Maldon’s Brasserie — Restaurant in Irvine

The vibes of this French-inspired restaurant are so cute. Unfortunately, the pros stop there.

Let’s start with the positive: we were politely greeted by a hostess and offered one of two tables. It was a tight squeeze right up against the entrance, which wouldn’t have been so bad, but I noticed the window was a little dirty and it felt out of place at such a lovely, detail-oriented establishment.

There was a lovely live guitarist playing in the corner which added a really nice touch, as well.

Our server was very warm and friendly, giving recommendations on the menu about what’s lighter vs larger, etc.

We ordered a mimosa, macchiato, vanilla matcha, American breakfast, and pear Gorgonzola salad.

The coffee and matcha came quickly, but unfortunately the mimosa never came. Towards the end of the meal, we asked our server to cancel it. She very kindly brought it to the table and took it off the bill. The matcha was too sweet considering I asked for light vanilla, but other than that the drinks were fine.

The food also arrived in a timely manner, but that’s where the pros of our experience stop.

The salad was presented in such a way that made it virtually inedible. I wish I had taken a photo, but basically there were large, uncut butter lettuce leaves laid around the bowl hanging out the sides like a collar. The center of the bowl had all the toppings and more large, uncut pieces of lettuce, with the dressing drizzled on top. Our waitress had to bring me a steak knife and small side plate so I could cut the salad and “serve myself” on the side (which she recommended I do, which was very nice). But if you need a steak knife and side plate for a single-serving salad and the customer has to cut and toss it themselves…what am I paying for? The crispy quinoa was a nice touch, but I don’t think the tomatoes were necessary. Regardless, it was so difficult to eat, as pieces of dry salad kept flying out of the bowl as I tried to cut and toss it myself, that it turned me off to the food and I ended up only eating about half out of frustration.

My dining companion’s meal did not fare nearly as well. The potatoes and fruit were the only enjoyable parts of the dish (but then again, it’s hard to mess up potatoes and berries). The medium scramble eggs were a very hard scramble. The gluten free toast (which I’ll address more below) was an actual cake texture and not edible. Our waitress offered to replace it, but at this point we were done with attempting to find something to eat. The sausage was palatable but nothing special. The bacon was the real confusing travesty. Served with two pieces of completely different thicknesses, the thicker piece was undercooked and practically qualified as pork belly it was so thick. But the worst part: it had no flavor. I’ve never had a piece of bacon with less taste in my life. I don’t even know how you manage to do that.

Lastly, if you’re a gluten free restaurant, that needs to be stated somewhere on your menus, either above or below. Nowhere, not even a sign on the wall, was the gluten free element iterated. Only in the online descriptions could I find a short “Also we’re gluten free!” message.

Overall, I can’t recommend this spot for anyone looking for a true French or even a good breakfast. If you’re gluten free, maybe, but truly disappointed in the...

My life changed 3 years ago when I found out that I had celiac disease. Most of my siblings and a close friend of mine had been diagnosed prior to me. It’s very difficult finding places to dine or enjoy some bread and most importantly some desserts. A few Sundays ago my friends and I visited and ate at Maldon’s bistro.

Maldon’s has created all of these yummy choices for people with this crappy illness or if you have to avoid gluten give this place a try. From the moment we walked in, the welcoming atmosphere and attentive staff made us feel right at home. The service was impeccable—friendly, knowledgeable, and genuinely invested in ensuring a safe and enjoyable dining experience.

The menu at MALDONS Biatro is a testament to the fact that gluten-free cuisine can be diverse, flavorful, and utterly satisfying. Each dish we tried was a culinary masterpiece, bursting with fresh ingredients and perfectly balanced flavors. Whether it was the main course, or dessert, every bite was a revelation. The Gluten free IPA was also amazing. 😀 Another impressive factor we were treated very well by our servers. There was a young man named Germy’hal or Gigi I believe he was very kind went above and beyond to make our experience exceptional. Cher and Maggie were also super sweet. I purchased many baked goods to take back home with me. I had to buy everything in advance because things were selling out quick. Since my friends and I decided to eat there when they opened we returned at 3pm for a 2nd round of food and I live far so Cher and Maggie held my baked goods for me and stored my big bag away till it was time to go. I also briefly met the head chef named Josh. We went on a Sunday and had many things off the BRUNCH menu. This little place is a gem and nestled between some big buildings. And I’d like to add one more thing the owners brother was very cool and made sure everything was to perfection and that we were enjoy ourselves. THANK YOU MALDONS 💜 see you all soon. — we ordered Eggs Benedict brisket French toast Biscuits and gravy with sausage and hash browns Beer IPA GF butter leaf salad with steak Chilaquiles red with pork with an egg Steak fritts Chocolate cream puff Croissants. I took home a big loaf of sourdough, few packs of cinnamon rolls to bake at home and a baguette and two...

Kinda OK!

I came here on the weekend after checking out their Yelp and seeing some savory photos. We got seated in about 5-7 minutes after waiting for a table to get cleaned. There was a party of 5 after us with reservations but they were getting stuck at a 4 person table so we offered our table to them so they could sit comfortably. We ended up getting a table by the window right after.

We got water for our drink because they were unable to make any lattes (or espressos, etc.) due to the machine not working, so only regular coffee was available. For food, we ordered a Breakfast Crepe, French Onion Soup (Cup), and a Short Rib Sandwich. It wasn’t long after ordering that we received our food. It came out looking good but did it taste that way? Not entirely.

The food:

French Onion Soup: This was a tad bit too salty for my taste. It came with a small piece of bread that didn’t taste so good.

Breakfast Crepe: This was actually pretty good. Cheesy, saucy, and came with crispy hashbrowns (a small portion).

Short Rib Sandwich: The sandwich itself was pretty disappointing. The meat was OK and the bread tasted like the most stale thing ever. It was super stiff and dry. The cold au jus did not help it at all and I ended up just eating the meat. The fries were crispy, delicious, and my favorite part of the meal.

Service was OK, the server was friendly but a little forgetful. She has forgotten to give us utensils and napkins until we asked for it, and also forgot about our check after we asked for it at the end of our meal. The restaurant wasn’t as busy as it seemed.

Parking is in the adjacent parking structure and there’s plenty of spots (at least during the weekend). I’m sure during the work week it may be a little more crowded. They validate for 60 minutes.

There’s seating inside, though it’s a little cramped. There’s also a few tables outside to sit at.

Not a bad spot for...