Bonaparte Bistro

We went to Bonaparte Bistro this weekend the food was spectacular we had the hummus plate brussel sprouts and the ratatouille and we were not disappointed! We definitely will be back and enjoyed every last morsel.

Menu offers a good variety. I grabbed a shrimp Caesar to go. It was really good. I’d definitely go back to try other items.

Pizza margarita and truffle arugula with crispy chewy crust are the best in the area, hot jazz music by the beach and attentive service with space heater to boot.

If you're looking for fabulous and upscale food, this is the place! Everything we ordered was excellent-perfectly prepared and beautifully presented. And the service was stellar. We were so anxious to eat I forgot to take pictures of everything! Will definitely be back!

I recently tried the pizza at Bonaparte Bistro, and I have to say it was one of the best I've had in a while! From the first bite, it was clear that they use top-quality ingredients and a lot of care in crafting their pizzas. The crust was perfectly crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, with just the right thickness – not too thin, not too doughy. The sauce was rich and flavorful, with a hint of herbs that didn’t overpower the fresh tomato taste. They clearly know how to balance the sauce-to-cheese ratio, because every bite had the perfect amount of both. As for the toppings, they were fresh, generous, and well distributed. The service was fantastic too—our pizza arrived hot and right on time, and the staff was friendly and attentive. It’s rare to find a place that nails every aspect, but really impressed me. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who’s looking for a satisfying and delicious pizza experience! I can’t wait to go back and try another specialty pizza. Five stars!

Note... the name is changing to Bonaparte Bistro tomorrow. Don't let the small cafe fool you... the food and service is off the charts amazing! Our server Melanie was wonderful. She was on top of everything and oh so nice! It was just two of us so we split dishes. Starting with the pita and hummus plate. Lawd...I could have eaten this by myself. The pita puffs up and is just right crisp. The hummus is one of the best I've ever eaten. Then we split the beet salad...my friend had the grilled chicken which was excellent and I got a side of grilled salmon and woah... the glaze is nutsy good, it's cooked perfectly with just the right amount of char. Two dishes I will dream about!

This new (opened about September 2023) sit down cafe is very interesting. They have some great pastries and desserts in their case. Their menu has some interesting choices. For this our first trip, we ordered pastrami sandwich, portobello mushroom sandwich, avocado toast, and a salmon platter. The salmon platter did not have a description in the menu. It turned out to be a toasted bagel with lox, and a salad. Accoutrements included capers, cream cheese, and chopped red onion. Their bagel was thin. The salmom lox was passable. It didn't taste artisanal or house made, but neither did it taste like it came from a small package. We also had a couple of their delicious desserts- key lime cheesecake and creme brulee. Notably- they did not have decaf drip coffee. We ended up ordering an Americano and subsequently asking for milk on the side. The waitress, who was personalable, did not seem like she drank coffee and so wasn't very helpful after telling us that there was no decaf drip coffee. Bottom line, their bread and desserts were delicious. We'd try it again. Update: we visited again. Had the croque madam and the portobello mushroom panini on whole wheat bread with soup of the day (lentils) . The lentils were good, but didn't taste in house made. We preferred the panini bread from the first trip over whole wheat. We also ordered their pain chocolate and strawberry croissant. Still a recommend.

Update 1/30/2025 I’m so bummed to have to give this review. But given all of the glowing reviews I gave before, I have to be honest about the most recent, TERRIBLE experience I had, at what is now my FORMER favorite restaurant. I sent an email about the experience to give the manager/owner … anybody… an opportunity to clarify or at least, apologize. But it’s been almost a month with no reply . Google tells me that over 50k people have looked at one of my pictures of this place. So, I have to be as honest when it’s bad as when it was good. The short version is that I wasn’t welcomed in the restaurant by the waiter/host and was told that it was closed on Saturday night at 6:30 pm. In fact, the seated customer waived me off and told the waiter to tell me they were closed. And the waiter did exactly that. The long of it is that at 6:30 pm on a Saturday night, the place had a few customers but not many. I waited to be seated, an uncomfortably long time, but the waiter was chilling with 2 diners at a table. I wasn’t even sure if he was the waiter/host. So I walked up and asked if they were still open. Maybe a silly question for 6:30 pm, but by the look of things, it felt like a fair one. The diners looked at me like I was a pest, and the male did a wave with his hand and said “yes, closed.” Then said something to the waiter - like he was giving the waiter direction. The waiter finally spoke to me and told me they were closed. The whole thing was weird. It really felt like the male diner was maybe an owner, and for whatever reason - I was wearing athletic gear, not dressed up enough, thing against people with locs, or against single women, having a bad day - I have no idea - he just didn’t want me there. And the female diner, well, her energy was even weirder. Like a chained woman. Mute and blind. She didn’t even turn slightly to look at me during the entire exchange until I spoke directly to her. Then she just looked uncomfortable. Understand, I was standing closest to her. Much closer. So, like I said, weird. And VERY unwelcome. Like I walked into somebody’s house, not the outdoor patio of a restaurant with a bunch of empty tables. Again, I sent a detailed email, asking for clarification, “ Your website and Yelp say you’re open until 9 pm. But your waiter told me it was closed at 6:30. Which is it?” Over 3 weeks later. No reply. Welp! I know when a party’s over! It’s time for me to have a new Mother’s Day restaurant tradition, and a new place to meet my friends for girl’s brunch. It was fun while it lasted! When it was owned by and employed decent human beings who cared about customer service. But now as it stands, I don’t recommend anyone take the risk of trying to be seated on a Saturday night. You never know what restaurant Kingpin will be there running the place. Update: Another fantastic Mother’s Day! Pretty sure the last time I reviewed this place it had a different name and owners and was my favorite beach restaurant. I guess the reviews stayed with the change of owners and name. But … STILL my favorite beach restaurant! They kept my favorite menu items and added more for me to try in the future! Mushroom (fungi) pizza, truffle fries with aoili, almond trout, and sangria are all excellent! The burger is really good too! The server was new and a bit frazzled but one of the more seasoned servers made up for her oversights. I have never been disappointed here! Original: My favorite restaurant in Hermosa Beach, and frankly, pretty much anywhere. Every time we go we order the same things: truffle fries, pizza with truffle oil, mushrooms and mozzarella, and the cheeseburger. They are soooo delicious we haven’t managed to venture out to try other items! We did finally try the sole dessert: date cake. It doesn’t sound appetizing. But I decided to take the chance on Mother’s Day and was rewarded with the most delicious, not too sweet caramel-like cake! My lord it was good! People watching near the pier, with tasty food and a sangria in hand. I couldn’t ask for more!

Bonaparte Bistro, a Pier-side delight, French classics done perfectly right. Onion soup, beef burgundy, frites with mussels, Breaking the trend of mediocre Pier hustles. Dine outside with heat lamps aglow, Good wine and beer make the evening flow. A local favorite, it's clear to see, Bonaparte shines with French esprit!

After returning to try Mary's Chicken which is fantastic, I must give this a 5 star rating. The chicken is crisp on the outside panfried and tender with a lovely gravy ladled on top. The Crab Avocado Roll was also excellent. Our server made great recommendations and I would say this is a nice casual sit-down dinner kind of place that's not a bar per se, but would be ideal for a date, double date or a small group dinner as you can still hear each other. Located by Hermosa Pier.

Gary is ace. He also recommended watching the movie Excalibur (1981). Excalibur is a 1981 epic medieval fantasy film directed, cowritten and produced by John Boorman, that retells the legend of King Arthur and the knights of the Round Table, based loosely on the 15th-century Arthurian romance Le Morte d'Arthur by Thomas Malory. It stars Nigel Terry as Arthur, Nicol Williamson as Merlin, Nicholas Clay as Lancelot, Cherie Lunghi as Guenevere, Helen Mirren as Morgana, Liam Neeson as Gawain, Gabriel Byrne as Uther and Patrick Stewart as Leondegrance. The film is named after the legendary sword of King Arthur that features prominently in Arthurian literature. The film's soundtrack features the music of Richard Wagner[8] and Carl Orff,[9] along with an original score by Trevor Jones.

Great location, great views of the ocean and sunset at dinner! We walked around the beach and then walked along looking for a place to eat and there are plenty of good restaurants in a row here. We're glad we chose Bonaparte bistro! The appetizers were amazing - Brussels sprouts and curried hummus with fresh pita flatbread. The hummus was absolutely incredible- so flavorful and the bread was fresh and fluffy. That was the star of the whole meal imho lol! Everyone enjoyed it immensely! For entrees, I got the branzino which was okay. It was supposed to come with a sauce vierge but it basically came with sliced cherry tomatoes, not really a sauce. The fish was tender cooked but felt like it lacked some flavor. I asked for lemon but the server forgot so I was almost finished eating - although she did remember afterwards and apologized profusely, all good. She was lovely and overall service was awesome. The hubs had the burger and he liked it. Others had roasted chicken and a salad. Overall really good experience!

What a wonderful fund: the food, the atmosphere, the owner and all the servers, especially Gary. We went with his recommendations: Hummus and fresh baked pizza, pasta, fish and cream brule...and sangria!!! Amazing place to visit and enjoy.

Had dinner with my son with a view of the Pacific at Bonaparte Bistro. Great food and atmosphere! System with wine, the Homemade Pita and meat balls. Very good, but the pita and hummus were very large, so didn't finish it. For dinner I had the steak fries and my son had a pasta and short rib dish. Both were fantastic! The steak was larger than anticipated, as were the frites. The steak was served with a pepper corn sauce. Delicious, served a requested - medium rare. We shared a bottle of bordeaux to cap off a lovely evening!

This place is not worthy of its name. Cafe au lait here is simply coffee with a bit of 2 percent milk. No froth! Quiche is served almost cold, made with a thick slab of cheese at the bottom. French onion soup is an extremely hot base with loads of bread floating about and no crusted cheese on top. I want my money back kind of place.

All of the food was amazing, especially the braised short ribs. The meat was flavorful, and the hummus was made fresh and had a hint of curry, giving it such a unique flavor. And the pita bread was fresh out of the oven absolutely delicious. Our server was friendly, and for the quality of the food, the wait wasn't that long after ordering. The Bistro is on Hermosa Pier Avenue, and it feels like cafe vibes all the way. Definitely recommend this place.

My husband and I went to Bonaparte Bistro in Hermosa Beach. The restaurant is quaint and the food is excellent. I had the Avocado Benedict and it was delicious. The poached eggs were perfect. Everything on the Avocado Benedict was delicious, flavorful, and fresh. Also, I had the cappuccino and it was delicious. The foam on top of the coffee was light and airy just the way it should be. The restaurant manager was awesome! She was very nice, friendly, polite and helpful. I highly recommend Bonaparte Bistro for a great meal. You won't be disappointed.

I went for brunch with some girlfriends and I ordered the smoked salmon omelet with potatoes and it was delicious! It's the best new breakfast find I've had recently. I love breakfast and always look for new places with good food, even something a little different. The salmon in the omelet was perfect and not overcooked. I love that the potatoes were flavorful, spiced well, and cooked perfectly, unlike a lot of places that give you sliced potatoes with not much else and call them home fries. I will be going back for breakfast and look forward to trying Bonaparte's lunch/dinner menu.

I cannot complain about the food here, from the delicious pizza to the refreshing drinks. Definitely hit the spot after a long beach bike ride. However the meal was not enough to outweigh the bad service. Our server was visibily struggling to manage taking our order to serving our meals. The worst part was the drip sweating into our pizza, probably one of the grossest experiences I can think of. I believe our experience would be totally different with a different server.

Everything was great, Our server was really nice and attentive and food was delicious! I ordered mussels which was perfect! If Ilived closer, I'd come back more often.

Couldn't recommend this place more. Adorable setting, amazing food, perhaps the best service we've ever had. The location on the pier is both quaint and fun. We ordered the beet avocado salad and the market vegetable entrée. Out of this world!! Our server, Caroline, was attentive, funny, knowledgeable, and basically made our evening one of the best we've had in Hermosa Beach. We will definitely be back for the food and for the service.

Food was fine. Our server Caroline was immaculate. Never have I had such an attentive, kind, and helpful waitress. We all left with smiles on our faces because of her. Everyone should take notes as she is a star and knows how to elevate the dining experience. Thank you to Caroline from Bonaparte Bistro.

Laidback restaurant on Pier serving French bites. Came here for brunch with some coworkers for lunch after we did a relay and it was a good meal. Indoor and outdoor seating available. Credit cards and cash accepted. Kid-friendly. I got the breakfast sandwich per our waiter's recommendation. It was tres grand and I liked the buttery flakiness of the croissant. I opted to get mine with bacon but you can get it vegetarian as well. It came with a good size side of potatoes and I had leftovers. My coworker's salmon toast was a healthier option that had salad on the side. Our waiter was friendly and the vibes overall were relaxed.

Another fantastic Mother's Day! Pretty sure the last time I reviewed this place it had a different name and owners and was my favorite beach restaurant. But ... STILL my favorite beach restaurant! They kept the same cooks, my favorite menu items, and added more for me to try in the future! Mushroom (fungi) pizza, truffle fries with aoili, almond trout, burger with caramelized onions,and sangría are all EXCELLENT! I'm used to service being unrushed, calm, helpful and friendly here. The server we had on this occasion was new, a bit frazzled and seemed to be rushing away from us a lot. But one of the more seasoned servers noticed, and made up for her oversights. I'm sure once she settles in, she will offer the same level of service we appreciate here. People watching near the pier, with tasty food and a sangria in hand. I couldn't ask for more!

My wife and I with our son, had dinner on New Years eve at BB. As usual great food and easy to get a great table. We were very happy to see Melanie. She has always been very welcoming but has not been working when we walk buy - so sometimes we don't stop in. We practice our French and she is very accomodating in response. It is a draw for us to come in when she is serving. Gary is also good. Service at BB is great and the food is good, with enough of a variety to return periodically. The prices are good - even whilst everything is going up. 5 Star for BB and Melanie!!!!

One of the things that sets Bonaparte Bristo apart is its unique take on cuisine. Unlike the typical food genre of Hermosa Pier, the restaurant offers a delightful French fusion menu that is sure to pique your interest. We ordered their Avocado Crab Roll, a Japanese sushi roll fused with French and Californian cuisine techniques. The sauce accompanying the dish is a hot, sweet, and sour sauce. I think it is made in-house with a good blend of tastes; it has some hints of French and Asian. It has a strong ginger taste but is not overpowering and has the correct brightness. The crab meat tossed with mayo and other ingredients tasted creamy and refreshing. Instead of rice, they have fried chips. It is a very creative and well-executed fusion dish. We also ordered a Grilled Mary's Chicken Sandwich. For the most part, it is a good sandwich. Each ingredient, especially the grilled chicken, was done well. The meat was juicy enough and nicely charred with a smoky taste. Ultimately, all the ingredients in the sandwich came together and gave the sandwich a good overall taste.

This one of my all time favorite spots to take family and friends to. Gary is hilarious, kind, and gives the best recommendations! The food is spectacular, and there is tons of variety on the menu, so everyone in your group can find something they will enjoy. The French music, art, and decor serves to ground the whole experience in the country of its origin! A must try

Went here for lunch during our visit to Hermosa Beach. Ordered the Mediterranean salad to split (just ok, I've had better), French onion soup (very good), and my sister got 2 crab avocado rolls- she didn't like the salad much, so I ate most of it. Food good, but pricey. $100 for lunch seems high! (Granted, I tipped well, but geez.)

We sat outside on the patio to enjoy the evening. We were staying at the Beach House Hotel nearby. I love French food, this is a casual iteration of what I am used to. The owner waited on us hurriedly, and urged me to order the beef, which I did. My husband loved his trout, the green beans were nice and crispy. I ordered the beef bourguignon, it was tasty, but served on a large bed of overcooked pasta, the flavors were great, the gravy was nice, but I had five small pieces of stewed beef, so it was disappointing. The mussels looked amazing! Wish I'd ordered those. Bonaparte Bistro is a new restaurant by same owner of the Bonaparte Bakery nearby, which is great, so my hope is that it will get better.

Came here on Saturday night. Cute little place but we weren't exactly comfortable.. almost too small and too close to other customers. The service was good, friendly and fast. French onion soup and meatballs were ok, little bland but chicken dish was very good. I'd come back here in summer and sit outside.

GREAT PLACE FOR BRUNCH WITH GREAT SERVICE ========================================== My sister and I walked over to Hermosa Beach from the Manhattan Beach Pier area and decided to look for a place for brunch. This place caught our eye based on their menu, so we decided to have brunch there. Note: When you are getting seated try to get seated indoors or on the north side of the restaurant patio when entering. The juice bar next door plays really loud and obnoxious music. We should have asked for another table, but just to let you all know. We initially ordered mimosas ($11.95) and those were good. Our server was French and very nice. My sister ordered the croque madame for $20.95 and she liked that. She just wished they used another type of bread. She liked the arugula salad with carrot slivers. I ordered the croque monsieur and I liked that for $19.95. I would definitely go back and maybe try some other things on the menu.

Big thumbs down. I tried this once and thought this place was going to be our family's new go-to neighborhood restaurant since it's right down the street. And the food was good too. But we went there last night and arrived at 8:15 for dinner only to be told 'it was slow that night so the kitchen closed early'. They were supposed to close at 9. How can a restaurant expect to keep loyal customers if we can't count on them being open during their regular hours? To them they think they just lost one dinner, but they lost our long term business and the neighborhood whom I plan to spread the word.

Baked items were fresh. We ordered the Napoleon. Simple cafe vibes on the beach --- great if you're in the area. Decent amount of seating inside and out. Good for people watching. Counter service was efficient. Would love to come back to try the quiche.

Love this new Bonaparte Bistro it's a sister restaurant of Café Bonaparte across each other! They're newly opened and decided to check it out for lunch. Servers are very friendly. Food was delicious- tried their Tuna Tartare and love the stuffed piquillō pepper served on top!!! Yummiest, crispy French fries with the Angus Burger and also tried the Kale Caesar Salad. Very chill ambiance. They serve beer and wine. Parking lots and metered parking around. Excited to try their other dishes!! Will definitely visit again.

Love this place! Food is excellent and service is superb! Gary is the best! Great quality food for the price!

This was an amazing meal and experience! Thank you to Gary and Brooke who welcomed us and took great care of us tonight! Definitely the Best ambience, food and service on the strand! We will be back every time we visit Hermosa beach!

I'm very picky and a real critique on quality of food. I came back here for the second time for the tuna tartar and the wings and it was outstanding. I was second-guessing myself when I walked there and once I got a bite of it, it was game over. The espresso is very good as well. The overall quality is Michelin star. Chelsea is a great server very friendly and helpful.

A hidden gem right on the pier, the food is always incredible and the staff are so nice and friendly! My parents go at least once a week with the family dog. It's definitely a calmer atmosphere than the surrounding bars and every dish we've tried has been a winner. Highly recommend Mary's Chicken!

fresh Delicious Quality Food. ! I am so excited to find this bistro. The ocean beach location is wonderful and fun. . The deserts were amazing. Our waitress Chelsea was lovely and attentive to our needs. The BEST PiIZZA in the South Bay There are so many menu choices I am going again today because the food is such great quality Wonderful chef. A very enjoyable experience.

I'm really impressed with the variety of French options at the Bonaparte Bistro, all served with a wonderful French accent. The beef bourguignon, pastas, and pizzas are really amazing - and the delicious desserts are from the Cafe Bonaparte which is right across the plaza. There's so many dinner options, you could eat here once a month and continue to explore. Usually, the Bistro is not too crowded so chances are you can easily get a table, even though it's a small restaurant with limited indoor seating. I'd give the Bistro five stars if they had a wider selection of beer and wine. The options they have are excellent- they just need to expand their offerings to get +1.

We've been to this place a few times and each time we always have the best service! This place gives you the vibes of a small European cafe and it's extremely relaxing and always good. We ordered the Mary's chicken sandwich, roasted beet salad and a side of truffle fries. You can tell it's good quality ingredients and the food always comes out quickly. I highly recommend this place anytime you want to eat a good meal by the beach!

Fabulous food! We had the Mediterranean salad, salmon breakfast plate, and the pita with hummus. Everything was excellent. I added shrimp to my salad and they were amazing. Great service, everyone was very friendly. Located right on the Hermosa pier. Highly recommend.

Great food , they make most of their sauce there , very professional service and relax same time .The spaghetti with their home made pesto is top! So is the steak fries with the cognac pepper sauce , the ambiance with the french server is fun and the manager Brook is just on top of everything with a nice smile.

Oh my goodness...love this place. Great food and my server Abby was amazing. Location is in Hermosa Pier, which can be a zoo..but the ambience was perfect.

Brought the family here for a nice brunch and Bonaparte Bistro did not disappoint. Next time you are here, ask for Gary's espresso martin. It pairs nicely with the Croque Madame. You're welcome ;-)

Food was amazing. Service was even better. Caroline made the evening fun and special. We will definitely be back.

Just stopped in for Thirsty Thursday to have a drink and appetizer. Gary is the best waiter! The giant pita was perfect. Lovely relaxing spot to watch the people go by. We'll be back soon.

LOVE this restaurant! Stopped in for dinner with my husband and two kids. Great family friendly atmosphere. I was impressed by all the tasty menu options (even for the kids). Everything we ordered was fresh and delicious. They make their own sauces and bread here, you can really taste the difference. I ordered the spaghetti pasta with pesto and it was amazing, highly recommend it. Genuinely happy, friendly staff providing top notch service. Looking forward to coming back to try their brunch next.

Definitely delicious and I will be back!! Drinks are beer(bottled not on tap) and wine. Food was outstanding

This is an excellent place to eat. The food is moderately priced. The meals are just as the menu says, French with a California twist. I love French food and it's sometimes hard to find it. I had the beanzino which was perfect. My wife had the beef bourguignon which was truly outstanding. The view is nice - eat outside weather permitting.

Our server Gary was just absolutely amazing. He was from France, I believe he was originally from Niece. Super knowledgeable and funny. The food was amazing. I would definitely recommend coming to this establishment if you're in the area. Just a great all around experience. I'd recommend requesting Gary as your server. They just don't make them like him anymore.

Stumbled upon this place and had a lovely lunch. The food is fresh and authentic and Gary provided the best service! He is very knowledgeable with recommendations. The view of the pier and people watching on the patio are an added bonus.

Great place for weekend brunch. Food is fabulous, vibe is nice, and the service was excellent.

The ambiance, service and food was amazing. We had crab avocado roll, truffle fries, mushroom pizza, pork belly pizza and spaghetti pasta with meatballs to share for 3. It was a lot but everything was very good and we were happy. I happened to go there two days in a row because of friends request and it was worth it.

Lovely bistro with top notch food, excellent staff, and a lovely location. Kid friendly, but not overrun with people.

My favorite restaurant on the pier. The food is so good!!Every time we go, everyone loves their dish. The service is also great. Love coming here.

Yelp Friends :D I would show photos of our foods but got overly excited when they brought it out. Lolz Beloved had the BLT. He said it was definitely not your ordinary BLT and even saved his leftovers. Our friend, Riri that we dined with ordered the crab, avocado roll and French onion soup. The roll was melt in your mouth avo' goodness with real crab. And her soup looked picture perfect with all the gooey cheese and crouton. I had a burger ): it was a really, really good burger but I would have preferred to have anything else on the menu as I am 3 months into my carnivore lifestyle. There are great keto options here in case anyone is wondering. Lovely atmosphere indoors. Lots of outdoor seating and very attentive staff. Definitely reminded me of the French bistros in Paris!!!