French food is among the top cuisines I favor. After visiting France and experiencing the freshness, quality and the execution of their dishes, I now seek opportunities to relive the experience. Cafe Laurent is a French cafe that I noticed many years ago; my wife and I finally visited them last weekend.
You would expect Cafe Laurent to be located on one of Culver City’s main streets such as Sepulveda, Culver or Jefferson. Instead, Cafe Laurent is located in a largely residential neighborhood on Overland Ave. In fact, it is located just south of the landmark Culver City Municipal Plunge.
With Covid-19 measures, they are using all of their uncovered areas for dining. This includes their patio, the sidewalk facing Overland Ave, and a portion of the rear parking lot. Because we arrived early on a Sunday, we were seated in an almost empty patio. That quickly changed as people filed into the restaurant.
Their house coffee is made with Lavazza coffee beans. While you don’t see their Lavazza signs that often in the US, they are prevalent in certain areas of Europe. The blend is well balanced and has an extremely smooth finish. It is the type of coffee you want to pair with the perfect chocolate dessert.
Our Almond Croissant caught a few eyes as it made its way to our table. It was beautifully topped with slivered almonds. After trying it, we found the exterior to be super flaky and the insides to be pillowy soft. This was a delightful experience and it reminded us of eating a croissant in Paris.
Quiche Lorraine is the quintessential French quiche and it was beautifully served with a side of fresh fruit. Thinly sliced tender ham mixed with eggs and gruyere cheese made for a delicious quiche with good consistency. After tasting it, my wife thought that it was short on nutmeg seasoning.
If you enjoy smoked salmon with cream cheese and capers, you can order this as an omelet or as a crepe. As a crepe, it is filled with a good portion of smoked salmon. It is rounded out with fresh tomato slices, Italian parsley, green onions, and capers. It is called L’Atlantique.
Other dishes that looked interesting include pain perdu (French toast), Eggs Benedict, and a variety of different quiches and omelets. From 11:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m., they offer an extensive lunch menu featuring salads, sandwiches, and Les Chaussons, a French pastry that is filled with various items such as cheese, eggs, chicken, fresh basil, and other fresh ingredients.
Cafe Laurent is very close to what you can expect to see in a real French cafe. The ingredients are extremely fresh and the food is well prepared. The major difference is that you don’t experience an authentic French service experience.
Cafe Laurent, 4243 Overland Ave, Culver City, CA 90230; 310.558.8622
cafelaurent.com