La Fête

Update 5/21/25: Well we came back for my birthday, and this visit was every bit as amazing as our last. I'd never had Beef Wellington before and could not wait to try it. I was not disappointed! It was one of the best dishes I've had in Birmingham. Along with another of them, the Potato Pave, it was just fantastic. The Caesar was delicious, and the mushroom pastry dish was packed with flavor. We even scored happy hour drinks! I had a very good Old Fashioned and she got a real French 75. Nothing was less than excellent. I even got a birthday glass of wine. What an amazing birthday dinner on one of the best patios in the city. La Fête is my current favorite BHM restaurant. --- For my wife's birthday we decided to stop in La Fête for happy hour about 4:30, and then decided to have our kids join us for dinner. Its a small space and we were a party of 6 without reservations, but they found a way to accommodate us. From host to bartender to server, the staff were outstanding! We tried so many drinks and dishes, and all were excellent. Standouts were the pave, the Caesar, the oxtail pie (!) and the profiteroles. The old fashioned and French 75 were classic style, and only $8 during happy hour. I loved this place when it was The Essential, and I love it now. It's great inside but when the weather warms up, they also have one of the best patios in the city. 10/10 will be back!

Fantastic place. Service and staff was amazing. I did everything on the happy hour menu which was a lot for one person 23 people can enjoy it all. Definitely will be back.

Loved the “Party” bistro! Food was great - excellent pommes pave and croque madame. We will definitely come back. The bar is the best seat in our opinion.

Le Fête is an absolute gem. We came specifically for the beef Wellington, and it did not disappoint. Perfectly cooked, buttery tender, and wrapped in a flaky pastry that honestly deserves its own spotlight. You can tell they put serious thought and technique into every part of the dish. The atmosphere strikes the right balance between upscale and inviting. It’s the kind of place where you can celebrate something special or just treat yourself to a truly well-executed meal. Service was attentive without being overbearing, and everything we ordered came out beautifully plated. This place has officially earned a spot on our “must-return” list.

Great atmosphere and tasty food with exceptional service!! My boyfriend and I enjoyed our steak & frites and seared snapper entrees, as well as the escargot appetizers and espresso martinis. Shout out to our server for the wonderful service (wish we caught his name)! Can’t wait to visit again :)

Pretty good spot. The atmosphere is great, the food is exactly what I expected, which was good. The chicken was cooked really well and made to be very simple and let it be what it was. The starter of the bread was good to supplement the leftover juices in the meal.

La Fête isn’t your typical night-out spot—it’s a bold, flavor-packed experience that doesn’t play it safe. Every dish that hit the table had something to say. The flavors were loud (in the best way), balanced, and way more interesting than your standard small plates.

Service and food were incredible. Came in for an early dinner and enjoyed every second thanks to the wonderful staff and delicious creations from the kitchen. Highly recommend the potato pave, crab cake, and chicken tarragon pie.

Cute little French bistro tucked away on cobbled Morris Ave. Hostess was nice and friendly. Bartender James was on point. Met the owner, Kristen, super nice. Ordered the French onion soup, delicious. I wanted a sweet drink and James made me a sweet version of the French 75. I noticed a lot of patrons ordering the burger, was told it's delicious. If you haven't been it's a must try.

We enjoyed this lunch! A couple of things threw us off. The tartare seemed like good quality, but the preseved lemon makes the whole dish taste like lemon dish soap. The drinks were good but inconsistent. One drink was strong another was weak. We had a wine pour of maybe 3 ounces for a $16 glass. Cheese selections are excellent, service was great and the chicken cordon Bleu is delicious.

Recently went to the essential and was sad to see the croque madame was no longer on the menu - the owner actually commented for me to come try to croque madame at La fête! Tried La Fête when they initially opened at their old location and was not impressed, but have heard great things since then so decided to try again for a special occasion. We made reservations and when we arrived, there was a mix-up with our table - the host said something along the lines of someone had already been seated under our reservation. Weird, but some of our party was still on the way, and we were seated 15 minutes after our reservation time. Not a big deal. Onto food. Specifically came for the croque madame. Imagine our disappointment when they let us know that they're out of croissants. A French restaurant that runs out of croissants..... very disappointing. Bar La fete still gets 4 stars because the rest of the food was actually quite good. The stars of the show were the escargots and the potato pave. Also enjoyed the waffle sandwhich. Bar la fête attempts to capture a little bit of Paris in AL. Will someday try to come back to try the croque madame.

Was great for brunch! Food was all very tasty and unique. Coffee was also extremely good! Feels classy inside, and staff is very professional and kind.

Delicious food. Very busy .. Charming, but very ... Tight space. Felt a bit rushed. Reservations highly recommended.

Stepping through the door, you step right into a Parisian wine bar. The candles flickering and low light set a romantic mood to perfectly pair with wine and cheese. My friend and I grabbed a seat at the bar. I would recommend reservations if you looking to have dinner. The glass of champagne was a wonderful pairing with the Melon Prosciutto. Melon balls topped with crispy prosciutto set in olive oil hit the spot! Each bite was sweet, salty, and crunchy! If you are looking for a romantic night or a fun place to go for a Girls Night Out or just a solo date, this is the perfect spot!

Ended up here after the wait for another closeby brunch restaurant was 45+ minutes long. So glad we did, our meal and service here was great. We go the potato pave as a starter... I could have eaten 25 of these layered potato cubes and the whipped ranch delicious, paying extra for the caviar was a nice added touch as well. My boyfriend got the corned beef hash and I got the smoked trout, both meals were well seasoned and tasty. I would definitely come back here again!

What a lovely little bistro for lunch! We stumbled upon La Fête because we were next door at Alabama Peanut. (Going "high-low" for this afternoon!) It was a little quiet, so we had our pick of tables. The team made us feel very welcome, and the service was attentive. The food was absolutely beautiful and was delicious too! We were only there for a couple of appetizers, so I would definitely go back for a full meal. Thanks for a nice experience before heading to the airport.

La Fête is a lovely French restaurant located on Morris Avenue. I came for Sunday brunch and had a great time. The inside is beautiful, with the wallpaper being my favorite decor element. I was initially seated by the window, but asked to switch to an outside table instead since the weather was so nice. My friend and I tried several dishes and everything was delicious! The salmon omelette was the star of the day for me. The fish was fresh and the eggs were cooked really well. I also liked how smooth the filling was. I also tried the cheeseburger and it was great. The meat to bread ratio was spot on and the gravy sauce it's soaked in was a tasty surprise. The crispy potatoes also add a nice touch, they're thick and salted well. The cocktails are also worth trying. I had a blood orange mimosa and a La Fête 75. My friend tried an orange wine and a few others. There's a lively ambiance that's great for catching up with your girls or celebrating with the fam. I'm Looking forward to trying more of their menu.

Took my parents and bestie here for my dad's bday. Everyone was nice but at times it seemed slightly understaffed. When the place seemed at max capacity, it was definitely noticed. The inside was cutely decorated and I loved the tile floor. Food was great! Favorite bites were the chicken cordon bleu and the Affogato.

FIVE STARS!!!! I absolutely loved my first visit to La Fête for brunch! I came after church and was seated at the bar. The bar service I received was amazing! Natalia did an outstanding job taking care of all the guests at the bar. She was a PRO!!!! Their brunch menu has several unique dishes to select from. Their brunch libations menu looked impressive as well. I ordered as a starter the potato pave and it was excellent!! Light and crispy layers of potatoes served with a whipped ranch. Highly recommend My entree was the waffle sandwich w/t a side salad. This sandwich was busting with flavor! Savory/ sweet. The side salad was simple and tasty. Presentation was picture perfect on both dishes! The atmosphere at La 'Fête is casual yet romantic as well. So it's perfect for hanging with friends or a date night. I'm already making plans to return for dinner!

Food was delicious! We sat at the bar and the bartender was very attentive. The ambiance of the restaurant is always top notch. They even have a little patio of your looking for some fresh air with your delicious drinks and food!

Love the ambiance and decor! We went for brunch and they had a new menu roll out today -so glad we were there! It was packed but the service was great! The Lattes and capaccino were so smooth. Everything was delicious! We had the potato Pave, (which was the bomb!!) and the Cruller (soo good!! Might get 2 next time!), croque madame (it's back!), and save room for dessert! Left me looking forward to the next visit. Definitely sit at the bar if James the bartender is working! He's a drink magician!

Out of all places in the world, Birmingham, Alabama is probably not the place one would imagine to find the world's best French restaurant. Yet, La Fete might be very close to that. That's coming from someone who travelled across France, eaten in 3 Michelin starred French kitchens of New York City like Per Se and Daniel. Not mentioning this as bragging rights, but to give readers the experiential context. La Fete is an absolute gem of a restaurant. Perhaps, the most impressive dish is the Potato Pave. Extremely thin sliced potatoes layered with whipped dressing. It's purely magical. Pair them with some escargot and move on to the steak tartare for a remarkable French meal. Oh, and if still feeling hungry, the chicken schnitzel is prepared wonderfully and adds a nice bit of German flare to the meal. Wine selections are excellent and generally priced reasonably, with a few more rare bottles of orange wines from Australia. But, the highlight of drinks here is not even the wine, but actually the ciders. We are not talking about some local microbrew ciders, but the kind of stuff that has lasted generations and set the bar for all the experimentation of today's American ciders. We are talking stuff like 2021 vintage Etienne Dupont Brut from Normandy. Basically, the stuff that set a high bar centuries ago, a bar that is still difficult to surpass. The people working here are passionate, attentive and genuinely care about guests wanting to have a great experience. La Fete may just be the best restaurant in Birmingham and without doubt, can get easily flagged as one of the best French kitchens in the world.

FRIES AND SHINE! Had a friend in town this weekend and decided brunch was the move for the morning. We had reserved tickets at the BMA to see the Disney Hero and Villain exhibit but definitely needed food beforehand. I have heard amazing things about La Fete so decided that this would be the opportunity to try it for myself. La Fete opens at 11am on the dot. This is much different and much later than other brunch spots in town. When we found the spot, now located where the Essential used to be, both restaurants are under the same management and swapped spaces. We definitely got some side eye when we arrived before they opened, other brunch spots will allow you to come in and grab a coffee before the kitchen opens, but I guess La Fete is the odd one out. We decided on trying a little of this and a little of that instead of both ordering an entree. In a way this saved us some money but also allowed us the freedom to order drinks. My friend ordered the French 75 whereas I ordered the espresso martini. For food we shared the potato pave, sheep's milk cheese and the quiche Lorraine. All delicious. The potato pave, thinly sliced potatoes fried with the perfect amount of kosher salt on top. A great "snack" to kick off a delicious brunch meal. The sheep's milk cheese came with a fig jam that was out of this world. Bursting with flavor. Quiche Lorraine was very good too, but in my opinion once you've had one you've had them all. It was served with their fries and a side salad. The restaurant has a beautiful interior and exterior. Patio seating is available as well for days when the weather is too nice to pass up. Today, unfortunately, was not the day. The wind was strong so we chose to sit at the bar. Our bartender was a doll and took very good care of us. I would definitely go back to La Fete for dinner. As they do very well with southern/French Cuisine.

We have loved La Fête in the past, the food, the service & the atmosphere. Today, something was off. We waited almost an hour for our food. A $20+ burger should have a patty at least as big as the bun. The pâté was not as good as I remember. They offered a dessert to compensate. I appreciate that but the mousse was cold & hard so I didn't enjoy it.

Delicious food and impeccable service. Atmosphere on the patio was perfect for brunch. We were transported to France!

Well... I told them I would be back... so I'm here for the second time. I had said I would keep this wonderful place my secret rendezvous but that would be rude.. so here we are. We were there for Brunch. We were greeted by Wes, who seated us promptly even though Brunch was ending and they were preparing for dinner. Oh. My. Goodness!! The menu. Hard to choose. Very creative chef. I chose the waffle sandwich. Fluffy waffle with a poached egg, cheese, freshly prepared bacon and syrup. I savored every bite. Every bite was followed by Hmmm! My friend chose the salmon omelette. Un. B. Livable!! Afterwards I chose ice cream. Not your regular two scoops of ice cream but this has a caramel crepe batter mixed in , a drizzle of liqueur, melted caramel on top, and a dark cherry to top it. During our dining experience Wes was very attentive. Mailey, whom I had met before came over to explain about the dinner menu ( which is amazing), and Maggie was also very helpful. They bake their own bread and pastries. Their pastry chef is wonderful. They also own Bandit pastries and Essential. The ambience took me to Paris, certainly less expensive than a trip to France. We dined in the outdoor courtyard. This quaint little restaurant can be missed if you drive too fast. It's tucked away on Morris Avenue. You owe yourself a visit there!!

The outside of this place draws you in. The beautiful flower arch gives it a vibe. The outside is essentials ( the previous restaurant that was here) setup. The inside the same very nice wallpaper. It's very chic. It took a while to be notice at the hostess station even though the waitress looked at us several times, no one said give us one min. When one finally came over no apologies was given. I would understand all of this if they wasn't busy...but I digress. The wait for the food took a min, you would think the time we waited for the food it would be hot...but absolutely not. We didn't complain and ate it. It was delicious though, the salmon itself was amazing. I'll give it another try..the staff was friendly. The food was good.

Finally a real French style cafe in town that isn't soiled with mediocrity and oddly flavored food. It's in the old Essential spot on Morris Ave which lends to the experience of the cuisine. Parking isn't the greatest around downtown so make sure you snag the first spot you see Do yourself a favor and sit on the patio of weather permits. My only gripe is the inconsistent hours. They'll catch their stride there eventually.

Made a night of downtown and after walking past La Fete a few times, we decided to give it a try and boy are we glad we did!! We got there shortly after they opened and it did not take long for them to fill up. Our waitress was wonderful in helping us make some yummy decisions on our selections. After ordering our cocktails, we started off with the real nice bread,... It's seriously called "The Real Nice Bread" so it had to be ordered! We also ordered the pickles and olives, that were very tasty and the pickles were the tiniest, most adorable pickles I have ever seen!!! We got a couple cheeses and the potato pave which is absolutely delicious. It's a crispy potato that is cut into very fine tender layers, so yummy!! Our main course was the beef cheek pie, and it did not disappoint. Seriously one of the best entrees I have ever had, we are planning to go back before the winter menu changes, it is delicious! We will definitely be going back to La Fete to try the brunch menu and the outdoor seating is a must in nicer weather! With the cobblestone streets and La Fete right on the corner, it is a perfect place to enjoy some delicious food, wine and dessert and good company! We will be making La Fete one of our "Go To" places.

I visited the newest location in 01/2024. This was a wonderful experience. Nat was the bartender that night. I asked her to be creative and make a drink that was NOT SWEET at all. She made a fabulous cocktail and named it Lemon heaven! lol! Super fitting. I'd definitely recommend a visit. I can't recall the name of it but I ordered a potato dish off the appetizer menu. It was really good.

Dined here for the first time awhile back. Now, I've had the time to sit down and write about our experience. It was lovely to say the least. Its a cute little French cafe with a calming ambiance. We enjoy a couple cocktails and a glass of wine with our dishes which included some fresh raw oysters, yellowfin tuna, burger, trout and ice cream (for dessert). We loved every single the dish. The oysters were fresh, plump and juicy. The fresh sliced yellowfin tuna was also delicious. The burger was cooked to my asking (med well), perfect. The trout was also well seasoned, cooked and served with beans, vegetables and herbs. Finally, the espresso martini and genepy ice cream sundae was the perfect finish to a great meal. Loved the location, ambiance, service, cocktails, food, and dessert. Will be back again!

My daughter and I went there for my birthday. It is reasonable for what you get. I ordered an omelet for dinner. It was complete with fresh salad and potato accompaniment. My daughter got the specialty item of the restaurant and loved it.

Wonderful!! This was our first visit to La Fête, and we loved it! Our service was fantastic! My wife absolutely loved the upbeat atmosphere and the decor. Our food was served in a very timely manner, and it was fabulous. They serve one of the best Bloody Mary's I have ever tasted. This was the first time I had baked eggs, delicious. My wife's avocado toast was amazing also...yes, we shared bites. :) Thank you Maley for making our brunch a wonderful experience!

Met up with some friends here for a Saturday morning brunch and I am glad I did. This place is nice, quant, and full of personality. I definitely enjoyed the food and our waitress was very knowledgeable of the menu and helpful. I loved the sophisticated environment.

If you haven't taken your significant other on a date to La Fete, you need to up your game. We didn't have a reservation, but the wonderful hostess let us hang out at the wine ledge until a spot opened up at the bar. Our belated Valentine's dinner date consisted of Pinot noir, "really good bread" and butter, sheep's cheese from France, French onion soup, and duck confit. Everything was absolutely delicious and the ambiance was perfect for a romantic evening out. If you haven't tried it, what are you waiting for?

Popped into La Fete for a drink after dinner in a restaurant nearby. Our bartender, Nat, was very helpful and even created a cocktail for my friend who doesn't like sweet drinks. That's great service! The decor is a mix between classic, vintage and eclectic and it's a very comfortable place to hang out. I plan to return soon for dinner and check out the food.

Unfortunately, I was underwhelmed by my experience here. While I love sister restaurants The Essential and Bandit, I was not satisfied with La Fete. While the ambiance and decor is very nice, I was let down by the food. While it was good, the prices do not reflect the quality of the food. Furthermore, the portions were very small given the prices. The staff, however, were very kind and knowledgeable about the wine. Given the prices for the food, I probably will not return. Also, please note that they will be switching locations with The Essential in a few weeks and will no longer be in their original location.

Went here with a group of seven, and not a single person loved their food. The fries were very salty and the menu is overall overpriced for the quality received. It is a good place to get appetizers and drinks, but would skip this place for the main meal. I got the lobster and shrimp, but the lobster tail (shell) presented was completely for show. The actual dish had about 3 small pieces of lobster. We enjoyed their bread and butter, and potato pave the most. Those two things were very good! Somebody asked if they could bring out a small dessert for a birthday, and they declined this. They did give a free glass of champagne.

I enjoyed a glass of Clos Roussely 2022 Vin Orange, VDF and Poulet rouge with herb jugs and garlic confit with mashed new potatoes. This was delicious. The staff was very helpful in my decision to have the chicken and the choice was the right one. They serve still tap water out of a bottle, so I had to ask for ice... not a deal breaker. They have a lovely patio with heaters and enjoyed my dinner there with the background of rainshowers and modern music. It was a lovely place.

I think we went on an off night. I'm not sure if they were short staffed in the front of the house, back, or both. We hade a 5:00pm reservation on Saturday. There was a lot going on downtown so the place filled up very quickly even at the early hour. The space itself is beautiful and the aroma of seared meat, butter, garlic, and roasted coffee was intoxicating. So good! The menu has the perfect amount of options and the items were reasonably priced. The wine list was also very approachable but not the "same old, same old" selection. Our experience started off very good. We had the potato pave. I've never had anything like it and it is a must have! Things started to go downhill from there. It was about an hour and fifteen minutes before our meal was served. I could see the window and food was coming out but it was backing up. When we finally got our plates my boudin was room temperature and my husband's steak was cold. I'm not exaggerating. It wasn't even slightly warm. We didn't have time to send it back because, at this point, we needed to hurry and eat before our show. I ordered the bread with my meal but it never made it to the table. It made it to the bill though! Thankfully we caught it and they took it off. We really wanted to have coffee and dessert but there was no time left. The manager was kind enough to make us some coffee for the road and didn't charge us. Full transparency, all of the food was excellent. The flavors were robust and everything was appropriately seasoned. I can only imagine how good it would have been had the food been hot.

Amazing location decor and service we love spending date nights enjoying the food and wine! Kristen and Victor have created a special place and know exactly what they are doing! 10/10

Amazing steak / flavor was out of this world. Always have to get the Bread and Butter and Potato Pave. One of my favorites!

To say this is a special occasion Bar/Resturant, would be to understate it's refinement. From the upscale Art Deco interior, the highly trained professional wait staff, the extensive wine list, and the Epicurean offerings of small plate menu items, this resturant is offering an experience, not a mere place to find sustenance. When you are looking for something that goes well beyond standard dining, I highly recommend Bar La Fetê. The atmosphere, food, and service will whisk you away to another world, a world unrushed, refined, and conducive to spending quality time with friends and family.

We came across this hidden gem on a Sunday afternoon (kiss of death in Birmingham because so few restaurants, especially nice ones, are open) and decided we'd give it a shot for a drink and a snack. After the drinks and snacks we canceled our dinner reservations that night so that we could eat here. The place is cute beyond cute and has an open kitchen right in the middle. Chairs are very comfortable and the bar chairs are especially comfortable (I turned around and bought them for our condo - they were that good!), drinks were excellent, servers are knowledgeable and nice and food was AMAZING. GET THE BURGER!!!! I know you'll think it's a cop out but you'll be missing out on the best thing if you don't get the burger. If you have to, get an extra burger and share it as an appetizer or dessert. Trust me on this!

One of our go to places for brunch. I wish they were still open for lunch. The staff is friendly and welcoming. Food is always good.

This place is so great! I loved everything we had. We had a couple great glasses of wine from an amazing selection, we had a crab toast that was so rich and tangy and delicious. We had a charcuterie and frontage plate and the pate brought me so much nostalgia. We also tried the lemon tart which was of course perfect and the ice cream sundae which blew me away. I was expecting vanilla ice cream and what I got was the best ice cream I've ever had in my whole life.

We had a great experience at La Fête! Great service and wonderful food! It is a wonderful date night spot. Definitely will be back!

**5 out of 5 stars for Le Fête, Birmingham** Fantastic experience! The steak was cooked perfectly, and the wine selection was wonderful. The ambiance of the place was just perfect for a memorable evening. Highly recommend!

It is a cozy little place with variety of choices for seating. The menu is eclectic to say the least. I could have been happy to order 8 to 10 items. We had five of us for brunch and all ordered differently. All five of us were happy with our order. Will be going back for sure when I am in Birmingham.

Love the concept, French bistro, decoration is very nice. Food selection is very similar to what you could expect in France (paté, cheese, etc..). Wine selection is perfect. Service always impeccable. Overall, I like it, but too pricey for quantity/quality.

I expect nothing else than perfection from the owners of the Essential! Expectations met! I highly recommend getting a dessert since they are known for their pastry brilliance. Definitely ask the server what wine will pair with the dessert. Perfect date night spot

Enjoyed a lovely anniversary dinner with my husband in January. Food was delicious and presentation was beautiful. Small and intimate with some outside seating. Classic French bistro like decor. Will definitely be returning to this little gem!

The food is awesome. The service is good. Victor and Kristin have done a great job again. We love this place and love every restaurant they do.

Delicious food! Logan ,our server was knowledgeable and attentive. We had a great night. Thank You La Fete!

My husband and I came here for brunch this morning thinking we were going to The Essential (they recently swapped locations). At first we were a little disappointed because we love going to brunch at the Essential and I already had my heart set on my usual order, but this mix up was such a blessing in disguise! The service was amazing and our waitress helped guide us in our ordering. 10/10 recommend the quiche- absolutely amazing! It has a delish homemade Boursin style cheese on top and the most flavorful mushrooms inside. Also comes with a salad AND fries- balance is key!! I'm not much of a review writer, but I'm so happy I stumbled across this place! Get the quiche!

We had a wonderful meal here with out of town company. Interesting menu items. Logan is the best server in the city!

I've not stayed long enough for an "experience" but the cake is goood af . The service level was pretty consistent but not phenomenal because the 3 times I went the service experience was a lil "different" and I just give people points of grace. TBD if the cake is enough to bring me back