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C'est La Vie Restaurant and Bakery, Laguna Beach, CA

C'est La Vie Restaurant and Bakery

3.8 (203)
$31 to $50
French
373 S Coast Hwy, Laguna Beach, CA 92651

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 5 times today

About this restaurant

  • Charming
  • Neighborhood gem
  • Romantic
Established in 1982
C'est la Vie Restaurant and Bakeryoffers patrons a truly unique dining experience

Centrally located on Pacific Coast Highway in the heart of Laguna Beach, our California French Cuisine is just feets from the Pacific Ocean .


Locals and visitors alike are drawn to the ambiance and relaxed atmosphere of our indoor bistro and are delighted to discover the best outdoor patio dining in Orange County. To complete the evening, try one of our house-made desserts with a glass of 10-year-old tawny port. C'est La Vie invites you to dine with us for a romantic dinner or a night out with friends or family!
Merci et Bon Appetit
Antonio Mecheri (Restaurateur)

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    French, International, Contemporary European
  • Hours of operation
    Mon–Fri 8:00 am–8:30 pm Sat, Sun 8:00 am–9:00 pm
  • Phone number
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Business Casual
  • Catering
    French, European and International Cuisine including Gluten free and Vegan cuisine. CATERING Regardless of the occasion, scale or nature of your event, the C'est la Vie Restaurant and Bakery event planning staff will work closely with you to plan the experience that meets your needs. From beach picnics to special gifts, our restaurant & bakery will help you celebrate your next occasion in the Orange County region. We offer box lunches, gift bags and an array of other options for pick-up. Call Antonio Mecheri at (949) 228-0949
  • Private party facilities
    Reserve the famous C'est La vie restaurant & let us help you make your next event special! With classic French food, fantastic service, and an unbeatable ocean view patio, C'est La Vie is the perfect venue for your next special private or professional event in Orange County. With 215 to 16,145 sq.ft
  • Neighborhood
    Laguna Beach
  • Cross street
    PCH and Forest Street
  • Parking details
    First Come and First Serve Private Parking Lot in the Back.
  • Public transit
    PCH and Park
  • Entertainment
    George, American & European Music, Saturday Night.Mignone Profant, French Singer, Friday Night!
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Beer Garden, BYO Liquor, BYO Wine, Cafe, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Dancing, Delivery, Entertainment, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, High Tea, Kosher, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, View, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine

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What 203 people are saying

C'est La Vie Restaurant and Bakery reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

3.8
3.8 based on recent ratings
  • 3.9Food
  • 3.8Service
  • 4.0Ambience
  • 3.2Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • Orange County

    Romantic

  • Orange County

    Great for scenic views

  • South Orange County

    Romantic

  • South Orange County

    Great for scenic views

  • South Orange County

    Good for special occasions

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
C'est La Vie Restaurant and Bakery offers a "wonderful Laguna gem" experience with "beautiful ambiance" and "amazing" views from the upstairs patio. Known for "delectable desserts" and a "very good brunch menu," it excels in French cuisine. Despite occasional service hiccups, its "perfect brunch location" and "fabulous food" make it a must-visit.
203 Reviews
  1. Buckley VIP

    Los Angeles33 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on June 22, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Had a lovely Sunday brunch outside overlooking water . It was lovely. The photographer was great! We loved our complementary photo and bought a few!!! Hidden gem!!!

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  2. Pamela VIP

    Orange County29 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on June 9, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Wonderful Laguna gem. Great selection and beautiful ambiance. Sat on the balcony outside and listened to the waves of the ocean and enjoyed the sunset. very good service as well.

    Is this helpful?

  3. Christine

    Orange County3 reviews

    2.0

    Dined on June 2, 2025

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 2
    Waiter was not pleasant or friendly. We sat on the patio and our food came out and it was just left there unattended at an empty table for a few minutes.

    Is this helpful?

  4. edward

    Phoenix / Arizona2 reviews

    3.0

    Dined on May 26, 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 5
    Duck is the new chicken. Waiter got order wrong. Blamed it on the kitchen. Not attentive. Poor communication. Never apologized. Seemed like he could care less. Complete waste of a great night in Laguna.

    Is this helpful?

  5. KC

    Orange County12 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on May 24, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We love C'est La Vie! The view from the upstairs patio is amazing just like the food. Brunch is terrific and so is dinner, the rack of lamb is to die for and hopefully we can make it back soon!

    Is this helpful?

  6. Stacey VIP

    San Francisco Bay Area2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on May 17, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We loved the view, our server, and the food was fabulous! The perfect brunch location for three RN’s! 💕💕💕

    Is this helpful?

  7. Kenisha

    Los Angeles1 review

    2.0

    Dined on May 11, 2025

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 1
    So they were completely understaffed, or at least that’s what they kept telling us. But the crazy part was, the restaurant wasn’t crowded at all and a lot of staff was walking past eating and carrying on. There were some that were trying their best but it wasn’t worth it.

    Is this helpful?

  8. Stacey

    Orange County6 reviews

    2.0

    Dined on May 11, 2025

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 4
    Mother's Day lunch. First visit here. Started out well. We were seated quickly. Nice outdoor table with ocean view. Server was friendly and doing the best he could on a busy day. When we ordered, they were out of filet so 2 of us had to choose a different dish. Server returned in 10 minutes and advised no more crepes available (a signature dish here) so, again, 2 of us had to change choices. Food was slow to arrive, 4 plates were brought out. 2 of us were waiting. The 3 began to eat. 5 minutes passed, other plates had not arrived. I walked back into restaurant seeking our Server. He was waiting at kitchen window with 5 other servers, apologized for about the 4th time at this point and directed me to owner. I was polite, but direct in explaining all I've written here and that we had first sat down and been planning our future return. Now we were just trying to get the other two meals so we could finish and get out. He asked me what he could do? I said this was his restaurant, his hospitality choices and it wasn't my job to manage service and guest remediation. I received sort of a shrug reply to that. Somewhat dumbfounded, I returned to the table. The other 2 dishes were being delivered. Mother's Day is a special day for guests.It is a busy and in this case chaotic day for restaurants. We did receive 25% off our bill. For me, it did not take away the upset of a frustrating visit I had planned for our 92 and 80 year old Mothers. The food was fine but not great. Maybe it would have been better if all our original selections had been available. I have attempted to tell what happened on our visit this busy day. IF we return it will be off season on a Tuesday.

    1 person found this helpful

  9. Nichole

    Orange County3 reviews

    2.0

    Dined on May 11, 2025

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 3
    We had an enormous weight and even though we had a reservation, they were way overbooked. We stopped for the longest time without even getting any silverware or water. We had to keep asking people for things. It was pretty rough. They said they accidentally got overbooked, but they didn’t give us a discount or anything. It was kind of not great for our Mother’s Day. 

    Is this helpful?

  10. Joshua

    Los Angeles1 review

    1.0

    Dined on May 11, 2025

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 2
    Waited over 30 minutes for the waiter. I had reservations mind you. The shrimp scampi was sub-par. The lamb shank was good. The waiter was rude and so was the host. Not coming back. There are so many better places to go are here.

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

C'est La Vie Restaurant and Bakery offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (949) 497-5100.

C'est La Vie Restaurant and Bakery is rated 3.8 stars by 203 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

  1. Home
  2. United States
  3. Orange County
  4. South Orange County
  5. Laguna Beach

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 5 times today
Google Map for C'est La Vie Restaurant and Bakery

373 S Coast Hwy, Laguna Beach, CA 92651

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Cross street
    PCH and Forest Street
  • Neighborhood
    Laguna Beach
  • Hours of operation
    Mon–Fri 8:00 am–8:30 pm Sat, Sun 8:00 am–9:00 pm
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    French, International, Contemporary European
  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Dress code
    Business Casual
  • Parking details
    First Come and First Serve Private Parking Lot in the Back.
  • Public transit
    PCH and Park
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Entertainment
    George, American & European Music, Saturday Night.Mignone Profant, French Singer, Friday Night!
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Beer Garden, BYO Liquor, BYO Wine, Cafe, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Dancing, Delivery, Entertainment, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, High Tea, Kosher, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, View, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • Phone number
  • Catering
    French, European and International Cuisine including Gluten free and Vegan cuisine. CATERING Regardless of the occasion, scale or nature of your event, the C'est la Vie Restaurant and Bakery event planning staff will work closely with you to plan the experience that meets your needs. From beach picnics to special gifts, our restaurant & bakery will help you celebrate your next occasion in the Orange County region. We offer box lunches, gift bags and an array of other options for pick-up. Call Antonio Mecheri at (949) 228-0949
  • Private party facilities
    Reserve the famous C'est La vie restaurant & let us help you make your next event special! With classic French food, fantastic service, and an unbeatable ocean view patio, C'est La Vie is the perfect venue for your next special private or professional event in Orange County. With 215 to 16,145 sq.ft
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