Renaissance Bistro

Have been eating here for years: lunch, dinner, brunch and in-​between. Stopped in last Saturday (4÷16÷2011) and the place was closed with an eviction notice on the door! A lot of people had left notes on their sign saying they will miss them, hope they re-​open, etc. It is a shame to see restaurants with individuality not able to make a go of it in this economy.
I hope they can re-​open too.

This place closed.

Stopped by last Sunday for brunch with my husband and found out this restaurant is CLOSED!!!
we saw «Eviction Notice» on the door…

Came here during the lunch hours and noticed that a lot of people were here for brunch, even though it was after 1:00PM. Many of them were also drinking Mimosa, which is like $ 5.95 with three refills, according to my friend.
I ordered the Gorgonzola Top Sirloin, which came with garlic red mashed potatoes, and sauteed squash and carrots. The sirloin was cooked perfectly and the Gorgonzola cheese accompanied well with it. The garlic red mashed potatoes were excellent and the vegetables… the squash was good, couldn’t say much about the carrots though. I also got a cup of soup, minestrone, on the side. The soup was very flavorful and hot when brought out.
My friend ordered the Ribeye Florentina. This was very flavorful, compared to the top sirloin. I actually liked this one better. The sides were the same as the dish as I ordered.
To top it off, we had tiramisu cake and this was good as well.
Service was excellent. The place was nice and clean. Good atmosphere.

Each dish was so delectable, delightful, and beautiful! There were no two similar flavors, and each plate was crafted to perfection.
1. Pesto Shrimp Linguini
2. Penne with Spicy Sausage
3. Chicken Artichoke Piccata
The 3 hungry bears could not finish it all. Maybe because the dipping oil that came with the bread was none like we ever tried, we obviously had to get 3 plates of bread…
Even though we had the $ 40 groupon, we still ended up dishing out $ 40 in total.
P. S. They’ll sit you outside in the freezing cold if you have a groupon. So maybe just *hush hush* about it until necessary…

Rating only on a fixed menu for a bridal shower.
The weather was perfect to sit outside on the patio. They have great space for events just like this. Only downside, it is next to the gym so you have a lot of foot traffic and on-​lookers.
We had a fixed menu and I chose the turkey panini and substituted the caesar salad for a mixed greens with balsamic on the side. The sandwich was surprisingly really good. I also added the garlic dipping oil for the bread in my sandwich. Be careful with that stuff, major garrrrrlic breath after.
I might come back for lunch or dinner. Sevice was great too!

I ate waaaay too much here. I came here with my Mom and Grandma armed with a $ 40 Groupon. We all ended up ordering the lunch combination, so we also had to share an appetizer and dessert to get to $ 40.
To start we had the roasted garlic artichoke dip was very rich and cheesy. I wish they gave us more bread because there was a lot of dip. For my combo I had the half garlic chicken panini and the fettucini alfredo. The panini was good, but the fettucini was way too oily. I was a little turned off by the pool of oil in the bowl. For dessert we split the carrot cake (how very Italian) which was probably my favorite dish of the day.
Service seemed a little indifferent. I might come back for lunch, but I honestly think I prefer the food at Le Diplomate Café inside the mall.

Other then it smelling like a dirty rag half of the time. One word must be said about this place.
GARLIC
Everyone needs a place to go to for a reason and it isn’t the garlic dipping sauce. It’s the SOUP. This is my soup place. My friend use to work here so I’ve dined here quite often and I’ve tried all their soups. And I love all of them. The cream of _​_​_​_​_​are the best.
Being a past regular u find myself visiting just to get that delicious cup of soup. I def rexcomend the lunch special and don’t forget to order soup as your side. Def worth it and best bang for your buck.
The appetizers are done well so don’t be frugile or shy

Groupon got us in there, but the brie bowl has us making plans to come back.
The food just feels *cared for* at this place. It’s small and intimate, so we got GREAT service. Server was hella friendly and helpful, but not intrusive. There’s a fine line, and she was great at walking it :)
First or all, the fresh ciabatta and garlic oil they bring out is greatness as well. Just be careful not to fill up on that before your entrees arrive. We had the brie bowl, and seriously, we could go back and just order two of those! I know it’s just baked cheese in a sourdough bowl and some crudite, but it made me and wife happy.
We both ordered sandwiches which were good, but those were not quite as memorable as the brie.
Enjoy!

The boyfriend and I decided to dine at this adorable café for lunch on a sunny afternoon and we were pleased to have the option of dining on the outdoor patio. There were about 10 tables underneath umbrella shade and an indoor dining area as well.
We started off with the bruschetta trio ($ 7) which included 3 toasty ciabatta slices topped with: 1) basil and tomato salsa, 2) garlic & artichoke spread, and 3) portobello mushrooms. I loved the roasted garlic & artichoke but didn’t care too much for the portobello.
I had the chicken parmigiana fettucini ($ 15) which was decent. The pasta was perfectly al dente and the homemade tomato sauce was tangy with hints of aromatic basil. However, the breaded chicken was nothing spectacular.
He had the renaissance oodles w/​shrimp ($ 18) which they call, «the grownup version of mac & cheese.» Penne, parmesan cheese, diced red onions, lemon zest, tiger shrimp, goat cheese, covered with toasted breadcrumbs. I was jealous that he ordered this dish because we both loved it. The sauce was creamy and mild while the lemon zest and red onions gave the entrée an acidic and sweet touch. The golden breadcrumbs gave each bite a light crunch which was a perfect way to top the pasta dish.
I loved their strawberry lemonade ($ 3) with freshly diced strawberries. It was refreshing and ice cold, which was perfect on a warm afternoon. Our drinks were filled when emptied and we were even given extra pitchers to keep on our table. Our waiter was friendly, attentive, and patient while we chit chatted throughout the afternoon.
Total: $ 44 + tax & tip, which is a bit pricey but worth it.

While this place was a little pricey, I thought, the food was good.
We came for lunch a few weeks ago and were greeted and seated promptly. It was busy at lunchtime but we didn’t have to wait for a table outside and the weather was perfect.
I ordered the turkey pannini and was very pleased with it. The salad was good also.
Service was prompt and good. Our server was very friendly, although some at our table made a little fun of her because she seemed to sing everything she said to us. I thought it made her seem very happy and friendly, which are both great in my book :).

This is actually a 3.5 star review, but since it’s my first visit, I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt and round up.
Drinks:
We went there for brunch and ordered the mimosas. At 6 dollars apiece with two free refills — the price was right. The taste was definitely that of a 2 dollar mimosa.
I also had coffee, which was nothing special. When I got a refill though it was practically ice cold. Not a huge deal, but our waitress handled the complaint perfectly, quickly apologizing and replacing it.
Food:
Based on other Unilocal reviews, I decided to get the Italian Eggs Benedict. They were pretty good, but like Alix S. I thought the fruit just got in the way. Fortunately, there was an extra plate with a bacon side order, so problem solved. My only real complaint was that the serving of rosemary potatoes (very tasty) was way too small.
The other dish was the brie and strawberry ciabatta toast. Other people have commented on the brie being too heavy, but I found the proportions just right. Not enough strawberries, but using the pineapple from the Eggs Benedict worked great too.
A pleasant patio dining experience, but the food was only decent and the portions a little off make this a good, not great spot for brunch.

I came here with 5 people for a birthday dinner and we had made reservations for 7:00 pm not knowing if they would be busy or not (since we werent a small group) and we arrived there around 7:05 but our table still wasnt ready. We sat at the bar and waited almost 20 minutes before getting seated. Not a good start.
My friend and I ordered the blackened chicken fettuccini and we found it was rather bland. On the other hand, my friend had the garlic chicken panini and I thought that was pretty good. Another one of my friends had the tuna and artichoke panini and althought I didn’t try it since I’m not a big fan of tuna, my friend said he thought it was delicious. The portions are on the smaller side.
The service was meh. Like I had previously stated, we had made reservations and we still had to wait. During our meal, we had to ask for bread twice before they finally got it to our table. And since it was a birthday, we had brought a cake and then we got our bill, they had charged us a «cake cutting fee» of $ 15.00! They were basically making us pay 15 bucks because we had brought in our own dessert. We were never even told that there would be such a fee so we were shocked to see that on the bill. We told our server and after about 5 minutes of discussion, he took it off the bill.
I think the food is 3 stars, but service is 1 star. So overall, 2 stars.

Dude, Renaissance is a nice place. I’ve been going here for 13 years and I like the spot, not because it’s bomb but because it is so chill.
The only thing I’ve gotten there is the Blackened Chicken Fettucini — sigh, damn man… it’s like remembering how to ride a bike again — it’s comfortable and a place with outdoor seating is like owning a tin-​roof bar in some remote island paradise… relaxing…just imagine all those sweaty-​ass people walking to and fro from 24-​Hour Fitness as wandering beach birds and you’re there.
The wait staff has always been pretty chill and the garlic and bread will have you burping in happiness all night!
Remember look away at the sweaty people and look into the eyes of who ever you’re with for a minute and make them feel uncomfortable and make something up like «yes, I like you…» and drink your iced tea.
It’s Brea folks…

I have two words for you — «artichoke soup.» Oh yeah, baby — that’s the stuff! They don’t have it all the time, but if you go there and it is on the menu (and you like artichokes), it is a must-​try. I think that everything we have had there has been good. It is in a quiet strip mall, but don’t let that deter you — you will have a very nice dining experience here. I have never had breakfast here, but lunch and dinner is yummy.

Renaissance bistro, sounds like a place run by trendy knights. Haha but not really. This cozy café has no knights, nor is it in a swanky part of town. It’s actually situated right beside the gym, and a target.
I’ve been here enough times to fairly assess the food, environment and the service, and sad to say, none of which are ever consistent.
My first visit was for sunday brunch. The menu had a lot of interesting combinations, and we certainly tried a lot of their brunch items, but nothing in particular made me salivate. Well except for their freshly baked nom nom nom bread, buttered and dipped in their garlic infused olive oil (which you get for free anyway).
Their menu is impressively large, and tastefully put together. The lunch combinations are an awesome deal at under $ 8 a person, and your options are near endless. On some visits, the salads are crisp, tasty and put together well, and on others, you sort of wished you got the soup instead. Now, so far their paninis (unpressed) and focaccia sandwiches are pretty damn good; a balanced ratio of bread to fillings. I’ve had the roast beef, grilled garlic chicken and the turkey panini, but my favorite one would have to be the turkey/​brie/​avocado/​bacon. Absolutely to die for. I should have just been ordering that every single time. No joke.
There are times the service is outstanding and times where you even wonder if you have someone assigned to your table. I will mention, however, that one server reminded me of the hoobastank leadsinger, and he was most attentive server I’ve ever had there. Ok so the hoobastank reference had absolutely nothing to do with food, or waiting tables, but i think it was still worth mentioning. lol.
One important thing I wanted to applaud though, is that one time I had called in an order that I req to be ready upon arrival because we were in somewhat of a time crunch, the order was not put in until we actually arrived. WTF? Wow I was pretty livid, but because I was a frequent visitor, I opted to bite my tongue. To my surprise, up comes our server and she said they were very sorry for messing up and that our meal would be comp’d. Niiiice! Redemption achieved in full.
Overall, its a nice little café with something for everyone. Prices are decent, and most of the time, customer service is avg to above avg. One thing I have noticed about renaissance is that they seem to be goat cheese/​gouda fanatics. lol. unfortunately, i’m not, but that’s alright. I guess if you don’t like anything here, then the sandwich place next door might work out better, or another alternative would be to skip the resto altogether and go straight for the gym instead.

«Are these potatoes getting better and better, or am I just really drunk?»
Not that the food is bad or anything, but my boyfriend was getting pretty tipsy from his 3 mimosas. They were relatively strong, and that’s coming from people who made a sport of drinking mimosas through mimosa pong at 8 a.m. tailgates this past season.
We came for a very late brunch (9am-​4pm sat/​sun) and got the Italian sausage with eggs, the strawberry-​brie french toast, and a side of rosemary-​garlic potatoes. I would have LOOOOVED the french toast if they weren’t so heavy-​handed with the brie. It got to be too heavy way too fast, but the potatoes were a godsend by helping to break up the heaviness/​sweetness with delicious herbs. You know how Adam Richman needed fries in the middle of his «kitchen sink» ice cream challenge? That’s how I felt.
Italian sausage + eggs were good but not anything out of the ordinary. Came with a side of fruit (watermelon plus honeydew), cinnamon bruschetta (meh, dry), and like 3 chunks of potatoes (weak!). Thank goodness we got that side of extra potatoes! They were greasy, garlicky, and delicious! We attempted to replicate it that night for dinner and did a good job :)
Maybe I can raise the rating when I try their paninis and pasta dishes.

This place is great!
It is right outside the 24 Hour Fitness where I workout and ALWAYS smells delicious!
Finally tried it and EVERYTHING was great!
1. Fresh baked bread with garlic, olive oil dip — Soooo garlicy… but soooo good!
2. Soup of the Day — Creamy Tomato Basil. — So flavorful and yummy
3. Greek Salad — really fresh and the homemade vinaigrette was just perfect
4. Grilled chicken panini — Again… very flavorful and the bread is scrumptious
What I really like about this place is that is has healthy choices… and I dont just mean ONE salad… they have a good amount of healthy options.
I cant wait to try their brunch!

Tried this place with a friend since she’s been here before and I absolutely loved it. It wasn’t busy and the host sat us right away and let us pick where we wanted to sit. I ordered the penne with salmon which was delicious and she had some turkey sandwich.
The bread was good and the service was good. She kept refilling our drinks without even asking.
I can’t wait to go back for brunch!

I am giving this place a generous star. I was thinkinging 2 stars but as I was typing this, I went back to change it to a 1 star.
I went last night with my husband at 6:45 pm. The place was busy but a handful of patrons were leaving. Even with a handful of tables empty, it took about 15 minutes for the host/​hostess to ask how many in my party.
We finally got seated, and waited about 20 min for drink orders. I have no idea why this place was so unorganized! The place holds about 50 people, and they had 4 or 5 waitstaff running around. Seriously, what was going on?
Finally after 2 attempts we got our drinks. To add insult, we were informed they «just» ran out of diet coke. How does a place «literally just run out»?
We placed our order (I had a shrimp skewer with vegs, hubby had the salmon with vegs), and waited for bread… which never came. The table next to me, and behind my husband got bread… twice! After 20 minutes the waitress came to refill my drink, but failed to top off my husband’s… and she had bread in her hand… but for the other table! She did, however, stop to say «Your order will be here soon».
Another 15 minutes pass. no bread… and finally my husband stood up, physically stopped a waiter, and asked for bread. I was so freaking hungry I dunked the bread into the olive oil/​garlic mix and inhaled it.
Another 10 minutes must have passed (we were posting on Facebook, so I guess I can find out the precise timestamp), and still no food.
Finally the food came. The food was good. the veggies a bit over garlicky (I can still taste garlic and its 11 am the next morning).
The meal was not orgasmic, so definitely it was not something I would claim «worth the wait». We did not leave until 9 pm.
I have no clue what restaurant the other people posted on, but this is the one in Brea, CA… located a few door down from a new Target (to be open Oct 11).