Bonjour Cafe Offers Good Food and a French Flair

I have to admit I am a bit of a Francophile, and so it only made sense for me to try Bonjour Café in Dana Point. This cute little bistro is located on Del Prado near Violet Lantern. We stopped in for a late lunch on a recent beautiful, sunny day.

The patio is covered with a large yellow awning and is enclosed. The yellow casts a bright and warm glow over the patio. The shiny metal tables and chairs add their own shimmer.  Inside there are more tables and quaint French scenes are painted on the wall.

The lunch menu has lovely French names for everything and includes three kinds of homemade quiche, French onion soup and a soup du jour, plus lots of salads and sandwiches. I selected La Salade Bonjour, which is made of grilled chicken with diced celery and apples and their “secret finish.” My husband chose Le Nicois, a sandwich made of white albacore tuna, tomatoes, red onion, Kalamata olives, and feta cheese on a ten-inch baguette.

A basket of baguette slices and butter was brought to our table along with our iced tea. The bread was fresh and tasty and so was the tea. Our lunch came pretty quickly. My salad came on a large square plate and the mixed greens were fresh and flavorful. The salad was topped with a very light dressing and was sprinkled with mustard seeds, which is apparently part of the “secret finish.” The chicken was delicious and the whole salad was very good.

The tuna sandwich arrived in a basket and was wrapped in paper and was served with a pickle. The combination of the tuna, feta, tomato, onion, olives, and alfalfa sprouts on the baguette was pleasing and flavorful. The ingredients for both meals seemed to be fresh and high quality.

While enjoying our lunch, we looked over the breakfast menu, which looks very tempting. It features a variety of crepes both sweet and savory, omelets, tartines (open faced sandwiches on brioche or country bread), French toast, quiche and other egg dishes. They also offer a variety of espresso drinks, including cappuccinos, lattes, and mochas.

The Bonjour Café is a nice spot for a casual lunch or breakfast. It is a little expensive, with most entrees for breakfast and lunch ranging from $10-$14. Our lunch with a salad, sandwich, and two iced teas was $32 before tip. However, the food was well-prepared and attractive. We were happy with our lunch and the appreciated the French flair. We will definitely be back to try breakfast. Breakfast is served all day starts at 7:30 a.m. on weekdays and at 8 a.m. on weekends. Lunch is available 11a.m. to 3 p.m.

I give Bonjour Cafe 3 1/2 out of 5 Patches