The French Gourmet — Restaurant in San Diego

Customarily on Fridays, my husband and I go out for date night. Since we wanted to try something different and with the excuse of fulfilling my French class’ requirement we chose a French restaurant. Of the many French restaurants in San Diego, we opted for one that had great reviews on Google reviews. We visited The French Gourmet in Pacific Beach. We Googled the address and GPSed our way to the restaurant. Since we wanted to avoid traffic and secure a parking spot , we got an early dinner reservation. When we got to the restaurant, we discovered that this place is not just a restaurant, but a bakery and a catering business as well. The first thing one sees , upon entering, is the bakery with sumptuous French pastries, petit fours and magically decorated gateaux. To the left of the pastry counter, there is a small section of French pantry items for sale, such as marmalades, spreads, oranginas, and imported cookies. We were given a booth by the window. Surprisingly we were the only ones in the restaurant. Perhaps, we had really shown up too early. Oh well, we were given our menus and, Miguel, or server gave us a brief explanation of the dinner specials. We were given the option of the fixed menu, which was the choice of two appetizers, two entrees, and one dessert. All for the price of two entrees. We thought it was a good deal so we went ahead and ordered. I ordered onion soup and duck with vegetables. My husband ordered a green salad and Cassoulet. We shared créme bruleé for dessert. As we were eating and enjoying each other’s company and conversation, people kept coming in for dinner. When we got started with our dessert, the restaurant was at full capacity. I was excited to see that such a great yet inconspicuous place was very popular with the local residents. . People were bringing in their own wine bottles for a small corkage fee. We realized that we could do so on our next visit. I have had the experience of travelling to France, and I have found that American customer service is by far better than French. My experience at The French Gourmet was extremely cordial and prompt. Miguel took good care of us and kept our wine and water glasses full. It was a great combination of good French food with good customer service. I would recommend this...

Dear French Gourmet -

We wanted to take a moment to share our incredible experience with your bakery's service on the 4th of July. In anticipation of a very special event, we had pre-ordered one of your exquisite cakes. We knew that only a French Gourmet cake would truly elevate our gathering.

Our day started early, as we had to visit my husbands parents at 8 am in Pacific Beach before heading straight to your bakery to avoid the holiday traffic. When we arrived, we were greeted by a bustling crowd eagerly waiting in line for their morning coffees and delicious treats. Despite the busy atmosphere, Conner, with the same excellence you would expect from a business owner, handled everything with grace, efficiency, and exceptional cheerfulness.

Conner proudly presented me with the masterpiece we had ordered—a stunning American Flag cake adorned with sweet strawberries the size of apples. We left the bakery in awe of the craftsmanship and eager to share this delectable creation with our loved ones.

However, upon returning home, we were faced with an unexpected turn of events. Our beloved shitzu dog, Ernest, had managed to devour the entire cake! You can only imagine our astonishment and distress—our dog had eaten the cake!

Without hesitation, I called Conner to explain the situation. Despite the absence of another ready-made cake, he assured me that your bakery would promptly craft a brand-new one from scratch. The level of commitment and dedication your team demonstrated was truly exceptional. We were informed that the new cake would be ready by 1 pm. Can you believe such outstanding service on a holiday?

We cannot express our gratitude enough for having such a wonderful team. Your unwavering commitment to customer satisfaction is truly commendable. Conner, in particular, deserves special recognition for his professionalism and willingness to go above and beyond.

The scrumptious cake was the highlight at our gathering. Thank you once again for your exceptional service and for creating such delectable treats. We are truly devoted fans of your bakery! With all our love, Angela and Drew Scripps Performing...

I wish I could give this place more stars!

The french toast, the brown sugar glazed bacon, the escargot, the payson salad!!!!!

Let's start with the French Gourmet Toast. 4 thick boy slices of french toast, perfectly cooked with blackberries, raspberries and strawberries! Omg, so good.

The brown sugar glazed bacon......once they bring it to the table let it sit. The glaze will harden a little and give the bacon a slight snap to it. De-licious! The perfect contrast of sweet and salty!

The escargot was a little slice of french cuisine executed perfectly in San Diego. Very hard to find good escargot in San Diego.

Payson salad was perfectly light, the greens were crunchy and just the right out of vinaigrette.

We accidently popped in here after our first choice was 40 mins wait to be seated for brunch. After this visit, I'll never want to go to the other place. This place just earned my top spot for brunch.

The seating area is outside under partially shaded canopies and they have heaters. It's in between two building, there is a mural painted on the side our their building to make it feel less like a space between two buildings. They have done a good job. When you come here, expect to be greeted by their friendly staff, who have smiles on (you can hear the smiles they wear!) and be ready to eat with a smile, because the food is delicious.

Update 2/20/2023

Not sure what has happened to this place. The food is still good, But.

Order french toast.....sold out. Changed to crepes. Ordered brown sugar glazed bacon.....got regular bacon which isn't even on the menu.

The food was good, but it took us about 45 mins to get our food and it wasn't even correct. It was not busy when we got there, there was 3 tables outside with people and no one inside. Staff is always friendly, but I do expect a level of service above what we got this late morning. From five stars...