Cafe Lafayette

Love this placed for lunch. I ordered macaroni and cheese with Shrimp Caesar Salad. The chef even came out to check on the table and food. This place is always tidy and kept well. Aside from lunch time, I also recommend their Sunday brunch. The best French toast ever

I have been here multiple times for dinner and at times drinks only. My husband and I like dining both inside and outside. It's nice to have the option. The wait staff are always courteous and helpful. The wine was fine. I ordered a French Mule and a Bloody Mary. The Mule was okay but the Bloody Mary was unique so next time I'm definitely getting that again. Starting out, the bread was warm and delicious. I don't understand why the butter is always cold and hard as a rock. Multiple reviews have mentioned how annoying that is. Why don't they fix that?My husband ordered the ribeye with garlic mashed potatoes and butternut squash with asparagus. Is the squash supposed to be firm? I prefer my squash to be softer. Other than that my husband's entree was great. I ordered the leg of lamb with pineapple coleslaw and macaroni and cheese. The waitress said that the lamb was tender and falling apart. It was dry and flavorless however the sides were very good especially the macaroni and cheese. Dessert was crème brûlée. It was good but my husband didn't care for it.

The service was impeccable but the food took forever and was overly salted. For the prices, the portions and execution should have been better. I came in when Cafe Lafayette opened for dinner and was immediately seated. Despite putting our orders in immediately, it took an hour for the entrees to come out. The drinks came out quickly but the complementary bread somehow came out after my soup. Don't come hungry cause my entire dining experience took nearly 2 hours. =ORDERED=*Bread: very, very crusty. The butter was chilled and salted. While the bread came out hot, it was too tough and sharp on the mouth. *Lobster Bisque: the lobster wasn't noticeable and it was rather salty. It was on the runnier side and heavy on the stock. A bit too heavy as a starter and the seafood wasn't prominent. *Lavender Gimlet: supposedly lavender vodka with fresh blackberries. Vodka was the prominent flavor and there was no floral essence nor freshness from the fruit. Tasted more like a well drink. *Australian Rack of Lamb: very disappointed in the portion of lamb in comparison to those seen in pictures. Came with only four small pieces and two sides. The lamb was cooked perfectly and tender. The scalloped potatoes were creamy and soft. The sweet potato puree with almonds was my favorite. It was sweet, nutty and buttery. *Beef Wellington: overcooked and the filet came out incredibly chewy. The mushrooms were too damp and overly salted. There was a splash of additionally salty sauce on top which left the pastry mushy. Given this dish was nearly $60, I was disappointed in how it was practically inedible. The lamb and sides were the only acceptable items for dinner. The meal was far too expensive for the time it took and quality we received. While the service was especially kind, I can't imagine spending another $160 and 2 hours for this type of meal.

I had my 10 year Anniversary Party here. It was basically another wedding but without the Ceremony. We rented the entire restaurant with dinner in the back patio and dancing at the front patio. We had 48 guests with plated dinner service. Our guests were greeted with charcuterie cups that had our guest names with their table number for the seating chart. Then once they found their seat they had bruschetta Crostini's intermixed between our decor on the tables for appetizers. Later they brought out bread and butter. Once all of our guests had arrived and cocktail hour was complete, dinner service began. We had the best french onion soup to start. We have our guests the dinner entree options of Filet Mignon, Chicken Cordon Bleu or Vegan. The majority chose Filet Mignon and everyone RAVED how good it was. I have been to fine dine establishments all over California trying Filet Mignon (it's my favorite) and Cafe Lafayette's is barr none the best. The service was impeccable. I am a retired wedding planner as well as a former fine dine server before that so I'm very particular. They did my settings perfectly, even for my vegan settings which were a different setup, they got those right. They were johnny on the spot with serving from the left and clearing immediately from the right side. The tables were never left very long with empty dishes or glasses. My guests never ran out of water in their glasses. They did a specialty cocktail menu for me and the drinks were so good and the bar never got behind. I had a A LOT of drinkers too. I highly recommend Cafe Lafayette for regular dining as well. I've always had a great experience when eating here. I can't thank Fred and Ashley enough for their great service and letting me have my 2nd dream wedding here. It was the best night of my life.

Food is very delicious and flavourful. The price was great, for the quality of the food.It is a casual place, but i can say it can be a fancy place if they wish, but it is best to keep it as is. The server was great, no complains there, and explain a the few questions we had.

Enjoyed a nice birthday dinner here during the week. Must try items: the french onion soup and the Beef Wellington. Both entrees came with the same two sides: scalloped potatoes and lightly seasoned veggies. The potatoes came out beautiful but were lacking in flavor. The service was nice and overall pretty busy working solo with seated patrons so it was a little slow on our end. The decor indoors is very cute and festive and overall makes for a nice fine-dining dinner experience. Note: not a vegetarian-friendly establishment.

A much needed morning dining experience resulted in our go to favorite, Cafe Lafayette. Sunday Brunch is a good time graze on some yummy items.Wife unit had the Croque Monsuier, me, my favorite Blackened Salmon Benedict. Exceptional. Our server Tiffany is gem. She is gracious and attentive, a real sweetheart.

The service and ambiance was good. Very nice restaurant. The food was okay but not a place I need to rush back to.

We were staying in Exter to be near the national park and were not expecting a restaurant of this quality in such a small town. I had the lamb and my husband had the filet au poive. Both were excellent and cooked to perfection. The lamb had a great sauce. Service was exceptional. Nice decor in the French theme.

Party of 7 celebrated a birthday, dinner was great along with appetizers. Dinning atmosphere was wonderful with outdoor dining ambiance. We ate inside as it was a warmer day, which is also pleasant. Great meal options, bar was good, service was quick, attentive and pleasant.