Marche Moderne Review

This place is starting to become a habit! We were in this time on a Monday. Food was great and dont change the bartender. Downside? We live in Irvine. Sigh.

Amazing food, best quality ingredients, cooked to perfection!

Excellent food, exceptional service...across the street from the ocean near Crystal Cove... gorgeous sunsets!

The menu describes the dishes nicely so while I have no idea what "Poissons" are (ok, I can guess contextually) then menu nicely explained with words like "trout" and "salmon". To be brief, one can know what one orders.

Food was beyond amazing and the service was fantastic.

The resturant is a jewel in the OC. They are Covid Safe and the food is over the top.

Came for our 10 yr anniversary.
The restaurant was following all Covid guidelines, which was one of the reasons we chose this place.

Started with the Frommage plate. The house made blue cheese was excellent.
Grilled octopus was flavorful and I loved the chorizo and potatoes. The octopus was a bit too soft and mushy.

We had the Duck Confit and Braised Short Ribs. The duck and the sides tasted great but the duck was a bit dry. The short rib was well cooked and seasoned. Very soft and full of flavor. The thick bacon and potatoes were amazing.

The portions were large so we had leftovers so we passed on the dessert. But the restaurant surprised us with two mini cakes with praline mousse and creme fresh. We were so full we couldn't finish the dessert.

FYI, the corkage fee is $45.

Overall, it was an excellent evening thanks to the great food and service.

Very good food with a few traditional French dishes. Definitely a try!

Brunch was fantastic. Definitely try it if you haven t done so already.

Love it but needs more selections. Put the lamb back on the menu!

The food is perfect. Perfect portions, perfect flavor, perfect atmosphere. So good.

Perhaps the best restaurant in Orange County. Marche Moderne is great on any occasion. The prix fixe lunch is the best bargain around.

Incredible service and food is absolutely delicious!

This place is worthy of five stars. Reasons: Quality food. Excellent service. Really nice atmosphere.
It is pricey, but you get what you pay for. You can tell that the chef and cooks put a lot of time in to the great recipes and overall presentation of the food.

$100 per person, assuming you are enjoying their wide variety of wine and side dishes.

my girlfriend and I had a fantastic meal with champagne cocktails fantastic atmosphere this service is very good the restaurant is very attractive we have been a couple times

It was OK, lots of choices in the area, not sure this would be my first or second

Second year in a row we have gone for our Anniversary and they always impress us the staff is awsome

Outstanding service! Inventive and delicious food! This place doesn t disappoint. Still our number one restaurant in the OC for special occasions.

The service is always quick, fantastic ambience, super friendly staff members. I will visit here again when I am in the area.

We have been a patron of this restaurant since it opened but have noticed its decline recently. We have always taken our family and out-of-town guests here for celebration. The lunch specials are no longer special. The quality is mediocre at best.

Last night one of our friends treated us to a birthday celebration at the restaurant and I ordered my favorite short ribs. I noticed that it was dry and different from previous times. I didn't return it out of respect for our friends because they have high regards for this restaurant. As I could not finish the dish, I brought the rest home. This morning in broad daylight, I discovered that the take-home portion of the short ribs was totally BURNED and CHARRED--that explained why it was so dry to the taste.

How could a $$$$$ restaurant serve a dish like that? It is absolutely unacceptable! We called the restaurant and voiced our disappointment to the manager. Instead of offering any word of apology, she told us that the chef should not be expected to oversee every dish to be up to par, and that we should have complained at dinner. If the chef cannot make sure that every dish is up to par, maybe they should look for a different chef or charge less for their meals. They definitely no longer deserve the be rated as a first class restaurant.

Absolutely fantastic food... the atmosphere is elegant, comfortable, and modern. The service was on point, our server Larissa was friendly, knowledgeable, and flawless. You can tell all of the staff here is very well trained and at the top of their game. And the food is ridiculously good... don t miss the beef tartare or braised short rib. I will definitely be back soon.

Went here for Father's Day and booked a late lunch. Waiter was super friendly, but needed to inform us the kitchen was closing. The restaurant was full, so we were confused why they would be closing the kitchen, so early. Especially since I was able to book a table at 2:30, guess we would not have been eating if we booked that one.

Reviews made us very excited that this was one of the best French restaurants in Southern California. Good was mediocre. The cheese plate was good(no cooking involved). My husband had the octopus, it was good not spectacular. We've had better at the place down the street from us. I had the pork belly, it was ok, again nothing special. We ordered the oc fries, how boring. They were crispy but no flavor, not even salted! The fries didn't even come with our meals they arrived when we were finishing. We assumed they forgot about them.

We skipped dessert.

Overrated and overpriced. We will not be back.

This place was fantastic when it was in South Coast Plaza. It's been in Newport Coast for awhile, but its still fantastic. We had the Steak Tartare which was fun with 10 small dishes of toppings. It was fresh and very good. I had the halibut which was moist and perfect on top of this avocado sauce. It was really good. There were so many different dishes on the menu we could come back over and over to try them all. The staff was friendly and helpful with questions. It was busy with plenty of customers, but the atmosphere was still very nice. You can see into the kitchen and everybody was busy plating food. It was a great experience and very reasonable for French food. We will be going back again.

My husband and I had a wonderful experience here! We sat outside - they had the tables a safe distance apart and patio heaters to keep us warm. They also took our temperatures before allowing us in, which gave us an extra sense of comfort. I was a bit worried about options for vegetarians, but the chef put together a beautiful meal for me (and my husband said the steak was the best he's ever had!) We will definitely go back for our next special occasion!

A really pleasant surprise. Came for the Cassoulet dinner, but enjoyed everything else we ate. The brown butter fish was really delicious, and the duck was also very well done, good portions. Hamachi was maybe not so French, but also lovely (with yuzu jalapeno sorbet!!)

First time after they moved to Newport Beach. Great new location, easy to find, ample parking plus valet. Same courteous service and great food as before but the atmosphere is a lot better. It used to be inside a mall before and now is a lot easier to get to.
A must if you like French food. It s a lot more informal than most French restaurants but offers the same attention to detail and flavorful food. I mean, really, WHO needs 5 waiters and a sommelier?! I m juss sayin

I bow to the only truly French experience in the western continent.

Fabulous food, fabulous service, can't say enough great things about this place, one of our absolute favorites in all of Orange county!

Good crowded, nice brunch and drinks menu. Friendly staff

Friendly staff, bowls are good & balanced (flavorful yet not too saucy). Kata toast & the mint lychee drink are awesome. Parking is a bit of a hassle. I noticed people tested their luck by parking in the Wells Fargo lot.

EPIC EPIC EPIC...through and through EPIC food, wine and people!

So 20 of us went to this fancy restaurant to celebrate our friend's birthday, and less then 5 of us were happy with our food. The ambiance was great and the decor screams fancy smancy. However, the food was over cooked, oily, burnt and salty. We had everything on the menu and ONLY the foie gras was good! I ate a variety of courses thanks to my friend who thought the food was horrid and wanted me to try theirs as well, to make sure that it really tasted awful, and it wasn't just them.

1. salad composse- wilted and over marinated, hence it was too sour and not fresh
2.prince edward mussel dish- was bland and came with fries that seem like they purchased it from McDonald
3.braisse beef- salty, and looked like they threw in a bunch of meat with out any thought on how it would tasted. Had to order extra rice to balance out the saltiness
4.lamb: was bland and unappealing
5. lasagna- the yuckiest dish I've seen, it came out totally burnt, and inedible, well unless you are okay with consuming something that is obviously bad for your health

****** if you bring a cake, and asked them to cut it, there is a CAKE CUTTING FEE, of $5 dollars per slice. Not awesome at all, because this end up costing more then the cake itself. (they didn't even inform us of this)
** don't understand why our waitress was raving about all the dish, when only one was good

Excellent service, outstanding food. HIGHLY recommend the tuna tartare, scallops with risotto, and the olive oil gelato. I seriously considered rebooking a reservation for tonight. Will have to settle for next week. Ask to be seated with Jeff for articulate and well-worded descriptions. Just don't ask him to say what the best thing is because he rattled off 4 dishes that all sounded delicious!

I heard a lot of great things about this place but I didn t think it would live up to all the hype! Great ambiance and very organized. Covid19 precautions were followed very well. They brought us fresh bread and butter. We had the heirloom tomato salad to start. Shared the Seared Rare Hokkaido Scallops & shrimp as well as the Filet Au Poivre. Salad was amazing; loaded with spices in the sauce. The mains were also fantastic. Definitely coming back for more.

I often take my friends to this place with my highest recommendations. I visit this restaurant often. I get very good feedback from my friends. The dishes they serve are delicious and the team is generous and cooperative. Whenever we visit this place we enjoy a splendid time. I warmly recommend this restaurant.

Very good food, excellent service. There's a very romantic told table for two around behind the bar that is very romantic for those special dinners.

Modern French food. Rustic style. Never a disappointment!!

Just dined at marche moderne for the first time tonight. i must say that the food was excellent BUT:
The service was sup par--the server never introduced himself to us, never asked about our satisfaction with the food, served the main dish less than 1 minute after the soup/salad dishes were removed, and almost forgot about the wine that we ordered.
The braised short rib lasagna was burned. When the server was informed about and actually shown the burned lasagna , his response was that he would tell the chef about it. No apology, no discussion with the manager, no nothing!!
The ambience is lacking. There is NOTHING remotely French about this place, though the semi-open kitchen creates an interesting view.
We were, to say the least, disappointed.
Overall, the restaurant gets 2 out of 5. Both the bouillabaisse(not billed as such) and squash soup were superb. It is amazing to me, at a restaurant of this supposed caliber, that when customers voice dissatisfaction, NOTHING is done to address it!

I did the tasting menu. The scallops and the coffee are not to be missed.

Marche Moderne is an elegant French restaurant with exceptional staff, stylishly designed interior and a fabulous menu. We highly recommend this incredible restaurant. Enjoy.

I had the lunch spontane menu with the frisee salad, jidori chix paillard, and the honey ginger pound cake. I also ordered the OC Frites a la carte.

Upon arrival, the host gave me a negative impression of the place. Seemed as if me being there was a bother to him. The server on the other hand was excellent though, very professional and always with a smile.

One thing I noticed right away was that their plates were all dinged up and worn. They either need to polish them back up or replace them. It looked that bad.

The bread was a nicely toasted multi grain bread with a standard soft butter.

The Frisee salad was okay. If you like goat cheese, you will love this dish. I think they could have put more grapes, or even some brined golden raisins.

The paillard was a bit of a disappointment. It is just a breaded, deep/pan fried cutlet of chicken. It's nothing special and not worth it. The olive mashed potato was okay as well as the Madeira jus and asparagus that accompanied the chicken. I wish I had ordered the fish.

The cake dessert was nice and festive, very well executed with classic flavor pairings.

The frites were good. Seasoned perfectly for my tastes, with a nice crunchy texture on the outside while still being moist and potato-ey on the inside. Not greasy at all.

Water was always kept full and the server really paid great attention and seemed like he honestly cared about his guests. Overall, I enjoyed my meal. Mostly because of the very friendly service.

I sent my friends to this restaurant with my highest recommendations. I go their often. I get very good feedback from my friends. The the food there is yummy and the team is efficient and cooperative. always when we eat in this place we have a splendid time. I recommend this place with pleasure.

My new favorite restaurant to go now they lost one star because I don t think the bar man should Chew gum when he s dealing with customers other than that great food great service.

Sit at the bar! Greg is an awesome bartender... Fave lunchtime dishes are bone marrow, beef tartare and lobster salad. Ask Greg to make you a mocktail!

5 stars for the well trained customer service. Food was fresh and delicious. Everyone in my party loved the ambiance, to me, I think thought it was too dim. I personally like to see what I'm eating.

We ordered all the appetizers on the menu and two main courses: mussels and beef tartare. I was a little disappointed in both entree. The mussels tasted a little too fishy, and beef tartare was too bland. The appetizers were exceptional good. I would come back for the drinks and appetizers, and maybe select something different for main course.

Modern French comfort food served in a fun and cosmopolitan atmosphere with an open kitchen for you to see how the magic happens. A fine dining experience.

This place never fails to deliver. They have fantastic dishes for fair rates, there is no waiting time even when the place is loaded.

Would certainly recommend eating here. Great mood, delightful dishes, good customer service. Kudos.

This restaurant is certainly one of the finest place in the neighborhood. Anytime I come there I am exceedingly pleased. They manage their very high standard service and the topmost level of dishes they serve. You no doubt will love this restaurant. Warmly recommended.

The food is delicious the staff super friendly super professional the bar is top quality very expensive But it is worth it to celebrate a special occasion

I eat in this spot a lot since I work nearby. I have to say their service is always awesome and they keep the place neat regularly. Rates are convenient and they serve generous portions.

I celebrated my birthday last night in this great place. I am glad to say that it was a sensational evening and the restaurant was clearly one of the reasons for that successful event. The crew collaborated in a gorgeous way, the meals were extremely good and my guests were very glad. We shall surely return for more events. thanks very much.

We had 35th Anniversary at here and everything is great. ..

This is the best French restaurant in Orange County bar none. The food is great. The service is excellent. The chef comes up with new dishes all the time. The dessert is to die for.

Just a fantastic experience. We went for a birthday, and we were treated very well. Great staff made us feel really welcome and the food was excellent. Great beer selection too!

The Thanksgiving Feast we picked up was absolutely amazing.........

Thank you for making our day,

Michael & Theresa

first time at the new location. excellent service and food. very friendly staff.

The food was amazing, the fusion of flavors was like a party in my mouth! The pastry chef does wonders with the desserts and even added a special Bday touch for my 87 year young mother Only minor concern was I sat in the one chair that didn't have shade for the setting sun

2nd time there. 1st time.was amazing. Not sure what happened last night. I ordered the Scottish salmon and the lemon butter sauce had a large amount of sugar in it! It was so disgusting! My asparagus was overcooked and mushy. The woman sitting next to us had the same problem and sent hers back. My friend ordered the braised short ribs and they were dry and crunchy. They did give her a new order. I asked if the head chef was gone and our server, the bartender, said no it's the staff that is always working. Very disappointing!!!

Enjoyed dinner so much the first time that I invited my girlfriend at the time back for dinner again the night I proposed to her. I didn't propose at the restaurant that would be to cliche and didn't let the staff know. We just had a wonderful evening with fantastic food and service. Highly recommend this place.

Great spot! went down there for work and found this sweet place! Def going back again! Awesome staff as well. Thanks guys!

french food at this location - super good. I give this place double thumbs up. The staff was very welcoming and sociable. Menu is like a cafe in Boston I liked.

That is a reteraunt. The lady is a guitar player. I am one too and borrowed her guitar. I can play and she can. Coffee is great.

Excellent food, excellent service - and the new location is much brighter and just all-around lovely.

This is a great restaurant with fabulous food and good service. The ambience is lovely.This restaurant deserved a MICHELIN star.The fact that it did not receive is,does not speak well for the michelin inspectors(who seemed to be in love with japanese establishments)

Great food and service. Vety unique and gourmet meal in a nice setting

An education in French cuisine. We enjoyed every bite.

Different menu with something for everyone. Had great service.

Had lunch, excellent crab meat as a starter, went for the lamb with goat cheese as an entree which was perfect.

Great food and great service, becareful addictive place. You feel like you are going home for nice dinner.

This is always amazing upscale french food. The service is excellent as well.

I was celebrating my Birthday. Lorissa was Exceptional. Totally Attentive to our Needs . Coming back very soon

Quality of food meets expectation but quantity does not. I was surprised at how small of a portion the venison was but it and the duck breast tasted amazing. The dessert with the pistachio cake and merengue bits was other worldly.