I dined here on Saturday with a friend. The menu is unusual and original. The food and drinks were very good, service also very good. There was one major problem with the dining area and that was the flys. Each table is furnished with a propeller to keep the flys away. Unfortunately it is ineffective and we ate our main course with around 20 big flys just buzzing around us. I have eaten at other establishments on that road and there were no flys at all. Needless to say it was very unpleasant. Again, I cannot fault the delicious food, drinks or great service. If they can do something about the flys I'll be back.
Love how the outdoor tables have fire pits in the middle - great for night use! Only downfall is you lose that area for shared food. This was my first time for brunch. The Jambon sandwich was really good. My friend didn't care for the Duck Mole Tacos. Enjoyed my lemonade style drink and friends like the nojito - all very refreshing. I like the relaxing vibe with music. I've heard the burger is good but haven't tried it yet!
SteveP
Great location in downtown Oceanside (2 blocks from beach) with easy adjacent garage parking. Restaurant is not air condition as it is an open air restaurant so can be a little warm on summer days. Excellent brunch options.
berkabee
Service was superb; food was good; noise level got to be a bit much. At the conclusion: paying the bill, I was startled to see, in addition to a 4% service charge that a preliminary tip of 25% was proposed! That was annoying. I'd recommend the place to friends with some forewarnings.
kimberlym
We were a party of 7 . Two of enjoyed the Mexican hot pot but we both felt the need to add salt and some chili sauce so the seasoning was a little bland. Another with us had the octopus and found it flavorful but tough and chewy. Our waiter Nick was amazing - fun, personable and committed to making sure we were happy! I'd recommend based on o real dining experience but the food was not the best
KarenS
This place has incredible food - easily one of our favorite places to eat in Oceanside. The duck mole tacos are juicy and flavorful and everything else we have tried has been excellent as well. They also have masterful cocktails. The Spirit of Santiago is fantastic! The staff is also super attentive and friendly to top it off. Highly recommended.
Nora Mendoza
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.
Juliana
What a special restaurant perfectly located in downtown Oceanside blocks from the ocean. Love the design, decor and vibe of the restaurant. So pretty! And the food and drinks... Amazing! Felt like we were in a fun spot in San Jose Del Cabo
Jan Maxwell
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.
RozR
Nice ambiance, busy with people on Thursday Farmer's Market. Service was very good. Menu is interesting. Cheeseburger OK, not very flavorful. Mussels tasty, pretty rich. Onion soup was too sweet not cheesy enough.
Burrata salad was bland and flavorless, even the peaches had no flavor, and the cod was fishy tasting. The beets with the cod were awful, they tasted sort of like onions as opposed to beets, and the portion is not really a dinner or "table" portion given that all you are eating is fish. A group of about 30 kids came in, extremely loud, and while the majority of the restaurant was empty the staff seated them at the 3 tables right next to us which ruined the rest of our time at the restaurant as we couldn't even hear each other talk anymore. No thought at all was put into where they seated this large and loud group and the food is nothing I would go back for. The place looks cute, but other than that I did not enjoy anything else other than the company I went with and the glass of wine that I drank.
sharonredbarron
One of our favorite brunch places was a little uneven today. Not the servers fault, but they were very short staffed. We were promptly seated, and served water. Then, 15 minutes later, after my spouse flagged down the manager who was assisting the very busy servers, we finally were able to order our typical bottle of cava, and our server came a few moments later. My spouse and I agreed to try not our usual dishes. So he ordered my usual milanesa (still delicious) with fresh eggs. I went with the jambon sandwich, which I would never order again. Not a bolilo (which has a different texture), which I left on the plate after one bite. There was very little serrano ham, and the brie and pear didn't blend with the ham, and WAY too much fig jam. Definite no on the quinoa salad. Other dishes work better. Will still return. Great atmosphere.
Most of the food was excellent! Vibe was great, but felt stuffy without fans and indoor/outdoor surroundings. My dirty maritime wasn't very good, but the margaritas were fabulous!
Kate C.
A PERFECT SPOT FOR BRUNCH WITH THE GIRLS! (/) Unli mimosas -Available until 2pm -We got the orange mimosas and I'm glad that it is not too sweet (/) Tasty food - I got ceviche and I love how balanced it tastes, not too sour nor salty, you can still taste the shrimp itself (/) Excellent customer service - As soon as we arrived, we were having an awkward moment cause the place is quite big and we didn't know if there are some reserved seats. I'm glad that one of their staff approached as and helped us choose the best spot. - Staff kept checking on us with a smile - Staff never hesitated to take a good photo of us. It's my first time to go to Oceanside and I have no regrets choosing this as a first place to fill me up!
Virginia H.
Carte Blance is an outstanding restaurant close to the Oceanside Pier that specializes in French Fusion cuisine. My friend and I met there for brunch recently and had a delightful dining experience from beginning to end! We started off with some of their strong, fresh coffee and then ordered a couple of dishes to share. We opted for the Pulpo Hash and the Shrimp Fritata to share, and decided to get a couple of cocktails as well. Our coffee, cocktails, and food were all exceptional! My only complaint is with their beignets; unlike the classic dish found in the Big Easy, the beignets served here are dense and not at all to my liking. Service was fast and friendly, and with the one exception noted above, we very much enjoyed our visit - I look forward to returning!
I dined here on Saturday with a friend. The menu is unusual and original. The food and drinks were very good, service also very good. There was one major problem with the dining area and that was the flys. Each table is furnished with a propeller to keep the flys away. Unfortunately it is ineffective and we ate our main course with around 20 big flys just buzzing around us. I have eaten at other establishments on that road and there were no flys at all. Needless to say it was very unpleasant. Again, I cannot fault the delicious food, drinks or great service. If they can do something about the flys I'll be back.
Love how the outdoor tables have fire pits in the middle - great for night use! Only downfall is you lose that area for shared food. This was my first time for brunch. The Jambon sandwich was really good. My friend didn't care for the Duck Mole Tacos. Enjoyed my lemonade style drink and friends like the nojito - all very refreshing. I like the relaxing vibe with music. I've heard the burger is good but haven't tried it yet!
Great location in downtown Oceanside (2 blocks from beach) with easy adjacent garage parking. Restaurant is not air condition as it is an open air restaurant so can be a little warm on summer days. Excellent brunch options.
Service was superb; food was good; noise level got to be a bit much. At the conclusion: paying the bill, I was startled to see, in addition to a 4% service charge that a preliminary tip of 25% was proposed! That was annoying. I'd recommend the place to friends with some forewarnings.
We were a party of 7 . Two of enjoyed the Mexican hot pot but we both felt the need to add salt and some chili sauce so the seasoning was a little bland. Another with us had the octopus and found it flavorful but tough and chewy. Our waiter Nick was amazing - fun, personable and committed to making sure we were happy! I'd recommend based on o real dining experience but the food was not the best
This place has incredible food - easily one of our favorite places to eat in Oceanside. The duck mole tacos are juicy and flavorful and everything else we have tried has been excellent as well. They also have masterful cocktails. The Spirit of Santiago is fantastic! The staff is also super attentive and friendly to top it off. Highly recommended.
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.
What a special restaurant perfectly located in downtown Oceanside blocks from the ocean. Love the design, decor and vibe of the restaurant. So pretty! And the food and drinks... Amazing! Felt like we were in a fun spot in San Jose Del Cabo
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.
Nice ambiance, busy with people on Thursday Farmer's Market. Service was very good. Menu is interesting. Cheeseburger OK, not very flavorful. Mussels tasty, pretty rich. Onion soup was too sweet not cheesy enough.
Restaurantji Recommends
Burrata salad was bland and flavorless, even the peaches had no flavor, and the cod was fishy tasting. The beets with the cod were awful, they tasted sort of like onions as opposed to beets, and the portion is not really a dinner or "table" portion given that all you are eating is fish. A group of about 30 kids came in, extremely loud, and while the majority of the restaurant was empty the staff seated them at the 3 tables right next to us which ruined the rest of our time at the restaurant as we couldn't even hear each other talk anymore. No thought at all was put into where they seated this large and loud group and the food is nothing I would go back for. The place looks cute, but other than that I did not enjoy anything else other than the company I went with and the glass of wine that I drank.
One of our favorite brunch places was a little uneven today. Not the servers fault, but they were very short staffed. We were promptly seated, and served water. Then, 15 minutes later, after my spouse flagged down the manager who was assisting the very busy servers, we finally were able to order our typical bottle of cava, and our server came a few moments later. My spouse and I agreed to try not our usual dishes. So he ordered my usual milanesa (still delicious) with fresh eggs. I went with the jambon sandwich, which I would never order again. Not a bolilo (which has a different texture), which I left on the plate after one bite. There was very little serrano ham, and the brie and pear didn't blend with the ham, and WAY too much fig jam. Definite no on the quinoa salad. Other dishes work better. Will still return. Great atmosphere.
Most of the food was excellent! Vibe was great, but felt stuffy without fans and indoor/outdoor surroundings. My dirty maritime wasn't very good, but the margaritas were fabulous!
A PERFECT SPOT FOR BRUNCH WITH THE GIRLS! (/) Unli mimosas -Available until 2pm -We got the orange mimosas and I'm glad that it is not too sweet (/) Tasty food - I got ceviche and I love how balanced it tastes, not too sour nor salty, you can still taste the shrimp itself (/) Excellent customer service - As soon as we arrived, we were having an awkward moment cause the place is quite big and we didn't know if there are some reserved seats. I'm glad that one of their staff approached as and helped us choose the best spot. - Staff kept checking on us with a smile - Staff never hesitated to take a good photo of us. It's my first time to go to Oceanside and I have no regrets choosing this as a first place to fill me up!
Carte Blance is an outstanding restaurant close to the Oceanside Pier that specializes in French Fusion cuisine. My friend and I met there for brunch recently and had a delightful dining experience from beginning to end! We started off with some of their strong, fresh coffee and then ordered a couple of dishes to share. We opted for the Pulpo Hash and the Shrimp Fritata to share, and decided to get a couple of cocktails as well. Our coffee, cocktails, and food were all exceptional! My only complaint is with their beignets; unlike the classic dish found in the Big Easy, the beignets served here are dense and not at all to my liking. Service was fast and friendly, and with the one exception noted above, we very much enjoyed our visit - I look forward to returning!