La Cigale

Y Yueqian 2 reviews 21 July 2026

笔类这家集美们 一点都报弛 Not really worth the hype. The restaurant promotes its traceable, high-quality ingredients, but the menu felt a bit under-curated. The dishes seemed somewhat disconnected from one another, and while the presentation was thoughtful, the flavors weren’t memorable enough to justify the wait. We tried the corn and lamb terrine to start. The corn was enjoyable, but the lamb terrine had a strong offal-like flavor that wasn’t for us. For the mains, we had the lamb roast and the sausage. The sausage was a bit over-seasoned but ended up being one of the better dishes of the night. The lamb roast surprisingly tasted more like deli meat than a freshly roasted entrée. Dessert was the highlight—we really enjoyed the peach pie with basil ice cream. The interior of the restaurant was quite chic while the lighting could be a little better half of our counter is not lit, and it feels quite dark when we were dining. I know plenty of people have already mentioned the unusual waitlist system, but I wanted to share what that actually looked like for us. We checked in at 4:30 PM, were called back around 8:45 PM, then waited another 20 minutes at the door for the first seating to finish. We didn’t leave until almost 11 PM, so be prepared to dedicate your entire evening. I appreciate the restaurant’s concept and commitment to ingredient sourcing, but overall, the experience didn’t live up to the hype or the four-plus hours of waiting.

M May Bresler Herzog 300 reviews · Local Guide 12 July 2026

La Cigale is aiming high, and it shows! Offering a 3 courses (+sides +available extras +extensive drinks menu), omakase style dining of a french inspired daily menu, featuring interesting cooking techniques, open fire, quality ingredients from carefully selected suppliers, at a very fair price - this place is primed to offer a mind blowing experience. Unfortunately, I can't say the experience hit that mark for me on my visit... They're clearly still working out some kinks (thank god they now take reservations!). The meal itself is good, and feels almost homely - large shareable sides and portions, dishware your mother might use, and simple plating, yet the flavors were inconsistent and at times a bit lacking... Dishes like the jambon, salads or duck breast were lacking an oomph. Several of the dishes relyed on the peaches from a specific supplier, but they felt not at their best or sweetest yet. Meanwhile, the Garbure stew, the halibut with peppers and the pavlova were bursting with flavor. The chef is doing everything himself, which is mesmerizing to watch, almost like watching a show, but creates an awkward sitting and silently staring moments, and inconsistent service as he jumps around from one thing to the next. I'm so happy to have La Cigale in the neighborhood, and believe it has much in store for us, but at the end of the day, the experience very much depends on the day's menu and one chef's abilities to juggle everything. I'll return again to see if my thoughts change on different day with different ingredients, but for now, it's an ok experience, and a ton of potential. Best of luck, excited to see more from La Cigale!

M Mike Rosenbluth 68 reviews · Local Guide 8 June 2026

La Cigale is a treat. The food was excellent -- a great fusion of French style, but with California fresh ingredients. The atmosphere was intimate, and the staff was relaxed, friendly, and attentive. Joseph prepared every dish right in front of you and then explained the ingredients and how everything was made. We will definitely be back! I was initially intimidated by the waitlist process, but it worked out fine. We lined up on a Saturday around 4:15, missed getting into the first seating, but it was no problem getting into the second seating.

D Don/Skip Browne 12 reviews 6 June 2026

Wine pairings have always made the meal for me and after 60 years of experience, I know what I like/want and the offerings by the glass and expertise of the wine steward here easily deserve 5 out of 5 stars and top billing! The food, atmosphere and outstanding service are complemented with an outstanding selection of wines by the glass to suit any palate? and if you are not sure, trust the wine steward to select the perfect paring for whatever you have ordered!

T Table Notes by TF 61 reviews · Local Guide 3 May 2026

Really fun experience and decent food. I have mad respect for the chef’s approach and his passion towards everything he does. That being said, I do believe the execution can be improved. More delicate proteins like fishes were a bit overcooked, some of the flavors can be unbalanced, and dishes at times could be hotter. I generally don’t think there is more the chef can do given the one person orchestra here, but would be worth considering having a sous chef to help out and focus more on the creative aspects of the cuisine. Just my 2 cents, would definitely recommend trying it out at least once!