Le P’tit Laurent

This is a warm and inviting restaurant that serves an excellent meal. It is both a neighborhood place where you cat sit at the bar for a glass of wine and some French onion soup, enjoy a romantic date, or bring the family.

This place was simply amazing! Our server was helpful and attentive, and the food was perfectly seasoned. My friend and I came here for her birthday and we tried the Neighborhood menu. She ordered the oyster mushroom soup, snapper, and tiramisu. I ordered a salad with bay shrimps, a braised pork dish, and crème brûlée. Everything was awesome! My friend’s soup was thick and flavorful, my salad had a hint cumin, her fish was seasoned well, and my pork was delicious! I usually don’t like pork because it’s a bit dry, but as I went to cut off a piece, the meat separated from the weight of the fork! Sooo tender!
Would definately come back, i’m already making plans with my other friends :)

I am no expert, but my steak was absolutely delish. I would come back here again for the cozy atmosphere. Perfect date spot. Great French food with an authentic vibe. The service was top notch and you feel pampered getting new silverware after each dish! Also, the crème brûlée was absolutely fantastic.

Such a cute little French restaurant, the food is delicious and the service is spectacular !!! Love it!

My girlfriend and I discovered this tiny little gem through a friend of ours and we love it. Their specials are always tasty and very reasonably priced and getting a reservation has never been a problem. We especially like their soups of the day and always make sure to get the French toast dessert, which I can easily say would be right up there for best desserts I’ve ever had — it’s delicious. If you like simple, flavorful food with a hole-​in-​wall atmosphere I really recommend this place.

Charming little place in Glen Park Village with a true French feel.
Although I was there for a brief meal of an appetizer and a glass
of champagne, I was pleasantly surprised at how busy it was and
how fast the tables were filled at 5:30 on a Thursday night.
I loved the scallop dish and the bread was warm. Service was
great and I really enjoyed my time there and the meal. I will definitely be back.
In fact, I made a reservation for Sunday night with a friend.

Perfect date night! Charming, dark, and delicious. Bouillabaisse was great (not former Chez Papa perfection, but really nothing’s ever gonna stack up), the wine was tasty and reasonable, and the service was just lovely. My husband’s cream of mushroom soup was to die for. The Neighborhood Menu is a great deal if you like what’s on it.

Great neighborhood French restaurant. We had the cassoulet and mussels, both which were cooked well. However, I felt the mussels had a little too much garlic.
This restaurants get unbelievably crowded and surprisingly isn’t that loud.
I’d definitely come back.

Came here for dinner for the first time with a friend. I don’t think I had ever had french food til my visit. The food was amazing and I even tried the snails. The escargot was better than I thought it would be. It kind of had the taste and texture of lamb from what I can remember when I used to eat meat.
This place was well worth the visit and hopefully in the future I’ll get to visit again :)

Genuine French experience but be prepared to wait if you do not think to make a reservation.

I went there last night with my boyfriend and am very glad we did!
The food and service was absolutely wonderful. We opted for the Neighborhood Menu, served Sunday — Thursday. Such a treat, with nice options to choose from. The fish and beef were delicious, as was the creamy vegetable soup.
I look forward to frequenting this spot more often. Thank you Le P’tit Laurent!

Went out on a weekend. Restaurant has old world ambiance. We arrived on time with a reservation but there was no table. Considering that The restaurant is in Glenn park it was very busy. We were made to wait 20 minutes before we got a table.
We ordered some wine and the lamb shank and the fish. The fish was delicious and lamb shanks were ok. The dishes are pricey for the quality I would have expected and they are small. It felt like we were ordering appetizers
–1 star for a wait time even though we made a reservation. –1 was for the overall quality and price

Le P’tit Laurent is a cozy French bistro offering a warm French dining experience. However, the dishes of the night left a little more to be desired.
I visited Le P’tit Laurent with 2 friends on a Saturday night. It passed our minds, but we should have made a reservation as we had to wait an hour and a half for a table. It didn’t bother me, as none of us were in a rush, but I do recommend making a reservation especially for Friday or Saturday.
As for the food, I ordered the duck cassoulet along with 2 appetizers to share — the escargot and the fried frog legs. The escargot had a delicious garlic butter to accompany the dish; it seemed to mask the flavor of the snail though. The fried frog legs were crunchy and fresh, however, the breading seemed to be a bit thick for the amount of meat. Lastly, the duck cassoulet had a delicious, rich, but overpowering stew. The duck was very tender, practically falling off the bone, but all I could taste was the stew. It’s my first time trying a cassoulet, but I was very disappointed to find that all these great ingredients — white beans, sausage, pork, and duck — were nothing more than a texture in the stew. After finishing half of the stew, the singular flavor profile became too salty for my preference.
The service was quick and attentive and the overall dining experience was decent. Although I appreciate the strong flavors and generous servings, would love to see some main components shine through the rice sauces in the dishes.
Additionally, the price rating seems to be a bit outdated. Unilocal reviews Le P’tit Laurent as $$ (Under $ 30). It’s appropriate for brunch, but in terms of dinner, most entrees start around $ 31, and more often than not, parties order appetizers and/​or dessert and drink. Also, the neighborhood menu offered Sunday through Thursday is now $ 28. The menu on Unilocal should be amended to reflect these changes.

La gastronomie française à San Francisco. Accueil chaleureux et assiettes gourmandes. A visiter sans modération.
Amazing French cuisine in SanFrancisco. Nice people and finest French food.

Did not make any reservation so when we arrived, it was packed but no waiting list.
The place is small but cute French bistro atmosphere and it’s dimmed. Actually not dimmed, but dark.
The French employee in the front was nice enough to call us when there’s a table available.
Within few minutes, we got our table. It’s a bit compact and all our orders somewhat did not fit on the table.
We got the ribeye with fries, lamb shank w/​sautéed potatoes landaises, and half a dozen oysters.
The ribeye was cooked perfectly and it was flavorful.
My boyfriend likes the lamb shank, and of course, we killed the oysters within few seconds.
Overall, the service was great and food was delicious!

This is one of the rare dining experiences I’ve had that I consider a 5-​star experience, based on the food alone. Service was fantastic too, of course.
ESCARGOT.
While I still fail to see the enjoyment that lies behind eating snails, the escargot was extremely well done here, each one dripping in a wonderful buttery-​garlicky sauce (make sure you mop the remains up with the baguette at your table!).
FOIE GRAS TERRINE w/​CARAMELIZED APPLE JAM.
This one was a real winner at my table (for me). My non-​adventurous brother didn’t seem to be a fan, but my dad and I feasted on this (and again, use your baguette to devour this dish).
RACK OF LAMB w/​SAUTEED POTATOES LANDAISES.
This dish completely blew me away, seriously. If it’s on the menu, order it. Every part of the dish comes together perfectly, and it’s just such a classic, hearty dish.
PAIN PERDU.
This dessert should be ordered with the intent of sharing, as it is a very heavy one at that — three custard-​y slices of French toast, drizzled with caramel by a heavy hand, and a scoop of ice cream to boot. I could barely get through a full piece of the French toast, and it was incredibly filling.
For extremely unpretentious, delicious French food, I highly recommend this hole-​in-​the-​wall.

My family and I had a lovely 4^th of July dinner here (because no one does independence like the French amirite). My favorite part of the restaurant is the décor — the room feels warm, friendly, local. It’s covered with French posters and road signs; the walls are fitted with mirrors, which makes the room seem much larger than it actually is. Though rather loud, the restaurant is still comfortable enough to have a conversation in.
I would recommend trying the escargot, for those of us who are adventurous! Their onion soup and salads are quite good as well.
I had the bass filet entrée, which was cooked perfectly and drizzled with a lemon cream sauce and capers. Set on a bed of spinach, leeks and mushrooms, the fish was topped with a handful of delicately grilled onions. The entrée was fabulous, I would highly recommend it.
Lastly, we had the pain Perdue with espressos for dessert. It tastes like bread-​equivalent of crème brûlée; crispy on the outside and gooey with cream on the inside.
Many people were celebrating as well — anniversaries, birthdays, etc. It seems like it would be a lovely place for a date!

Such a cute neighborhood restaurant! The seating was wonderful but a bit tight. Nothing losing a few plus could help with. My friend and I were seated at the window which faves the bus stop so people were constantly looking in, which I didn’t mind at all.
I ordered the foie gras for appetizer because I’m a rebel like that. I finished that whole damn thing and I could hardly keep my eyes open. It was super rich and buttery, just beautiful, but damn, oh so sinful and probably put me over my caloric intake for the week.
My main was a rack of lamb over veggies. Damn delish if you ask me. The lamb was tasty and tender, just as it should be.
The service was wonderful except towards the end when they switched our server and it was this chick who said nothing to us except to put menus and our bill on the table.
Would I come back? MAIS OUI!

Ahhh the beginnings of things. Remember that first date with your special someone? How the butterflies fluttered in your stomach… how you almost went out of your head trying to find the perfect outfit… how you scrambled at the last minute, trying not to make him wait *too* long as you jammed your feets into shoes and threw lipstick and mints in your bag. Wow, that all sounds stressful as eff. But all worth it.
Thankfully my date and I had been out a few times with friends prior to our «first date», but called this romantic evening our official first date for reasons I can’t actually remember. Something to do with no chaperone and it being on a Friday night. Anyhow, I still had first date jitters and was very excited that he had chosen Le P’tit Laurent for the occasion.
The restaurant is intimate and kitschy-​chic: lots of French art and random items on the walls, dim lighting, burgundy booth seating. I felt it was perfect for a first date because it’s not super quiet and it’s a bit lively. We went at 8PM and the bar was full but our table was ready right away. There were lots of tables of people speaking French, which, to me was a good sign, because if the Frenchies of the city eat here, it must have something authentically Frenchie about it.
We both ordered a glass of Bordeaux to go along with our meals, and started off with the Escargot. It was amazing! I had never tried Escargot and my Frenchie friend Holly P insisted I get it. The sauce it was served in was still simmering when it came out in it’s ramekin. Garlicky, buttery goodness right there. We dipped the warm, soft, crusty bread in it after we ate our Escargot. Yum, a definite must for when you go.
I had the rabbit for my main, as I’ve heard that rabbit is legit and I saw an episode of «The F Word» where Gordon Ramsey makes rabbit ragu, so I’ve been wanting to try it. To be honest, I wish I had gotten the lamb or the pork. The rabbit was not bad, it was just gamey and served with a sweet potato purée which I wasn’t crazy about. His rack of lamb was really good but slightly overcooked. The bed of green beans it was served on were good, kind of gingery, warm and crisp.
We didn’t have dessert because we were super full, and they didn’t have bread pudding, which is my dessert weakness. Overall, I would definitely go back, even if just for drinks and Escargot or other appetizers. It’s an adorable place that should be tried by all, not only the first daters of the city.

Our party of three arrived at around 6 pm on a Friday night and it was already bustling inside. We took three seats at the bar, but while we were still perusing the menu, a manager (?) came over and asked if we wanted to move to the table that had just opened up. We gladly agreed, and he led us over with an «Allez!» (This is when I knew I’d love the restaurant)
It’s small and cozy and I would say quintessentially French, but I am not well acquainted with French culture to say so. I love the décor and the feel of the restaurant anyway! The low lights coupled with the relaxed ambiance of the restaurant made it a very comfortable dinner. There was some sort of art/​poster covering all the walls.
Also, the bathroom is CLEAN and does not smell! It actually smells quite nice. Even the bathroom décor maintains the restaurant’s homey but hip vibe.
But what about the food? Excellent! Once you order, you get a basket of sliced bread. WARM sliced bread. Oh, it was wonderful.
I ordered the special for the night, red striped bass sautéed with white wine clam sauce paired with a vegetable risotto. The first bite of the bass– oh my goodness, I did NOT expect it to taste so… delectable. The bass was tender and buttery and flavorful with the sauce. The risotto was also a great, lighter complement to the bass.
Great find, and so close to the Glen Park Bart station. Worth it just to Bart and take the short walk over to fill your stomach with goodness.

On Sunday morning I blew out of Sacramento like the hell on wheels that I am and rushed full throttle back to San Francisco to complete an assignment for work so I could make it to an anniversary dinner at LPL. This was not my best planning, however, because by the time it was time for our dinner reservation, I had fallen asleep sitting upright watching GoT, in full make up, with shoes on. Yeah, not the best. I was actually tempted to cancel the dinner.
I am SO GLAD I didn’t.
We walked in for our reservation at 7:30 p.m. PST and LPL was packed and hopping. The owner advised that they weren’t quite ready for us, and sent us to the bar. The bartender/​server seemed slammed – it took a long time to get a drink menu and an even longer time to get the drinks. It was understandable and also very French, so we tried to relax.
Within 10 minutes we were then sat at a VERY good table — in the corner and out of harm’s way – very private. I know that most establishments in San Francisco are small and therefore seating is tight, but sometimes it’s not so great having to sit ass to ankles when you are trying to have a private conversation or quiet dinner (for more on this topic, please see my review of Hecho). I also get annoyed when there are empty tables but I am nevertheless sat on the laps of the couple next to me (see my forthcoming review of Kama Sushi for more on this topic).
We started with the Ceviche and French Onion Soup. We were on the fence about the French Onion Soup, but I had to order it because I could tell we were at a place where they knew what they were doing. I think French Onion Soup is a hard dish to get right — but LPL knows what they are doing – the cheese was delicious and thick, the croûton was perfect and not a soggy wreck, and the flavors were on point — it was all working. We were surprised at how good the Ceviche was — it was perfect! The citrus was not too overpowering, and the seafood was tender and flavorful.
For the main course, I ordered the stuffed pork tenderloin and my boyfriend ordered the mussels and frites. I thought my dinner was phenomenal — the pork tenderloin was, well, tender as hell. The side dish, which consisted of a cabbage and bacon mixture, was nice and smoky –complementing the pork quite nicely. My boyfriend’s mussels were equally yummy — I could have been quite pleased with just a bowl of that white wine and garlic sauce and a side of French bread. The frites were served piping hot with a side of aioli (upon request).
I had two (one and a half, actually) Camp-​tini cocktails. I was too tired to have drinks and was afraid of falling asleep at the table. They were great though — pretty mild.
I’m tempted to launch into a diatribe about the odd bathroom situation I encountered whilst at LPL, but I fear it would detract from the most important part of this or any review: the food. I will note that the girl in line ahead of me turned around to stare at me the entire time she was waiting. It was extremely odd.
Dessert looked delicious but we were full and anxious to get back home to go to sleep. I note that there’s a prix fixe menu on the back of the regular menu which includes dessert — a lot of folks appeared to be taking advantage of that option.
Overall — a great dining experience worth having. Great location in Glen Park. Easily accessible via parking and BART.