Bonaparte Bistro

I love sitting on the outdoor patio to enjoy the sunset and the fresh air. The service was very quick and friendly. Quite a bit of options to choose as well as drink selections. Definitely worth trying and visiting again.

My husband and I had lunch from here last weekend. We did takeout. I had the burger and upgraded to truffle fries. It was the best burger I've had in a really long time. It was fresh and flavorful. The bun was perfect. The fries were the perfect complement. My husband really enjoyed his kale Caesar salad with chicken. The chicken looked amazing. We finished the meal with the date cake which was good but it could have been a little more moist. The guy who rang us up was really nice too. I would absolutely go back.

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.

I LOVE this place! Super local. Super fresh. Sometimes there’s things Not on the menu. Like the chicken soup. Mmmmmmm. Perfect with sangria! The crunchy jalapeños are over the top! Dog friendly patio. On lower Pier Avenue. Greenbelt HB in Hermosa Beach. Yummm 😋

The mushroom soup is the best ever! Gary is such a wonderful host! Ask him for his recommendations and he is not shy! We ordered the trout and the Mediterranean salad with salmon. We will be back and become regulars! Do not miss this bistro on the pier!

Jadin Ruben

So this is a lovely restaurant on Hermosa Beach, while I was there I had the buffalo chicken wings. What I thought set it apart from the other restaurants in the plaza was the atmosphere of there restaurant it was layed back with indoor and outdoor seating with a wide variety menu. My server was very kind and let me wonder off to the other shops after I ordered, I left a map behind so she knew I would return. The food was quick and very delicious, actually some of the best wings I have had they were hot from the oven and there buffalo sauce wasn't to Firey just the right flavors too! Overall I would give this restaurant a 9/10 The only reason why it's not a 10/10 is because it seems like it would be difficult to get a wheelchair into the restaurant. I only spent $15 which was very reasonable and left a nice tip for the service ☺️ They also get brownie points for having a Bike rack ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐! -Jadin from WI

Love Von

Update: 2/23/2025: 5 Stars! **Updated review** Had a good conversation with the manager, and felt very welcome to revisit my favorite Hermosa Beach restaurant. (The prior experience seemed to be miscommunication/signal crossing.) Had a wonderful experience! Sat inside for the first time, and it was very comfortable, with a modern yet warm decor. My friend and I were delightfully surprised by the pita and hummus! It was so unexpected! The pita is huge and puffy, like a big puffer fish - so playful and fun! And the curry seasoned hummus - wow! Full of unexpected flavor. I don't think any traditional hummus will ever satisfy me again. The almond trout was also very good. It isn't the traditionally floured and pan fried almond trout. It's was a nice thick cut, like Salmon, and came with a tasty caper sauce and green beans. The staff are friendly, the bathroom is clean, and it's at the beach. So glad to return to Bonaparte Bistro! 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. 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!

Debbie Hoffman

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!

Meghan Lynch

Abby is our favorite waitress! I actually didn’t pick to go to this restaurant! My dog did! We were walking by and he went running up to her. He must be a great judge of character because she was So friendly and cheerful working the morning shift, she was a breathe of fresh air and we will definitely be back to visit!!!

Q. “Keene” Korinth

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.

Vitaly Kolas

Nice little restaurant focused on clean, healthy food. My Prosciutto pizza with spinach was delicious! The pita and humus appetizer was unbelievably delicious, and my wife LOVED her salmon entree. The service was excellent! We’ll be back!

Keith Dan

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.

Marshall Azar

I love sitting on the outdoor patio to enjoy the sunset and the fresh air. The service was very quick and friendly. Quite a bit of options to choose as well as drink selections. Definitely worth trying and visiting again.

Candice Walters

My husband and I had lunch from here last weekend. We did takeout. I had the burger and upgraded to truffle fries. It was the best burger I've had in a really long time. It was fresh and flavorful. The bun was perfect. The fries were the perfect complement. My husband really enjoyed his kale Caesar salad with chicken. The chicken looked amazing. We finished the meal with the date cake which was good but it could have been a little more moist. The guy who rang us up was really nice too. I would absolutely go back.

Sparkles333

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.

Daryl Palmer (Daryl Palmer Beach Homes)

I LOVE this place! Super local. Super fresh. Sometimes there’s things Not on the menu. Like the chicken soup. Mmmmmmm. Perfect with sangria! The crunchy jalapeños are over the top! Dog friendly patio. On lower Pier Avenue. Greenbelt HB in Hermosa Beach. Yummm 😋

Alan Ruth

The mushroom soup is the best ever! Gary is such a wonderful host! Ask him for his recommendations and he is not shy! We ordered the trout and the Mediterranean salad with salmon. We will be back and become regulars! Do not miss this bistro on the pier!

Kai

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.

Anastasiya Kopteva

Really, really spectacular experience. Owner was super sweet -- great recs. Shared house hummus, and ordered French onion soup with a side of steak (turns out no one had done that yet, but it was a stellar pairing). Capp was fluffy, house espresso martini had some seasonal spices, and creme brulee had great texture.

Carla Hicklin

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!

The ratatouille and pasta were phenomenal. The grilled chicken was fine but not great. Service was the best I've had in years. Unbelievably friendly and also very flexible. Atmosphere was chill with lovely french music. Portions were super generous. Literally had two leftover lunches.

Adam Kavka

The ratatouille and pasta were phenomenal. The grilled chicken was fine but not great. Service was the best I've had in years. Unbelievably friendly and also very flexible. Atmosphere was chill with lovely french music. Portions were super generous. Literally had two leftover lunches.

It’s def worth checking out, brand new spot (as of 06/2023) or at least a name change. Related to the cafe across the pier) Main focus is French and a little Italian. There is something for everyone. The food is well done.

Victoria Marie

It’s def worth checking out, brand new spot (as of 06/2023) or at least a name change. Related to the cafe across the pier) Main focus is French and a little Italian. There is something for everyone. The food is well done.

Overall, I was not impressed with my experience at this restaurant. While the servers were friendly, the service was just terrible. Our food took over an hour to arrive, despite the fact that the restaurant was not very busy. Despite the wait, the food was decent - the pizzas, burgers, mac and cheese, and fries were all good. However, the poor service really put a damper on the experience. The waiters only visited our table a few times, and that includes bringing the food. Given the subpar service, I wouldn't recommend this restaurant and wouldn't choose to return myself. While the food is good, it's not worth waiting over an hour for and the lack of consistent attention from the staff is disappointing.

Fernando “FERNO”

Overall, I was not impressed with my experience at this restaurant. While the servers were friendly, the service was just terrible. Our food took over an hour to arrive, despite the fact that the restaurant was not very busy. Despite the wait, the food was decent - the pizzas, burgers, mac and cheese, and fries were all good. However, the poor service really put a damper on the experience. The waiters only visited our table a few times, and that includes bringing the food. Given the subpar service, I wouldn't recommend this restaurant and wouldn't choose to return myself. While the food is good, it's not worth waiting over an hour for and the lack of consistent attention from the staff is disappointing.

HUGE MISTAKE!!! A friend recommended Cafe Bonaparte but we accidently ended up at Bonaparte Bistro instead. I'm not sure if they're related. The restaurant was kind of empty... That should've been a telltale sign of the reason...smh. The location is great. The restaurant is clean and nicely decorated. However, the women's restroom had a clogged toilet. We had to inform the staff about it. They have plenty of indoor seating and a great outside patio with umbrellas for shade and nice view of the pier. But there are lots of flies. There was no hostess to seat us so we walked in and eventually one waitress said we can sit anywhere we wanted. The menu has lots of options. We missed the brunch by two minutes (ends at 3pm) waitress said no exceptions... No big deal...so we ordered from the lunch/dinner menu. Got the Grilled veggie sandwich with a side of fries. It was ok... nothing special about it. Just a bunch of cheap mid quality veggies that are grilled and slapped between ciabatta. Not sure why they charge $22 for it. Also ordered The Pan Seared Branzino. It was also ok...nothing special about it. It was a bit dry and came with some dry potatoes and some mushy spinach. Again not sure why they charge $35. Portions are adequate in size but lack flavor. Service was mediocre. IMO, for the amount they charge, you could easily get a much better quality meal elsewhere. The ingredients were meh and flavor was meh at best. I would not recommend this restaurant.

Sam Hosein

HUGE MISTAKE!!! A friend recommended Cafe Bonaparte but we accidently ended up at Bonaparte Bistro instead. I'm not sure if they're related. The restaurant was kind of empty... That should've been a telltale sign of the reason...smh. The location is great. The restaurant is clean and nicely decorated. However, the women's restroom had a clogged toilet. We had to inform the staff about it. They have plenty of indoor seating and a great outside patio with umbrellas for shade and nice view of the pier. But there are lots of flies. There was no hostess to seat us so we walked in and eventually one waitress said we can sit anywhere we wanted. The menu has lots of options. We missed the brunch by two minutes (ends at 3pm) waitress said no exceptions... No big deal...so we ordered from the lunch/dinner menu. Got the Grilled veggie sandwich with a side of fries. It was ok... nothing special about it. Just a bunch of cheap mid quality veggies that are grilled and slapped between ciabatta. Not sure why they charge $22 for it. Also ordered The Pan Seared Branzino. It was also ok...nothing special about it. It was a bit dry and came with some dry potatoes and some mushy spinach. Again not sure why they charge $35. Portions are adequate in size but lack flavor. Service was mediocre. IMO, for the amount they charge, you could easily get a much better quality meal elsewhere. The ingredients were meh and flavor was meh at best. I would not recommend this restaurant.

The restaurant was completely empty on a Saturday afternoon. As our group approached the entrance of the restaurant to be seated, the two waiters/hosts took their time wrapping up their conversation before turning to seat us. It was long enough that we started to greet them to grab their attention, even though they were right in front of us. Normally I wouldn’t mind too much. But after being seated and taking our drink orders, it took about 15 minutes for most of our drinks to be brought out. The service was so inattentive we eventually had to explicitly ask the waitress near our table for our food order to be taken, but she didn’t respond and we just waited for them to come to our table eventually. After finally taking our order (the menu is way too big by the way - red flag number 3 or so) and being reminded about someone’s drink order they had neglected, they brought us our food 45 minutes after being first seated (in an empty restaurant). We got a croque Madame, Mary’s pan roasted chicken, wild mushroom pizza, truffle fries, lemon pasta, and steak and fries (we were a group of 6). The quality of the food was insulting, especially for the price. The steak was extremely tough and was pretty obviously cooked from frozen (inside was raw and tough and the outside was overcooked). My friend who ordered it said it was the worst steak he had ever had. The brussel sprouts with the chicken were not charred like was said on the menu. The chicken tasted gamey and extremely bland; it was almost $40 and I didnt eat it. To compensate for the blandness, they poured and equally bland pan sauce over it. The mashed potatoes that came with it were actually really flavorful and rich. The pizza seemed from frozen almost - powdery undercooked cheese. I would’ve rather had a red baron pizza, it would have been cheaper. The eggs on the croque Madame were cooked until hard and the bread was more like wonderbread than brioche (it said brioche on the menu). The fries were sort of soggy and definitely from frozen. All Parmesan was pre-shredded. Overall, all of the food was over or undercooked, completely bland, and used very poor quality ingredients. I swear I’m not a Karen - I would normally have been accepting of the food quality and the service (its a really hard job, I understand it’s not a passion project or anything for these employees), but the plates averaged $35. The steak and fries was $50. This place used to be SO good. I don’t know what happened. I’m normally not one to complain but the bill was $360 and no one finished their food.

Myzelle Hughes

The restaurant was completely empty on a Saturday afternoon. As our group approached the entrance of the restaurant to be seated, the two waiters/hosts took their time wrapping up their conversation before turning to seat us. It was long enough that we started to greet them to grab their attention, even though they were right in front of us. Normally I wouldn’t mind too much. But after being seated and taking our drink orders, it took about 15 minutes for most of our drinks to be brought out. The service was so inattentive we eventually had to explicitly ask the waitress near our table for our food order to be taken, but she didn’t respond and we just waited for them to come to our table eventually. After finally taking our order (the menu is way too big by the way - red flag number 3 or so) and being reminded about someone’s drink order they had neglected, they brought us our food 45 minutes after being first seated (in an empty restaurant). We got a croque Madame, Mary’s pan roasted chicken, wild mushroom pizza, truffle fries, lemon pasta, and steak and fries (we were a group of 6). The quality of the food was insulting, especially for the price. The steak was extremely tough and was pretty obviously cooked from frozen (inside was raw and tough and the outside was overcooked). My friend who ordered it said it was the worst steak he had ever had. The brussel sprouts with the chicken were not charred like was said on the menu. The chicken tasted gamey and extremely bland; it was almost $40 and I didnt eat it. To compensate for the blandness, they poured and equally bland pan sauce over it. The mashed potatoes that came with it were actually really flavorful and rich. The pizza seemed from frozen almost - powdery undercooked cheese. I would’ve rather had a red baron pizza, it would have been cheaper. The eggs on the croque Madame were cooked until hard and the bread was more like wonderbread than brioche (it said brioche on the menu). The fries were sort of soggy and definitely from frozen. All Parmesan was pre-shredded. Overall, all of the food was over or undercooked, completely bland, and used very poor quality ingredients. I swear I’m not a Karen - I would normally have been accepting of the food quality and the service (its a really hard job, I understand it’s not a passion project or anything for these employees), but the plates averaged $35. The steak and fries was $50. This place used to be SO good. I don’t know what happened. I’m normally not one to complain but the bill was $360 and no one finished their food.