Carte Blanche Bistro & Bar

Friendly service, not too sure about the food. Potatoes were raw, duck tacos have a lot of grease. Beignets were good, that’s about the only thing that was good. For the price I expected way better food. The waiter did remove the charge for the dish that had the raw potatoes so that was very much appreciated.

I had a lot of questions about this Mexican/French combo restaurant.... Mostly because the mix of the two put pressure on my food brain, they seem so polar opposite! Previewing the photos here on Yelp left me with more questions: they seemed to be professional and I was not sure if I would see the same when I arrived, or if I was setting my expectations too high. Now, I love a good play on words, so the name had me captivated, 'Carte Blanche: complete freedom to do as one sees fit'. Well! Now I am just curious!! My girlfriends and I met here around 6pm for a mid-week meet up. The patio was well lit and had a few nice fire heaters that were inviting. We grabbed a table just inside the door, and immediately sank into the comfortable space. Beautiful textiles in decor, clean aesthetic and fun music played overhead (maybe a bit loud for a group wanting to catch up). We kicked off our 3 hour stint with some signature cocktails. Every single one was notable. Considered ingredients and perfectly balanced. You really can't go wrong on any choice. The menu is meant to be shared, which is always my personal style because I always want to try everything. The chef has put together a great selection- not too much but enough to have a nice variety. Both hosting interesting game dishes (quail knots/duck tacos), ocean fresh listings (grilled octopus / pozole mussels) and vegetarian plates that would easily be made vegan (broccolini&carrots / quinoa negra), and menu is sectioned into small plates cold/hot and then main dishes. We ordered a bit of everything: buratta salad, grilled pulpo, plantain chips, (we had ordered the crudo after being informed the catch of the day was yellow tail but it came out as shrimp. Our server, Nick, was so kind to take it back since we were really wanting the fish instead!) we shared two mains of the black cod and the short rib. Every dish was mouthwatering, balanced and delicious. The kitchen has great knife skills and textures were spot on- nice job!! The visuals on each plate were also fantastic. Remember, I was worried that the pro photos wouldn't be what we saw, but honestly, every plate arrived as a work of art! Impressive! The dessert menu was short and sweet (pun intended) if you are coming for the Crepe Cake- sorry they no longer make it. But fear not, the beignets are really nice, and coupled with the brownie dish you will wrap your meal with that sweet, delicate finish you are looking for. The ice cream topper of the brownie dish might try to steal the show but the brownie is lovely too! Service was well done. We are all well traveled and service expectations are high with this group. Nick was engaging and present, never imposing but always helpful. Thanks Nick for making us laugh with our Super Visa's! Overall a great experience, I realized once inside that I had been there a few years before. Not sure why I didn't remember that, as once I made the connection I recalled it was just as great the first time too! Pro tip: For the cod, we were able to add a 4th piece of fish at the servers suggestion so that we all got a nice serving. Just ask!

The birthday dinner went very well, with great service and amazing food. Burrata salad was top-notch! The layer cake is amazing. Sea Bass is melting in your mouth. And restaurant atmosphere is welcoming ambiance, dining room decor is amazing.

Had an enjoyable dinner here, all the food was good. I liked the short rib the most but the burger and tacos were also great. Highly recommend the margarita, the foam top adds a unique touch. I liked the ambiance and indoor/outdoor space. Easy street parking options.

I hate mushrooms, but I loved their vegan mushroom risotto! My partner got the black cod and said it was delicious. The place is spacious, fancy but still inviting to people of all kinds. We had some delicious cocktails. I got the 'mexican radio' and my partner got 'peach-pot pals'. Chef Alex is amazing and you can taste the love he puts into his food. An excellent place for a birthday dinner. ❤️🙏🏻

New spot for us. We had a good time. The cocktails were good, and the food was delicious. I had the steak and my wife the short rib. Unique dishes in the way they prepared them. We also shared their take on aguachiles and the octopus. My sister had the seafood pozole. This was a different take on pozole and it was very good.

Celebrated my Sisters Birthday today at this place and it was amazing. Every single food in the menu we ordered was a hit. Great food.... The Rissoto,Beignet, Pulpo, Burger and the Ceviche that they served with Taro Chips. Margarita was also a surprise. Blanca was our server and she was so kind. Will definitely come back here.

Carte Blanche is an elite place to eat at in Oceanside. They truly have a unique dining experience. First, you order entirely online with a QR code on the menu. Menu is also posted online as well. The environment is a mix of both indoor and outdoor seating. Outdoor seats have a Rock-fire heater on the table, which looks cool. The food is amazing and some of the best I have had in oceanside. They even have a 20% military discount which is awesome. Highly recommend. After having a bunch of items with friends and family, I have to say that most of the items on the menu are solid - you cant go wrong.