar were so tired and dated we would never consider going back. We were at LB Steak in Santana Row recently and spent the same amount and had a wonderful experience. Note not the LB in Bishop Ranch. Very disappointed read more

Great food, great atmosphere, great restaurant staff! We came here to celebrate our anniversary and we were blown away by the high quality of the service, as well as the great portion size of the delicious food dishes. My bf absolutely LOVED this place and was impressed by the super cool friendly staff, as well as the the great food quality and said the food tasted like "an official home cooked meal." We enjoyed chatting with the server who informed us that this is a family owned business! &That he works for his families restaurant which we found to be so cool and admirable. The portion size was great, the drinks were strong, and they were so kind to give us a super cute complimentary dessert for our anniversary which I absolutely LOVED so much! *cries in dramatic Latina gf* lol. Thank you so much for an amazing dining experience, we will be back soon! read more

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I really enjoyed my experience at Papillon. We had a reservation for 7:30pm and were seated immediately. The staff was extremely attentive whenever we needed anything and answered any questions we had about the menu. Housemade Lobster Ravioli- This was honestly one of the best things I have ever eaten at a restaurant. It's a MUST GET! This suprised me because I expected lobster ravioli to have a lobster and cheese filling, but instead, inside the pasta, there was a tender piece of lobster. Not only was the pasta delicious but the sauce was amazing as well! Only if this was an entree... Seafood Wellington- This dish was also delicious, but on the heavy side because of the puff pastry. It soaked up a lot of oil and sauce and was hard to finish. The crab inside was a little heavy as well but the whole shrimp and scallops were delicious. Sorbet Trio- This was very basic but the lemon sorbet stood out. None of the sorbets were too sweet and all had some tartness to it which I love. This was a good way to end the meal. Overall, I would definitely come here again! Not only was the service great, but the food was great as well! read more

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As a Fremont native my whole life, this place is a tricky one to review. I think its amazing that it's been here for over 40 years but at the same time you can really tell this restaurant has been here for over 40 years. However, I'm glad I finally got to experience it on New Year's Eve 2021. Quick TL:DR As a "stated" fine-dining French restaurant = 3/5 As a regular restaurant with fine-dining aspects = 4/5 LOCATION: It's located on Mission Blvd and pretty much in the "Niles" district of Fremont. Definitely not very easy to get to as there is no off-freeway exit and requires a ton of local streets to get to. You really have to make an effort to come here if you live far away. PARKING: There is a dedicated parking lot for Papillon with a decent amount of spaces but it feels small. The spaces have ample room but backing out of the spaces is quite difficult. I would advise parking backwards so leaving the parking lot is a lot easier. It can also get full as well and you are forced to park sideways or on the "outskirts" of the parking lot which is not very lit. *Also when leaving, the dip to get on to mission is quite deep so if you have a lowered car, be prepared for this. SERVICE: There are others reviews mentioning poor service but I thought the service was excellent. We arrived at our reservation time slot at 5:30pm and was immediately sat down at our table. Our waiter and helper were very attentive and always took our dirty dishes away as checking to see if we needed more water. The food came out at an appropriate pace too. No complaints here. DECOR: First impression wise you can tell the establishment is old. They did a good job sprucing it up for the holidays with nice christmas trees, ornaments, lighting, etc. I really hope they do a bit of re-modeling in the future as the furniture and overall feel of the place is very dated. With a remodel, the fine dining aspect will kick it up a notch. FOOD: This is what we ordered and I'll put a star on what I think is good: Free Bread w/Butter Housemade Lobster Ravioli Duck Mousse Pate with Port Wine Ceasar Salad Lobster Bisque Beef Wellington* Seafood Wellington* Papillon Housemade Cheesecake Housemade Tiramisu* Highlights 1.) Beef Wellington - I asked for medium rare and it was cooked beautifully as medium rare and the puff pastry was really good. Well done. 2.) The Housemade Tiramisu was delicious and well proportioned. The chocolate ganache was a perfect pairing as well. 3.) Really good portion sizes for the entrees. We couldn't finish it and took about half of each plate home. Lowlights 1.) Lobster Ravioli - the dish came out cold and it really tastes more like chinese dumplings than actual lobster ravioli. Very strange. 2.) Seafood Wellington - They use the same sauce in the Lobster Ravioli for the seafood wellington so keep that in mind. 3.) Cheesecake - Not the normal cheesecake you have in mind. Less "chees-ey" and more "bread-ey" if that helps. 4.) For a fine-ding restaurant, the plating is not very pretty. See pics attached and judge for yourself. Only thought the plating on the desserts were done a bit better. CONCLUSION: I think overall it's an okay place to go if you want to have decent food. As long as you temper your expectations of what "fine-dining" is, you should have a good time. read more

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A great date night dinner spot. The service is great, everyone is so sweet and attentive. The food was delicious. Try the classic beef Wellington along with the Lobster Ravioli and the French onion soup. It's all seasoned well and taste delicious. The filet mignon in the beef Wellington was cooked perfectly. Food came out quick. read more

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Classic traditional style restaurant that serves a simple but good, beef Wellington. They also offer a seafood wellington. Escargots were delicious, but one shell was empty, not a big deal (but so good). We chose this restaurant for a lunch bday celebration because we were able to sit outdoors with our pup. We received a nice bday dessert surprise from the restaurant. Would go again. read more

Papillon - Escargot - French Near Me - Fremont, California

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Overpriced and tasteless. My french wife was not impressed and neither was I. On the flipside, my dog was happy with the unfinished (& expensive) steak I gave him after coming home. read more

Gray Food and great service! Ordered the beef Wellington and halibut and both taste delicious! We celebrated occasions here several times like pin work anniversary , Valentine's Day and wedding anniversary and they make it special for you. read more

Wow, I love this place and it is so close to my home, but I forget about it when we're looking for a place to celebrate a wonderful day or just for wonderful and delicious food! Great variety of delicious choices from appetizers, steaks, seafood and Lamb Chops to desserts. When looking for seafood or a steak place, then why drive miles when it's right here in town! It's In Niles and I live so close by Quarry Lakes area and was born and raised In Niles and this restaurant has been a staple in Niles on Mission Blvd for decades. The steak was delicious, oysters Rockefeller fabulous, the escargot superb and the French onion soup, well what can I say just yummy! My daughter had seafood Wellington and it was outstanding! Also the service was excellent as well and friendly, they make sure your well taken care of. Take it from this Nile's native it is a wonderful restaurant and we need to keep and support our original Fremont restaurants. All I can say is Enjoy! read more

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Always a pleasure to dine at Niles Papillon. The duck pate and the smoked sweet potatoes soup were absolutely delicious.

I'm giving a 2 cuz the food is rather disappointing. The beef wellington is covered with wet puff pastry and has an odd fishy smell. And perhaps I didn't read the menu carefully, but the linguini arrived with thai sauce, which is quite unexpected in a FRENCH restaurant. read more

The French food here is truly amazing. Compared to other French places I have eaten it is one of the best in terms of portion and price for the quality. The service is great. The biggest issue is that the furniture is old and the place is musty, so does not feel or smell as clean as other places making me give it 4 stars. read more

Saw this on Yelp and was in the area. Made reservations through Yelp as it piqued my interest. Upon arriving the host was very cordial and seated us promptly. Ended up ordering beef Wellington and miso glazed sea bass. The beef Wellington came out cold but was still good. I think if it were hot it would've been much better. The vegetable sides pretty basic. Now for the sea bass. I don't what happened but as the pic shows I must've gotten scraps because the fish was presented in four pieces. Two of the pieces were overcooked and two were okay. Kind of odd that there was a consommé under the fish as there were fried bean tempura teetering above not wanting to get soaked. Overall 3 stars. Service was very attentive but food was a bit disappointing. There's probably a chance I'll give this restaurant another try. read more

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There were far too many mediocre reviews of this restaurant to dismiss them, but I still held out hope while booking my first reservation here that the reviews were unnecessarily unkind, or that we would arrive on a stellar evening -- basically anything that would prevent me from assigning my own mediocre review to this place. Sadly, it's a solid 3 simply because I can't get around the fact that restaurants need to have good food above all else. Granted, nothing here was inedible, but there was also nothing I'd really want to have again. We ate: * Complementary bread and butter -- very soft bread, not warmed. I was looking forward to something warm and crusty. * Lobster Ravioli -- I must agree with other reviews stating they didn't taste like ravioli at all, but more like potstickers. The sauce tasted something like lobster bisque but the "ravioli" themselves did not. They tasted more like they were stuffed with imitation crab. I felt like these had probably arrived at the restaurant frozen in a bag. * Salmon Carpaccio -- this was literally just nice slices of smoked salmon set out on a plate with a bit of arugula and red onion. There was no bread, no sauce, nothing to really make this a "dish." * French onion soup -- The puff pastry crust was special, but the soup itself was average. * Duck Entree -- my partner (also the birthday boy) declared this "okay" and said the portion was large. He's had worse, he's had better. * Pistachio-crusted scallops -- meh? Writing this review a week later, I literally struggled to remember what I'd had. These also tasted like they may have arrived to the restaurant frozen in a bag. They weren't bad, but were also not memorable. They were saved most by the buerre blanc sauce with capers they were served over, which added significant flavor. * Affogato dessert -- decent vanilla ice cream which was overwhelmed by the amount of watery espresso they served it with. Everything else I could say about Papillon still presented a mixed bag experience and left it solidly in the "mediocre at best" category. * I enjoyed the wine I ordered with dinner, but my partner was seriously disappointed in the Old-Fashioned he received from the otherwise impressive-looking bar. We were also unimpressed with the quality of the 20-year Tawny Port wine we ordered at the end of the meal. * Service was gracious and exemplary, carried out by waiters who were dressed for a much fancier place than Papillion. I was impressed that they went out of their way when seating us to ask if we had a special event and then delivered our affogato plate decorated for the occasion. That was super nice and almost warranted a 4 had the meal and atmosphere been slightly better. * The actual decor was fairly soothing and attractive, but still the type of place where there was a gnat buzzing around for part of the meal that seemed to belong there. In fact, the gnat may have felt more expected and in line with the rest of the experience than the overdressed waiters. Okay, that was a little mean, and I actually do think Papillon has great potential in many ways. I don't think it would take much to elevate them to a 4 or beyond. But unfortunately, I can't really recommend a restaurant for only exemplary service without also being able to recommend at least a few dishes. I do hope they can bring their food up just a notch or 2 or 3. We'd love to try them again if we had a reason. read more

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