A high end fine dining restaurant. Excellent service and very tasty foods.Parking: Multistory car parking in South Coast plaza
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jenn S
I was excited to spend a birthday lunch here but should have read the reviews more thoroughly. We were underwhelmed. The food was good but not great. Spent over $400 (and they tell you at the end that gratuity has been automatically added - something like 25% or more, I believe) .The service was a little on the pretentious side with multiple people coming to the table serving each person and multiple people coming to remove each plate. A bit much for an intimate setting. At times there were three servers at the table and it became so distracting. And yet, it took more than five minutes to try and get anyone’s attention for some bread and butter. My friend was watching me raise my arm and looking for literally anyone to notice me. I finally called a server that was at another table.We agreed it’s not a place we’d revisit. There are much better places for that price range that we enjoy in OC.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 3
Service: 2
Matthew Johnson
I've been to Knife Pleat half a dozen times for dinner and generally, it's been quite good to excellent depending on the day. Some dishes fail to impress but generally speaking most dishes are exciting, novel, and suffice to say extremely tasty. The desserts in particular have been incredibly creative and interesting. I also find it refreshing to get so many vegetables in a meal of this caliber!Wine pairings have been excellent as well, and the head bartender is very, very skilled.The service is good. All the servers have been incredibly friendly, but the service has felt very rigid and unrefined at various points. What I mean by this is that they are trying very, very hard to do things the "correct" way that it feels very unnatural at times and a bit starling, like when they circle around the table and all stand behind each guest, pause for 2 seconds, then place the dishes down at the same time. I do greatly respect their ambitions, (I think they're going for 2 stars), but this sort of thing I just find silly and unnecessary, even if it was a 2 star.My biggest complaint is just how outrageously priced it is. $295 for 6 courses is deep into 2-star pricing territory. You add in a wine pairing and the mandatory 23% service fee and you're looking at almost $600 per person.I would truly love nothing more than for them to grow into this price point, but as it stands, the meal is quite overpriced.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Jen
This is a 1 star Michelin restaurant located in South Coast Plaza. We came here for afternoon tea, which comes with 7 savory items, 8 sweet items, and a choice of a tea. Cost is $115 plus 23% service charge and $5 order fee.The presentation of the tower for the afternoon tea items was beautiful! My favorites were the beet-cured salmon, Maine lobster eclair, and the chicken barquette. These were so flavorful! The Persian cucumber and radish & watercress were just ok - it had too much cream cheese/butter. The caviar deviled egg was solid, but wasn’t astounding. My least favorite was the truffle brie since I personally don’t like brie. The chocolate desserts were my fave! The other desserts tasted pretty standard. I tried the Phoenix Jasmine Pearls tea. I was expecting a stronger chestnut taste, but it just tasted like regular green tea. Also got the Yves Saint Laurent cocktail, which was sweet and tasty.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Ray Alvarado
We've been dining at knife pleat since it opened and I want to love it but I'm done after another overpriced dinner with an automatic 27% tip. i usually tip 20-30% when warranted but i'm old fashioned and want to pay accordingly.I wouldn't mind the cost if it were not for the sub-par service again, $75.00 corkage fee and all around poor service.I must admit they appear to be trying to live up to a michelin star but over the past year i think the service has gotten worse. There is a new Som that is the only person I think has the experience of a fine restaurant. The others on staff are NOT michelin level by any means.The food is ok but nothing special or memorable. The best meal we've had at Knife Pleat was the night the chef from Gucci Osteria visited and prepared some of his specialties.Save your money and go to Populaire Modern Bistro down stairs !
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 2
Service: 2
Alvaco I.
We've been dining at knife pleat since it opened and I want to love it but I'm done after another overpriced dinner with an automatic 27% tip. i usually tip 20-30% when warranted but i'm old fashioned and want to pay accordingly. I wouldn't mind the cost if it were not for the sub-par service again, $75.00 corkage fee and all around poor service. I must admit they appear to be trying to live up to a michelin star but over the past year i think the service has gotten worse. There is a new Som that is the only person I think has the experience of a fine restaurant. The others on staff are NOT michelin level by any means. The food is ok but nothing special or memorable. The best meal we've had at Knife Pleat was the night the chef from Gucci Osteria visited and prepared some of his specialties. Save your money and go to Populaire Modern Bistro down stairs !
Robin L.
Knife Pleat, where have you been all my life? We came to Knife Pleat for our anniversary, and we were knocked out with the whole experience. Here are our highlights: ***Is this a speakeasy? Nestled in an almost hidden wing of the mall (near Nordstrom) where all the high-end stores are, you would almost not know it was there unless you were looking for it. We actually almost missed it because while the outside is certainly modern/swanky like that portion of the mall, it doesn't scream "restaurant" and is just an unassuming sign/door. ***The food: For dinner, you choose between 4 or 6 courses and each one was amazing! I could go on and on about the different things I ate, but some standouts were the Osetra Caviar which came with cauliflower custard, parsley coulis, vadouvan curry as well as the Shima Aji which had heart of palm, ginger, thai basil, cashew, and a coconut water vinaigrette. I would also mention that I chose Crescent Farm Duck as my entree which was seared breast, leg confit, parsnip, cider braised apples, and horseradish....in my opinion this was a million times better than my better half's American Wagyu, which was a $60 supplement ***The dance: The way they served was a perfect choreographed dance. If it's a table of 2 or 4 or even more, plates are brought by Servers at the exact same time where they walk through the dining room, around the table to be dropped in perfect unison. ***The wine pairing: This was the best wine pairing I have ever experienced. Each wine brought out something new in the dish I was eating; it was incredible. ***The service: For us the service was absolutely impeccable. Everyone was so nice and there was not a moment that I wanted something that I did not have in an instant. We will be back for sure! We will probably go for the 4-course dinner next time or I would love to try their afternoon tea (adding champagne and caviar for decadence). Can't wait to have an occasion to come back!
Robert H.
Wife and I did a one-day early Valentine's Day lunch in order to avoid the crowds, and to avoid paying a premium on the day itself. Had planned to be seated in the dining room, but decided on the patio which we found to be quieter and pleasant weather-wise. Service was exemplary, what we would expect from a Michelin starred restaurant--attentive without being annoying, friendly without being obsequious. Our three courses+ were well timed and delivered with style and grace. Menu mentioned bread "on request," and I would have enjoyed some, but forgot until looking for a way to get to every bit of the delicious sauce from my duck confit main. By that time it was too late--had the waiter asked earlier I would have appreciated the reminder. We very much enjoyed all of our dishes, and will definitely be returning the next time we wish to splurge for a special occasion. The 23% service charge would have seemed to cover the tip (as the owner has confirmed in an earlier posting), but our waiter told us that it "partially" covered the tip, implying that something extra was expected. The policy should be clearly stated, and the "extra" should be left unsaid. Next time we'll take the owner at his word. Thank you, Knife Pleat, for giving Orange County something that it is sorely lacking, dining at its finest.
heidi c.
Hard to say how uniquely lovely, hospitable, and delicious this experience was. Worth waiting and saving for- can't wait to return!
Karine Rivet
An absolutely lovely place for a truly exquisite meal.
A fancy French restaurant with above average food, but with prices that are as high as the best restaurants on Earth. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't great. I would say it was somewhat disappointing for the price, compared to many other places I've been to recently. If you're a billionaire who lives in the area and you like the convenience of this place being in a shopping mall that you frequent, maybe it's alright. Otherwise I would avoid this place
Jessica A.
I used to be an avid visitor of Knife Pleat, but as the months passed I've had the misfortune of seeing a different side of the fine dining experience. There's no doubt that the food is top notch. I love french cuisine because you really learn how to appreciate the art of creating in the kitchen by experienced chefs. It's beautiful to see in action. Service is just as important as the food is especially when you're paying a very high premium. Everything on the menu is spectacular, so in terms of the food -it is 5 stars. I've brought so many of my friends, colleagues and clients to the restaurant and even rented the entire space because that's how committed I was about giving business to the restaurant. However, over the course of a year the service started to decline and I'm not entirely sure why. I stopped visiting and haven't looked back since it was an accumulation of issues over time.
Justin R.
Giving a well-deserved four stars to the restaurant inside South Coast Plaza. The upscale atmosphere adds to the dining experience, making it a solid choice for a delightful meal. The food stands out - great flavors and a menu that caters to discerning tastes. Service was good, though not extraordinary. It met expectations without going over the top. Considering the overall positive experience, I'm likely to revisit, perhaps for a relaxing tea time. A dependable option if you're looking for quality food in a refined setting.
Christopher L.
Orange county's best French food - and potentially overall best food. Lunch prices for the a la carte menu are also quite reasonable for what you get.
A high end fine dining restaurant. Excellent service and very tasty foods.Parking: Multistory car parking in South Coast plaza
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I was excited to spend a birthday lunch here but should have read the reviews more thoroughly. We were underwhelmed. The food was good but not great. Spent over $400 (and they tell you at the end that gratuity has been automatically added - something like 25% or more, I believe) .The service was a little on the pretentious side with multiple people coming to the table serving each person and multiple people coming to remove each plate. A bit much for an intimate setting. At times there were three servers at the table and it became so distracting. And yet, it took more than five minutes to try and get anyone’s attention for some bread and butter. My friend was watching me raise my arm and looking for literally anyone to notice me. I finally called a server that was at another table.We agreed it’s not a place we’d revisit. There are much better places for that price range that we enjoy in OC.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 3
Service: 2
I've been to Knife Pleat half a dozen times for dinner and generally, it's been quite good to excellent depending on the day. Some dishes fail to impress but generally speaking most dishes are exciting, novel, and suffice to say extremely tasty. The desserts in particular have been incredibly creative and interesting. I also find it refreshing to get so many vegetables in a meal of this caliber!Wine pairings have been excellent as well, and the head bartender is very, very skilled.The service is good. All the servers have been incredibly friendly, but the service has felt very rigid and unrefined at various points. What I mean by this is that they are trying very, very hard to do things the "correct" way that it feels very unnatural at times and a bit starling, like when they circle around the table and all stand behind each guest, pause for 2 seconds, then place the dishes down at the same time. I do greatly respect their ambitions, (I think they're going for 2 stars), but this sort of thing I just find silly and unnecessary, even if it was a 2 star.My biggest complaint is just how outrageously priced it is. $295 for 6 courses is deep into 2-star pricing territory. You add in a wine pairing and the mandatory 23% service fee and you're looking at almost $600 per person.I would truly love nothing more than for them to grow into this price point, but as it stands, the meal is quite overpriced.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
This is a 1 star Michelin restaurant located in South Coast Plaza. We came here for afternoon tea, which comes with 7 savory items, 8 sweet items, and a choice of a tea. Cost is $115 plus 23% service charge and $5 order fee.The presentation of the tower for the afternoon tea items was beautiful! My favorites were the beet-cured salmon, Maine lobster eclair, and the chicken barquette. These were so flavorful! The Persian cucumber and radish & watercress were just ok - it had too much cream cheese/butter. The caviar deviled egg was solid, but wasn’t astounding. My least favorite was the truffle brie since I personally don’t like brie. The chocolate desserts were my fave! The other desserts tasted pretty standard. I tried the Phoenix Jasmine Pearls tea. I was expecting a stronger chestnut taste, but it just tasted like regular green tea. Also got the Yves Saint Laurent cocktail, which was sweet and tasty.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
We've been dining at knife pleat since it opened and I want to love it but I'm done after another overpriced dinner with an automatic 27% tip. i usually tip 20-30% when warranted but i'm old fashioned and want to pay accordingly.I wouldn't mind the cost if it were not for the sub-par service again, $75.00 corkage fee and all around poor service.I must admit they appear to be trying to live up to a michelin star but over the past year i think the service has gotten worse. There is a new Som that is the only person I think has the experience of a fine restaurant. The others on staff are NOT michelin level by any means.The food is ok but nothing special or memorable. The best meal we've had at Knife Pleat was the night the chef from Gucci Osteria visited and prepared some of his specialties.Save your money and go to Populaire Modern Bistro down stairs !
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 2
Service: 2
We've been dining at knife pleat since it opened and I want to love it but I'm done after another overpriced dinner with an automatic 27% tip. i usually tip 20-30% when warranted but i'm old fashioned and want to pay accordingly. I wouldn't mind the cost if it were not for the sub-par service again, $75.00 corkage fee and all around poor service. I must admit they appear to be trying to live up to a michelin star but over the past year i think the service has gotten worse. There is a new Som that is the only person I think has the experience of a fine restaurant. The others on staff are NOT michelin level by any means. The food is ok but nothing special or memorable. The best meal we've had at Knife Pleat was the night the chef from Gucci Osteria visited and prepared some of his specialties. Save your money and go to Populaire Modern Bistro down stairs !
Knife Pleat, where have you been all my life? We came to Knife Pleat for our anniversary, and we were knocked out with the whole experience. Here are our highlights: ***Is this a speakeasy? Nestled in an almost hidden wing of the mall (near Nordstrom) where all the high-end stores are, you would almost not know it was there unless you were looking for it. We actually almost missed it because while the outside is certainly modern/swanky like that portion of the mall, it doesn't scream "restaurant" and is just an unassuming sign/door. ***The food: For dinner, you choose between 4 or 6 courses and each one was amazing! I could go on and on about the different things I ate, but some standouts were the Osetra Caviar which came with cauliflower custard, parsley coulis, vadouvan curry as well as the Shima Aji which had heart of palm, ginger, thai basil, cashew, and a coconut water vinaigrette. I would also mention that I chose Crescent Farm Duck as my entree which was seared breast, leg confit, parsnip, cider braised apples, and horseradish....in my opinion this was a million times better than my better half's American Wagyu, which was a $60 supplement ***The dance: The way they served was a perfect choreographed dance. If it's a table of 2 or 4 or even more, plates are brought by Servers at the exact same time where they walk through the dining room, around the table to be dropped in perfect unison. ***The wine pairing: This was the best wine pairing I have ever experienced. Each wine brought out something new in the dish I was eating; it was incredible. ***The service: For us the service was absolutely impeccable. Everyone was so nice and there was not a moment that I wanted something that I did not have in an instant. We will be back for sure! We will probably go for the 4-course dinner next time or I would love to try their afternoon tea (adding champagne and caviar for decadence). Can't wait to have an occasion to come back!
Wife and I did a one-day early Valentine's Day lunch in order to avoid the crowds, and to avoid paying a premium on the day itself. Had planned to be seated in the dining room, but decided on the patio which we found to be quieter and pleasant weather-wise. Service was exemplary, what we would expect from a Michelin starred restaurant--attentive without being annoying, friendly without being obsequious. Our three courses+ were well timed and delivered with style and grace. Menu mentioned bread "on request," and I would have enjoyed some, but forgot until looking for a way to get to every bit of the delicious sauce from my duck confit main. By that time it was too late--had the waiter asked earlier I would have appreciated the reminder. We very much enjoyed all of our dishes, and will definitely be returning the next time we wish to splurge for a special occasion. The 23% service charge would have seemed to cover the tip (as the owner has confirmed in an earlier posting), but our waiter told us that it "partially" covered the tip, implying that something extra was expected. The policy should be clearly stated, and the "extra" should be left unsaid. Next time we'll take the owner at his word. Thank you, Knife Pleat, for giving Orange County something that it is sorely lacking, dining at its finest.
Hard to say how uniquely lovely, hospitable, and delicious this experience was. Worth waiting and saving for- can't wait to return!
An absolutely lovely place for a truly exquisite meal.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Diver Scallop, Knife Pleat Macarons, Amuse Bouche
Restaurantji Recommends
Food is
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
A fancy French restaurant with above average food, but with prices that are as high as the best restaurants on Earth. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't great. I would say it was somewhat disappointing for the price, compared to many other places I've been to recently. If you're a billionaire who lives in the area and you like the convenience of this place being in a shopping mall that you frequent, maybe it's alright. Otherwise I would avoid this place
I used to be an avid visitor of Knife Pleat, but as the months passed I've had the misfortune of seeing a different side of the fine dining experience. There's no doubt that the food is top notch. I love french cuisine because you really learn how to appreciate the art of creating in the kitchen by experienced chefs. It's beautiful to see in action. Service is just as important as the food is especially when you're paying a very high premium. Everything on the menu is spectacular, so in terms of the food -it is 5 stars. I've brought so many of my friends, colleagues and clients to the restaurant and even rented the entire space because that's how committed I was about giving business to the restaurant. However, over the course of a year the service started to decline and I'm not entirely sure why. I stopped visiting and haven't looked back since it was an accumulation of issues over time.
Giving a well-deserved four stars to the restaurant inside South Coast Plaza. The upscale atmosphere adds to the dining experience, making it a solid choice for a delightful meal. The food stands out - great flavors and a menu that caters to discerning tastes. Service was good, though not extraordinary. It met expectations without going over the top. Considering the overall positive experience, I'm likely to revisit, perhaps for a relaxing tea time. A dependable option if you're looking for quality food in a refined setting.
Orange county's best French food - and potentially overall best food. Lunch prices for the a la carte menu are also quite reasonable for what you get.