About Les Petites Canailles
Les Petites Canailles is a French restaurant in Paso Robles. The name of the restaurant means “The Little Rascals,” which is homage to the chef’s three children. The waitress who served my table said that the restaurant is a love letter from the chef to his children. In the interior of the restaurant there are three monkey figures, representing his children, placed in various locations. See if you can spot them when you visit!
The chef of this small establishment if classically trained in France and has worked closely with many well-known chefs including Joel Robuchon. Rest assured, there isn’t anything to be intimidated by at this French restaurant, although they do have a few French classics on their menu such as Escargot and Beef Bourguignon. Even if you aren’t a fan of French cuisine, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the menu offerings at LPC.
The Visit
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Les Petites Canailles is a French restaurant in Paso Robles. The name of the restaurant means “The Little Rascals,” which is homage to the chef’s three children. The waitress who served my table said that the restaurant is a love letter from the chef to his children. In the interior of the restaurant there are three monkey figures, representing his children, placed in various locations. See if you can spot them when you visit!
The chef of this small establishment if classically trained in France and has worked closely with many well-known chefs including Joel Robuchon. Rest assured, there isn’t anything to be intimidated by at this French restaurant, although they do have a few French classics on their menu such as Escargot and Beef Bourguignon. Even if you aren’t a fan of French cuisine, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the menu offerings at LPC.
Ratings
Accessibility
Food & Beverage Quality
Service & Experience
Atmosphere & Ambiance
Pricing & Value
Accessibility
Locating the restaurant was not difficult. There is a free public parking lot adjacent to the restaurant which is convenient. There is also ample parking on the street, however it is a busy road, so be cautious when entering/exiting a curbside vehicle. The interior of the restaurant is quite small, but appears to be able to accommodate a wheelchair if needed. Several of the tables could easily work for anyone who needed to roll up their wheelchair rather than transfer to a chair or bench.
Food & Beverage Quality
The quality of food at LPC was excellent. The quality of the ingredients was fresh and perfect for a French meal. Unfortunately during my visit I did not imbibe in any cocktails or wine, due to having been wine tasting all day. The restaurant did have an extensive wine list with many local wines but also with a large selection of French wines to accompany the French cuisine. Notably, one section of the wine list features wines from Chef Julien’s Family owned vineyard, L’ Aventure, located in Paso Robles. The restaurant also allows for outside wines with a $30 corkage fee (for a standard 750 ml bottle).
Service & Experience
Upon entering LPC, the host podium is right within the threshold. The hostess offered to hang up our coats on a rack near the front door. This was useful, considering the chairs at the tables were not suitable for hanging a jacket or purse on, the curvature of the chair back wouldn’t hold anything and many patrons’ items kept slipping and ending up on the floor. After turning our coats over to the hostess, we were sated quickly in the dead center of the restaurant, obscenely close to other dinners at the small tables for two. The tables were a little too close for comfort, as it felt we were dinning with our neighbors and enjoying their meal as much as they were. After being seated, the wait staff took over and provided excellent service and recommendations. I was impressed at how the waitress memorized the extensive details about the daily specials. Courses were delivered promptly and the waitress checked on us regularly.
Atmosphere & Ambiance
Considering this is a French restaurant that made the Michelin Guide, I expected more from the interior of this establishment. As previously mentioned, the space is small and tight. Aside from tables being very close to one another, the intimacy one would expect was dampened by the loudness of the space. concrete floors and a skylight in the center of the ceiling made it difficult to hear my fellow diner over the amplified sound of the hustle and bustle. The seating is not conducive to intimate dining or conversation. The atmosphere itself conforms to the idea of not taking French food too seriously. The ambiance makes this a great place to commune with friends, share a great meal, and open a bottle of wine, but if you’re looking to impress someone special and have a romantic evening, this is not the place.
Pricing & Value
Pricing and value at LPC is what would be expected for a restaurant of this caliber. With excellent food and their selection to be included in the Michelin Guide, one may expect to pay even more, however if prices were higher, one could opt for a classier restaurant with better ambiance. The dishes were priced fairly and portions were adequate for the pricing. While my fellow diner and myself shared a couple of appetizers, a main entree and two desserts, the value was satisfactory. Over-all I would recommend this restaurant to others, considering what the occasion might be.
Over-All Rating
4 Forks
The total over-all rating for Les Petites Canailles is 3.8 Forks.
Where to Find Les Petites Canailles
Les Petites Canailles
Address:
1215 Spring St.
Paso Robles, CA 93446
Website:
Phone:
805-296-3754
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