RAFAEL'S KITCHEN & MAD COFFEE — Restaurant in Santa Ana

UPDATE Aug 10, 2024

Roquette Café is now under new ownership, and called RAFAEL'S KITCHEN. It actually happened several months ago; sorry I did not update my review sooner.

I have not visited this establishment since the ownership changed, so I cannot honestly say if the new place is of the same exceptional quality and service. In looking at some recent reviews they appear to be sincerely trying, but without Chef Sam there it's going to be a challenge.

Until I visit this place again I will not offer any opinion. I just urge you to look at the most recent reviews, and go there and see for yourself.

In the mean time, I will keep this review up for a little while longer, until I get a chance to visit there myself and provide a true honest update.

PREVIOUS REVIEW

Roquette is a Unique French Café - Bistro & Catering from an Authentic World Class French Chef

I love this place and everything about it. The food, the atmosphere, and the people. They have a big beautiful patio, and plenty of indoor seating as well. It's tastefully decorated, and they play beautiful music I've never heard before, in a variety of languages.

It's a family owned business, not a chain, by a true world class chef trained in France, with decades of experience. A very personable and friendly gentleman named Sam, who often comes out of the kitchen to meet his customers and chat with them a bit. You can tell, he's very passionate about his craft, and loves pleasing people with his amazing dishes.

It's the best tasting quality food I have ever had. I've brought many friends and co-workers there, and they all agree it's very special. I'm vegetarian, and they have many options for me to choose from, and Sam is always happy to make substitutions, and turn any menu option into a delicious vegetarian dish.

One day Sam made a special meal for me, Penne in a Creamy Vodka sauce, topped with Ratatouille. I had heard the name before, but had no idea what Ratatouille was. But I completely trusted Sam; he knew I was a vegetarian, and he wanted me to try it. And it was absolutely amazing!

I love this place and everything about it; the authentic French cuisine, specialty dishes, the amazing desserts, the atmosphere, and all the wonderful people who work there.

There's plenty of parking across the street, and they validate so it's free. A beautiful patio where they serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and they also do amazing catering as well. I used to work in the area and I got them to try Sam's catering, and it was amazing. Even better than I expected; no comparison to the others.

Sincerely, please try this place; you may fall in love with it too. If you get a chance say hi to Sam, and try the Penne in Vodka Sauce on the Bistro menu.

Since I first wrote this review months ago in another app, I moved away from the area, and I miss this place soooooooo much. The awesome food, the serene outdoor patio, and the warm friendly staff. But I make sure to stop by every time I'm in the area, when I go to John Wayne airport. It's conveniently located around the corner, just off MacArthur Boulevard and Main St.

I hope you stop by and see for yourself what a...

First off, the place was clean and vibes were immaculate. Food wise, I got an omelette and my friend had a vegan burrito which were okay. But what really made the experience go downhill was our server Arianna, or Ari for short. We came in around 8am, and there were a couple of tables and it looked like she was the only server running tables. With this in mind, I did my best to not ask for much and not be a bother. But unfortunately when my friend and I arrived we were greeted slightly aggressively and rushed to order. To make a long story short, she took advantage of me and increased her tip when I was paying. She handed me the card machine and I inputted an amount for tip. And as I was about to hit continue, she immediately tells me to stop and removed the card reader from my hands saying she has to do something before pressing continue. Half dazed (my friend and I drove to Laguna Beach at 5am to watch the sunrise, I was tired) I let her take the card reader. Ari then proceeded to ask me if I wanted a receipt and kindly said no thank you. Then, my friend asked me how much she owed me and at this point I couldn’t remember so I went back to Ari and asked for a receipt. She rolled her eyes at me and told me to wait. I sat back down and waited, and she goes back to the machine and made a snarky comment, “this is why I asked you if you wanted the receipt because now I have to look for it.” And silly me profusely apologized for the inconvenience that I’m causing her. She prints and hands me the receipt and I noticed her tip was increased. Confused, I walked away because surely I’m reading this wrong! I wasn’t. Hours later I called the restaurant and spoke with Sean who said he was a manager. I explained the situation, and he told me he’s sure “it wasn’t her intention” and that he’ll refund me my entire bill, including the tip and it would take a couple of business days. 2-3 days pass and I get my refund and a text with the refund receipt. But of course only for the food and not the tip. Now there maybe be a law or something that prohibits a refund on the tip, whatever it is, I’m very disappointed with them. Our first time there and our server was rude, and she likes to take advantage of people. Imagine if I didn’t ask for the receipt…how would I have known? I’m sure they do this often. If there’s anything to take away from my experience is always ask for...

I can't express enough how much I adore Roquette Cafe & Bistro and the culinary creations of Chef Samuel Geffroy. The French-inspired delights they offer have consistently impressed me. It is for this reason that I have selected Roquette Cafe & Bistro as the venue for our upcoming Bastille Day Bash Parisian Soirée on July 15th. Chef Samuel and his team always greet me warmly, making me feel right at home during each visit. In fact, I frequently choose the restaurant for business meetings because it offers a delightful combination of great food, from buttery and flaky croissants to quiches featuring tender sautéed leeks, and indulgent cheesecake, among other delicious options. To top it off, their intense espresso rivals the flavors experienced in Italy. Moreover, the peaceful atmosphere of the restaurant and charming outdoor patio create the perfect environment for productive discussions and enjoyable dining experiences. I particularly appreciate their ever-changing bistro prix fixe dinner, which never fails to ignite my excitement. The restaurant is conveniently located in the heart of Orange County, with easy access to freeways 55 and 405. Parking is a just across the street and is validated. Roquette Cafe & Bistro truly brings a touch of French charm to Southern California. From the delectable dishes to the inviting ambiance, it offers a genuine French vibe right here in SoCal. Merci beaucoup to the entire Roquette team for consistently delivering exceptional food and service that keep me coming...