L'Experience Paris - Kirkland — Restaurant in Kirkland

One of my business friends and I have been meeting at this Kirkland, WA location (even when it used to be the Queen Bee) every few months and enjoyed because of the location and space. When L'Experience Paris moved in this past year or so, I was particularly thrilled because I lived in Paris for 15 years, plus the food was actually served to the tables. It is SO expensive, but we loved to treat ourselves with the salmon-avocado & poached egg on either a croissant or bread, that is UNTIL YESTERDAY!!! My friend got FOOD POISONING, MOST LIKELY FROM THE DISCOLORED SALMON!! But, ALSO the salad was NOT crisp or fresh either!! When we saw this, we started to examine the food more closely and we discovered that under the poached egg, a strip of about 1 centimeter of the avocado that was even BLACK...and the baby lettuce stems were also brown! We were appalled! I only had a small bite and stopped, but unfortunately my friend ate 3 or 4 bites until she stopped. We looked over at the server and she was on her phone and going back and forth between touching her phone and putting the delivered pastries away in the showcase. We didn't see her washing her hands in between, nor did she ever come over to our table to check on whether we were happy with our food or not or to see if we wanted another coffee!, but she was not all that friendly to begin with when we ordered at the front counter, so that was no surprise! We have no idea who was in the back kitchen preparing the food and we could and probably SHOULD have made a stink about all of this right then and there, but there was a group of business men having a meeting, so we chose not to be disruptive! We decided that we would just leave all of the food there on the table and NEVER go back again!! Well, within a short time, both of our stomachs started to feel uneasy! Mine, not so bad, but I barely took one bite. But, my friend who ate more became extremely nauseous and even suffered diarrhea! She was so sick that she had to go to an emergency pharmacy to purchase OTC medications for food-poisoning and was not feeling good for the rest of the day, leaving work early!!! FORTUNATELY, SHE TOOK PICTURES OF THE FOOD, that will prove my descriptions accurate and will post her own review to show them as a sincere warning to all. So, we don't know if there is new management at this Kirkland franchise or not, but we will NEVER recommend this place again...

Came in for lunch ordered the quiche and a French onion soup . The guy brought my soup and there was NO baguette with melted cheese on top and let him know this is not right it should have a baguette and melted cheese on top it’s French onion soup he said he’d go check to see if it was made wrong . Sad they actually don’t know their menu , so a girl standing behind the counter was looking around like she didn’t even want to be there and I said to her excuse me but I’d like to eat my soup before it gets cold and this wasn’t made right it’s supposed to have a baguette and melted cheese on top she just kind of gave me a little smirk like she didn’t even care and went back to standing there doing nothing . The guy who took my order came back with two pieces of baguette on a plate . I looked at him like he can’t be serious and said just take it off ! This is not how it comes at your issue store or Bellevue store . He said I can I ack them to fix it and I said NO at this point I don’t want it anymore . When he brought me the check he asked did you see a picture of it with a baguette and melted cheese on it is that why you are saying it should have that I just looked at him in disbelief that he asked me that and that they don’t know what their menu says and said look at your menu it very clearly says topped with baguette and melted cheese ! So disappointing!! Never had a problem at the Issaquah or Bellevue location !! NEVER coming back here ! Go to a different location don’t come here they don’t care about you and don’t even know...

Outside this building is a beautiful scene of a well-kept road, running along the Puget Sound. Upon stepping into this clean, welcoming cafe, I thought I knew exactly what to expect. The staff greet you with a friendly smile, and offer the exact hospitality one desires; letting you know that they're present to help you get the best experience, or "la meilleure expérience", in cafe dining. The beans they use for their coffee, although I cannot recall, are spectacular, and pair exquisitely with their fresh pastries. And yes, their croissants are perfect: lightly crispy on the outside with a delicious breading on the inside. If you're craving a sandwich, they do not skimp on the quality here. All the bread and cold cuts are fresh and often made in-house! I have yet to try the wines they have, but I have seen many people sitting down for hours on a sunny day, sharing a bottle or two. On top of the fine foods, this is also a fantastic place to work or relax; offering a much appreciated third space to pass the time. I recommend going out of your way for this cafe, and I guarantee you will be pleased.

My favorite order: Hazelnut Croissant (nutella filling), Double Espresso (black), & a Ham &...