Le Diplomate Bakery Cafe

From the moment you walk in, you’re greeted by the comforting aroma of freshly baked pastries and the warm, inviting atmosphere. The staff is friendly, knowledgeable, and always willing to offer recommendations.

I tried their croissants and pain au chocolat—both were buttery, flaky perfection. The coffee was rich and smooth, the perfect companion to their artisan baked goods. You can tell everything is made with care and high-quality ingredients.

Whether you’re grabbing a quick bite or sitting down for a relaxing brunch, Le Diplomate delivers a fantastic experience every time. Highly recommended for anyone who appreciates authentic French baking and cozy café vibes!

Whoever the girl is working right now has a major attitude problem when I just wanted to order a sandwich to go.

I got the chicken broccoli mushrooms sandwich! The sandwich is pretty good, but not spectacular. Definitely something I would recommend if you’re looking for something to fill you up and on the go. Service was great, but they do not take American Express.

I think there's new ownership.

Visited this sandwich shop for a long time. Has been on the downhill for a minute. Quality of the baguette used in the sandwich seems to have gone down.

Ordered an expensive pork banh mi which seemingly came on possibly slightly stale bread. That or the great original baguette recipe has been altered. It was also rather small for the price.

A long time staple in the UCI area that has thrived despite numerous attempts by the Irvine Company to run them out of business. While it has changed ownerships a few times now their menu has remained mostly unchanged over the years. I just wish they would still bake some lovely baguettes for people to take home with them.

Great chicken broccoli sandwich

I got the chicken mushroom sandwich, it is filled with mayo and cheese. Its pretty filling due to that combination, but I'm curious to try the other sandwiches this place offers.

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 3

Service: 3

Chicken garlic, ehhh unbalanced sandwich. Feels to heavy, no veggies, bread just okay.

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 2

Service: 4

This is the ideal little cafe. I love the drinks they make— they’re a good fix for a student.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Vietnamese Iced Coffee L

I love this place, but the quality is taking a serious dive. I don't know if something is going on with ownership, but I really hope quality improves. The type of sandwiches you guys offer are great. Please just improve the ingredients and the sandwiches are made.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 3

Service: 5

I've been coming to Le Diplomate since it opened more than 25 years ago. Although ownership has changed hands a couple of times since then, my favorite Toasted Turkey Sandwhich still tastes the same. It does not have the same amount of meat as it did in the old days, but the way it's made and ingredients are still the same, and that's why I come back from time to time. The common outdoor seating area is the other reason, it's just nice to sit out there.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Simple tasty sandwich and nice outdoor seating. The 9" is about $10. Italian soda was $3.50. My only complaint is that their "Vietnamese coffee" is just a regular coffee and not that strong. Good bread.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Great food!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

very yummy sandwich. sandwich reasonably priced. one of only reasonably priced eating places in UTC.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Sandwich

i am sitting here picking out stringy rubberized chicken from my teeth. I used to frequent le dip in the mid 2000s when i was in high school/ college. it was something i dreamt of often. I moved away after college and came back in 2021. I have since ordered Le Dip 3 times and every time the chicken has tasted OLD (like forgotten in a cardboard box in the back of the walk-in" old. Its so bad that i couldnt even finish the first half of my sandwich. Every time i went after returning I gave them the benefit of doubt and assumed i just caught them at a bad time. This is time was the final straw. You guys built a reputation for your quality and now you're just pocketing the money and giving us garbage. PLEASE try eating your own food then decide if its worth selling. I am disgusted. I wish you luck.

Atmosphere: 2

Food: 1

Service: 2