San Jose, CA - Le Papillon - 2005 (MOVED)

Type of Food: Nouveau French - Californian

RATING (* Poor to ***** Excellent)

Food: *****
Service: ****
Ambience: ****
Value: ***

Le Papillon Website



General: This is probably the best Cal-French restaurant in the San Jose area. I have tried many well-known restaurants in San Jose, but few can compare with this one - well, few are as expensive. This is a particularly good place for special occasions (like the v-day) - considering that San Jose is not exactly known for its romantic setting, this is a top-rated spot.

Food: The cuisine is nouveau even by Cal-French standards. Some of the dishes might look traditional by name, but you'll be surprised when you see it on your table. Others are down right too creative for my taste, like the pork tenderloin with yam timbale and red onion marmalade (I thought I knew enough French, but "timbale" really got me). Everything is delicately prepared and garnished to perfection.

I must admit that I am not a big fan of Californian French, yet I have to give this restaurant five stars because I did't have anything that I didn't like. Just one small caution: The portion here is more like Japanese than French - TINY. Maybe that's why some reviews suggest that this restaurant has Asian fusion influence. Actually, some dishes do have a distinct Asian flavor. Anyways, to address the portion issue, the trick is to eat very slowly - especially if you are a 200 lb man like me.

Service: Like in any top-rated and priced restaurants, you will receive high-quality service that you'll pay for very soon. The one thing that is different about Le Papillon, just like their decoration, is the meticulousness, which is no big deal in New York or San Francisco, but quite refreshing for a restaurant in San Jose. The waiter and busboy we got had Silicon Valley efficiency yet big city gracefulness.

Ambience: This restaurant is an interesting case - it's beautifully and meticulously finished and decorated inside, yet it's sitting between a run-down strip mall and a busy freeway. It's also close to a school and opposite to a cheap supermarket. Alright, you got the point - the restaurant is both an oasis and an oxymoron. I'd say just run to the door as quickly as possible and enjoy the ambience inside, where a mix of classic renaissance decor and nouveau romantic flavor can be found, and come out only after it's complete dark outside.

Value: Very simply put, NO ONE comes to this kind of restaurant expecting a great deal; nevertheless, this place is not as expensive as some have suggested in their reviews. Afterall, paying $80 for a top-notch four-course French-themed dinner in a Michelin-rated restaurant is not exactly highway robbery, but simply part of the package.

Bottomline: If you don't mind paying a bit more for outstanding food and you appreciate Californian cuisine, you should try Le Papillon. You won't be disappointed with the everything you encounter - you might even forget you are in San Jose! Just don't pay too much attention to the not-so-posh surroundings, - OH, have you locked your car?

Last Word: The sampling menu is a very good deal considering it's mostly seafood. Also, it might be wise to pick your wine from their website since they have a really diverse wine list to pick from. Lastly, this place even caters - if you can afford it.