Artisan by 7 Leaves and Crema Bakery — Restaurant in Fountain Valley

Five stars all the way. PLEASE expand this concept across the US. My first visit was after 3 pm so I had a limited food choice but picked up the Chicken Pot Pie to take home for dinner - OMG - yum! 🥧 The pot pie was sooooo good that all I could think about overnight was coming back for the breakfast burrito. So today I arrived early and went crazy and ordered the Breakfast Burrito, Smashed Potatoes and Strawberry Hibiscus tea 🌺. Five stars for all. Best smashed potatoes I’ve had in the country and in over twenty plus years (since the Rowing & Running Club restaurant at South Coast Plaza closed). Super crispy potatoes with a perfectly cooked soft buttery inside and grilled onions. I planned to eat half to take home but I couldn’t stop. The breakfast burrito arrived after I polished off the potatoes. Now I’m already stuffed but I can’t not try it, right? Again, yum - on par with my favorite breakfast burrito place in Brooklyn and maybe even better since it had all my favorite ingredients (you had my heart when I saw egg white mix) and I didn’t have to ask for a single alteration. The tortilla was perfectly grilled and it had fresh avocado, cheddar, onions, enough bacon for flavor but not so much to create too much guilt. I was ALMOST able to take home half. The portions are a nice size. You need only order either the burrito or the smashed potatoes but then again you’d miss out if you only came once. The only thing that could be added would be fresh pico but the hot sauce covered the basis.

The atmosphere is great, it’s really nicely decorated in my opinion - it’s fresh. Note that you order at and pay at the cashier, they bring your food to the table but there’s no table service. It’s perfect for me as I don’t want table service when I come alone. There are plugs at every booth, a thoughtful modern touch. There is a drive through, unusual for a place with such high quality food & drink and a nice little patio with outdoor ceiling that is facing in the proper direction for nice shade midday.

Kudos to the chef and those that came up with this menu and concept. If the company ever grows and IPOs, I’ll be...

To first preface, we got the Sea Cream Black Coffee and the House coffee, and both were excellent. 7 Leaves generally does their drinks well and I happily give them credit for that.

This review primarily encompasses our experience:

The format of seating for this restaurant is you order first, get a number, then find a table.

We came on a Sunday morning, which we expect to be busy, but we were prepared to wait for a table if need be. People would send someone from their party to save a table while one person waits in line to order.

There was an employee surveying the tables to make sure that those who are seated had a number, or already had their food/drink. There were people behind us who had saved themselves a table, but were repeatedly told that they could not sit at the table unless they had a number (overheard from their conversation). The employee surveying did not strongly enforce their rule.

It came our time to order, but were not allowed to dine in because there were no available tables, despite people behind us saving tables they were not supposed to. We decided to just order coffee to go.

But the people behind us were able to get a number for their table (helped by the same cashier that told us that we could not dine in).

Point being: I understand if there are no tables available - there is nothing I can do about that. I do not appreciate how the restaurant was inconsistent with providing dine-in to those who waited for their turn.

I'll happily come again at a quieter time, but this experience left an...

7 Leaves cafe combined with Crema Cafe? Just the killer combo. All of the drinks, varying from the House Coffee to the Herbal Tea from 7 leaves, and combining it with Truffle Mushroom Omelettes all the way through to Beef stew! The food was DELIGHTFUL, and just one bite can make your insides melt. Every bite you take, you know that the chef made it from the heart. The drinks are also AMAZING. The drinks are always refreshing, satisfying your thirst with flavor. With each sip, you can taste the freshness in the drink. The naturalness make the drink pop with flavor.

The waiters and cashiers are VERY kind, helping you with almost anything you need!

The atmosphere of Artisan is very peaceful and tranquil, with greenery flourishing around the building. The outdoor seating is a bonus! Umbrellas and trees provide shade in the outdoor seating, with speakers playing easy going music while you are enjoying your meal! The moment you step inside the store, an amazing aroma floats around the room, combining many different dishes and drinks! The interior of the store is a easy navigating place. Plenty of room to sit at and is an amazing place to study! The restroom are very clean, with a nice aroma around the restroom. Not a smell you usually expect to see in a restroom!

I totally recommend Artisan. If you are looking for somewhere to hang out, study, or just have a good brunch, this is the place to go! It is a hidden gem barely noticeable, but once found, is an...