Le Papillon — Restaurant in San Jose

They are incredibly rude, snobbish and pretentious. They believe their success as a restaurant gives them the right to act however they want. They think money is proof they're good people or running their business well, but it is most definitely not.

I reached out to Le Pappillion because they are a preferred vendor for Villa Montalvo, where we are having our wedding. I initially reached out to them for an estimate of costs a while back. At that time I didn't give them the date of our wedding because we had not settled on a date. I called them yesterday because we finally settled on a date and we were in contract with villa montalvo who just informed us that day that we needed to confirm that Le pappilion was available for front of house catering on that date. The person who answered said he would leave a note for Tamera to email me back that evening when she got back, which might be around midnight (as I had emailed her as well). I never got an email so I gave them a call today on my way back from the doctors office for a fever and infection. Tamera answered the phone, and I asked her if she had received my email. She said she had but that Mike has already communicated with me regarding service on the wedding date. This was wholly inaccurate as I had never communicated a date to them and has only just finalized the date a week or two ago and had not been in communication with them since my initial inquiry regarding costs. Tamera put me on hold and eventually Mike picked up the phone. His tone was already rude. He remarked that I had already been in communication with Tamera about everything. I had been in contact with her about estimated costs about a month ago or even longer ago but not availability on the date of our wedding. All my recent communication which had gone unanswered was about availability. I explained to Mike that I have never discussed the date with them and that was the purpose of my recent communication. He finally told me other couples had inquiries so I asked him how the contract process works. I told him that my signing my contract with villa montalvo was 100% dependent on their availability for front of house service and if we can't confirm or lock down our date for service, then I can't go with villa montalvo. We are having an Indian wedding and so we needed le pappilion in order to go with our outside Indian caterer. He said he couldn't lock anything down until a contract is signed and it was possible for another couple to get a contract in faster. So as a follow up I asked him if he could tell us which dates he has open. Then he got even more pretentious. He replied he is too busy and doesn't have time to look at dates and that I should figure what I want I want for my wedding first. News flash: I already know what I want for my wedding. I told him I didn't understand why he is being so rude and pretentious and he should be trying to work with us and help us out. He raised his voice and did "what did you call me!?!?" and then proceeded to tell me he won't do outside catering for us and hung up the phone. He rather be rude to protect his fragile ego than realize he needed to improve on his customer service. My fiancé called him back and he said "I'm been running le pappilion for 40 years and I'm successful so I don't care." If you're a morally conscious person, you shouldn't do business with le papillon. You can find good food other places with better customer service. Your life won't be over if le pappilion becomes a vetoed business. Mike needs to learn a lesson and he won't learn a lesson if his pockets keep filling with money. Rude people like him won't ever admit they're rude unless their life gets affected and they need to rethink their choices. Mike also has the nerve to call the event managers at Villa Montalvo rude while he was on the phone with my fiancé. He feels comfortable calling them rude, but he won't accept the fact that he is rude. Sounds like...

In the heart of San Jose, California, lies Papillon, a French culinary haven that promises an enchanting dining experience. As a seasoned gourmet foodie and wine connoisseur, my expectations were high as I entered this esteemed restaurant, known for its sophisticated ambience and exquisite cuisine.

The evening's agenda was a four-course menu, thoughtfully pre-fixed and paired with a selection of fine wines. Upon arrival, the atmosphere of Papillon enveloped me in elegance. The dim lighting, soft music, and tastefully classic decor set a tone of refined comfort. My culinary adventure began with a glass of sparkling rosé N/V Roederer Estate from Anderson Valley, a vibrant and refreshing start that hinted at the gastronomic delights to follow.

First Course: Dungeness Crab Souffle.

The first course was a Dungeness Crab Souffle, an exquisite combination of delicate crab meat, infused with the subtle notes of lemon and saffron, and crowned with a touch of caviar. The souffle was light yet flavorful, each bite melting in my mouth and leaving a lingering taste of the sea.

Second Course: Kampachi Tartare.

Next, the Kampachi Tartare graced my palate. This dish was a masterpiece of flavours and textures, with the fresh, clean taste of the kampachi complemented by the zesty lemongrass and tangy tamarind. The avocado sorbet added a unique, creamy coolness that balanced the dish wonderfully.

Third Course: Soups.

Then came a choice of soups: the Butternut Squash Soup with Pumpkin Seed Granola and the Truffle Parsnip Soup with Duck Royale. The butternut squash soup was a velvety delight, its sweetness enhanced by the crunchy granola, while the truffle parsnip soup was a rich, earthy concoction that harmonized perfectly with the succulent duck.

Main Course: Choices.

I was presented with two options for the main course: Roasted Duck Breast and Pave of Leg, and Loin of Veal. The duck, served with Vincotto Jus, stuffed morels, and black forbidden rice, was a dish of complex flavours and textures. The veal, accompanied by chanterelles, shallot boudin blanc, and sweetbread fritter, was tender and rich, each component adding depth to the dish.

Each course was paired with a carefully selected wine, enhancing the flavours of the dishes. The Chorey les Beaune Villes Vignes from Michael Gay and Fils was a particularly memorable pairing, its robust yet balanced profile complementing the richness of the main courses.

Dessert:

The meal concluded with desserts – the Gateau Basque with poached apples and almond streusel, and the Chocolate Terrine with chocolate genoise, Marcona almond, and olive oil. The Gateau Basque was a delightful blend of textures and flavours, while the chocolate terrine was a decadent end to an...

HAIR in two courses at Le Papillon

We spent many anniversaries & birthday dinners at Le Papillon and they were pleasant. However, this anniversary dinner on Oct, 2021 was different. We ordered the tasting menu, and the dinner was going good until the 4th course. My wife saw a black hair on her plate before we started eating. She called the busser, and they came quick to pick up our plates and said they would bring new food. To our disbelief on the 5th course my wife noticed another black hair on her plate after eating some of the food. We couldn’t believe it, finding another hair during the same dinner. My wife was disgusted, and she didn’t eat any more food that night, I didn't feel so good either. My wife wanted to report the second hair, but I told her they won’t believe us. They would probably think we placed the hairs on her plates to be compensated, essentially placing the issue on us. We eat out a lot and things happen, but we have never asked to be compensated for anything at any restaurant. At the end of our dinner, we talked to the busser. He said we should send Mike the owner an email and explain our concern. The busser also mentioned Mike asked earlier why our 4th course came back and they said we found a hair on our plate. Later on that night we saw Mike walking around and talking to various tables, so after he found out about our hair issue, he could have come to our table to talk to us, but he didn’t. We sent Le Papillon a message a couple days later. They responded and said they were very sorry about our experience. They mentioned for such a rare thing like a hair on a dish to happen twice at the same meal is shocking, especially since they had a person checking our plates before leaving the kitchen along with the server and the kitchen staff. They also mentioned they are going to update our guest profile of the hair incident. I guess if we go back, they will really check our plates for hair, see attached pictures. It would be hard to miss the black hairs, so I’m not sure they check very well. We are writing this review because I don’t feel they were sincere about what happened. This restaurant has been around since 1977 and they mentioned they understand our decision not to return to Le Papillon, so I don’t think they care about losing a patron here and there. I know a few people that eat there, so I am going to let them know about our last experience. I have asked Le Papillon to delete my guest profile, because we won’t be going back, there are plenty of other restaurants in the bay area. If you go to Le Papillon, make sure you check for HAIR IN...