Monet’s

My favorite place in Exeter! The food is always delicious. My favorite appetizer is the caramelized shallot and lavender Brie but I get it with goat cheese instead. I could eat that everyday. I absolutely love the Warm Spinach Salad. My husband always has to have the Lavender Cheesecake. Another delicious lavender treat is the Lavender latte. I love the atmosphere there and the lighting. On certain days they have live music. The staff is super friendly and great at what they do. Sometimes me and my friends just go for the wine. They have a great selection. Highly recommend this restaurant to all.

This restaurant was on my «bucket list» for places to eat while living here and I was pleased all around with this visit. My husband made sure to call and reserve a table 2 weeks in advance and requested a table by the dessert display case. They had mentioned that they were unable to do so and if that table was available the day we came in, they would gladly seat us there. Not disappointed with that answer, we went for my 30^th birthday, however, when we asked about the table located in front of the dessert case, they said it was reserved for another party. I wasn’t terribly upset, but I wasn’t happy about it either. That is one reason I only gave 4 stars.
Food wise: Wonderful! We ordered the baked brie and pear for our appetizer and it came out with a blueberry and walnut salad as well. Both excellent! For entrees, my husband ordered the special of the day, Snapper over risotto with a creamy sauce (spinach, cream, and cherry tomatoes). He said it was delicious! I ordered the Grilled Salmon and Portabella Ravioli. The ravioli was great, but my salmon didn’t have the crusty grilled outside like I was hoping it would, it was rather soft, so I was a little disappointed with that. I also ordered the salted caramel chocolate torte and the lavender cheesecake to go. Both were sinfully delicious. We both got italian sodas. my husband ordered the strawberry and I got the sugar free raspberry. mine was amazing! My husband also got a white chocolate mocha at the end of his meal which he said was really good and hit the spot.
Service: it got busy really quick and as a result, it took a little longer for the food to arrive, but the ambiance was lovely. The front seating is a cozy little room with a few tables. They have more seating in the back room, but I didn’t venture back there to see how many it can fit. I believe it’s used for larger parties, but again, not completely sure. The staff was great and attentive.
All together it cost $ 110, so make sure if you plan on visiting Monet’s, make a reservation ahead of time, and be willing to spend a little more!

Walked in for some coffee & dessert on a Saturday night. This place was very packed– MAKE RESERVATIONS– but the staff was so kind and walked us to their back room. The front room is very poppin and feels crowded because it’s a small space. But the live music and relaxed vibe makes you want to stay instead of walking out over the crowded feeling. The back room was not crowded at all, and you can still hear the live music. We had the best Americanos. I ordered a Lavender Latte, it was amazing. They sprinkle lavender on top, I scooped those off because that was a little too strong. But anyway, lavender infused espresso & lavender torani syrup was just great! Also ordered the crème brûlée and it was perfect! The staff kept our water full and brought bread with oil/​balsamic dipping. Great service! Can’t wait to go back!

Charming delightful and DELICIOUS! It is always a memorable experience when I dine at Monet’s. Jennifer has created an environment that feels like home; your favorite wines, dishes, entertainment and friends! Monet’s is a landmark for the town of Exeter, if you come to town make a reservation and indulge in the experience!

Really good food and venue!!! Love music by rich too! I ordered the lobster and mushroom salad, the lobster bisque soup, French onion soup and a chocolate cake for dessert. The lobster bisque soup is definitely my favorite.

We stopped by here on our way to sequoia national park. I highly recommend this place– the food, desserts, wine and service are great!

The food was fantastic and four star worthy… the service was horrible. The two tables near us were not immediately cleared and it took a good twenty minutes before someone attended to them. I get that we may have come in right before closing but still we don’t want to see dirty dishes and glasses while we eat. The waitress forgot a few things we ordered so the food came out at different times which was a bummer– still full price on the check… oh well. Despite the service— The food was delicious.
The Mona Lisa was well liked
The clam chowder was delicious
The lobster bisque was light and amazing
The mushroom soup with brie was also well liked
Everyone loved their entrees… my salmon with mushroom ravioli was amazing– the pesto I totally wish I had more bread to eat with it!
Cute bathroom!

I enjoyed the atmosphere and food at Monet but my experience would have been much better if I had received the entrée I had ordered within a reasonable timeframe. We had a group of four and visited the restaurant around 11:30. There were two, maybe three, other tables with diners but no more than 10 customers including our group of four.
We were seated and the waitress took our drink orders while we looked over the menu. She brought our drinks within a few minutes and also took our order, I ordered the lobster ravioli. Then we waited… and waited… and waited some more. It was about an hour after we ordered before we received our meals. Of the four meals ordered, two of them were wrong. A coworker had ordered a flank steak pasta but it arrived sans flank steak. My lobster ravioli was nowhere to be found… our waitress later explained she wrote it down wrong. I didn’t want to wait another hour so I ended up taking the extra lobster Portobello mushroom salad. The lobster was prepared almost like a lobster cake on top of the Portobello. The salad was a general spring mix but had a light dressing that complimented the other ingredients without overpowering or taking away from the lobster. I don’t like mushrooms but I did try this one and wasn’t impressed but again I’m not a mushroom fan.
The restaurant had a great ambiance but this was all ruined by poor service. I hope to visit Exeter again but I’m not sure if I’ll revisit Monet after this experience.

The food was good, the service was good. I recommend to anyone looking for a nice meal.

Took my wife there for her birthday. Some of the best food I have ever had. Menu is a little limeted for choices but what they did serve was great. Make sure you make reservations because it’s small and it gets packed.

Basic Notes:
*Live music starts at 7:15 PM
*Reservations highly recommended (if you’re like us and have no cell reception where you’re staying, use Google Voice to call using your browser)
Reasons why it’s 4, not 5:
*Service was fine, not great, but perfectly fine
*Everyone else was offered bread, but we weren’t
*Server dropped my espresso spoon and never came back with another
*Cordon Bleu Crêpe’s chicken was tough and the salad dressing was too sweet (and tasted like it came from a bottle)
*Lavender cheesecake was still partially frozen, which made the texture and temperature uneven and awkward
*Presentation of all plates was a little messy, but as my mom says… It all looks the same once you eat it.
Reasons why it’s still 4, despite the above:
*Lobster ravioli was amazing. Every bite teased and seduced. This alone I would come back for.
*Ambience transplanted us back to a small, intimate café in Paris
*Excellent wine selection
*Goat cheese crostinis were unique and tasty
*Servers were friendly and never rushed us, despite the place starting to get full
*Lavender cheesecake, despite its partial frozenness, had a wonderfully subtle lavender flavor that just flirted with the senses
But really… Go :) It was quite a nice find in the area

Delightful night with Jennifer who asked us to sit with her at the bar, where she shared stories and delightful wine tastings from her upcoming monthly Monday dinner and tasting of Burbank reds. As usual, the Jazz clariinet was perfect, and While it was very busy, the team is very polished and timely with all it takes to creat a wonderful evening dine out. The nightly specials were both home runs– beginning with asparagus soup, flambé mushrooms, the excellent Mahi Mahi and filet Oscar. We will be back.

My wife and I ate here twice while in the area visiting Sequoia and Kings Canyon — and it was outstanding both times!
The owner Jennifer is so nice! I am looking forward to another visit and I would even detour out of my way on a road trip to eat at Monet’s again.
We got a tour of the kitchen and were invited back to see it after it is remodeled. :-)

Really unbelievable food — we got not spectacular service — considering how few tables there are in here — I took off a star.
Emphasis on the food being great though.

Wow. We stopped here on a whim after leaving Sequoia National Park. This is one of the best places I’ve been in a long time. Baked Brie, lobster ravioli, and lavender cheesecake were all amazing. Wine list was solid. Service was EXCELLENT. Prices really weren’t bad either considering how great it was. We’ll be driving up from Bakersfield just for this place.

Inattentive waitress… What a shame. The food was great. The restaurant small, clean and somewhat romantic. The Jazz player was awesome.
The waitress left our dirty, used plates on the table for over ½ hour as we waited for desert. The wine bottle finished yet we were never offered another or a third glass. Finally, desert was delivered (yum), but then the check immediately followed. We were never asked if we needed anything else.
Would have loved to order more food to go (for my in-​laws who were caring for the kid) and enjoyed the the live music over a second bottle of wine… But guess not.
On the positive side, I returned home with $ 200 which I was planing on spending for dinner.

My friend Jennifer owns Monet’s. Full disclosure, I never met Jennifer before I ate there but she’s my friend now. I suspect most people who dine at Monet’s would make the same assertion. This is a woman who loves not only food but also people who love food.
We spent a long weekend in Exeter visiting Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks to celebrate our 27^th anniversary. My husband once ate at Monet’s while on a work trip and told me we needed to have our anniversary dinner there. He knew I’d love it. He was right.
The restaurant is on one of the main thoroughfares of Exeter. It has a charming exterior with a few tables out front. When you walk in you’re overwhelmed with the sheer charm of the place — the touches of France are everywhere, the bar is inviting, the dessert case is divine. They have a wonderful wine list filled with many central coast options. And we wound up eating there two nights in a row.
First night (not our anniversary dinner) we shared the three course chicken special and the baked brie appetizer. The brie was fantastic! They set it on a warmer to keep the cheese perfectly ripe. The chicken started with a crab salad, went on to the entrée with potatoes and carrots and ended with tiramisu. Everything was sumptuous! Delectable!
Night two, our anniversary dinner, was fun. There was a lovely table with our name on it — one of three in the window. Each window table was taken by a couple celebrating an anniversary! We shared the fillo au fromage. I had the rib eye and my husband had the lobster ravioli. We had wine and lavendar cheesecake. We had port. It was fabulous, start to finish, a cullinary delight!
After dinner Jennifer gave us a tour of the kitchen, which was about to be redone. She wanted us to see it before we left so that when we come back (AND WE WILL BE BACK!!!) we would be able to appreciate the changes. She sent us on our way with hugs and full tummies.
Anyone who reads my review of Sodini’s in North Beach (
) will understand my love of charming restaurants that treat us like family. Monet’s has joined that small but much loved group.

Great food, great drinks, great service!
The restaurant is small, but always clean.
Staff is helpful and friendly; they go out of their way to make sure you have a pleasant experience.

5 star dining in Exeter?! You betcha!
Monet’s has been on my bookmark list for a few years now. I’ve just never had an opportunity to come up here to try it. I must admit, I was a bit hesitant to try Monet’s, especially decked out in my World Ag Expo get-​up. I’m not particularly fond of some French food, and I thought this place might be stuffy and pretentious. Boy was I wrong. This place is the most approachable French food you’ll find in Central California, perhaps all of California.
We came in around 2pm for a late lunch. The café was quaint and romantic, a perfect date spot. Even at this odd hour during a weekday there were four other tables of patrons. We were immediately greeted and our drink orders taken. Even though we only had tea and soda, they were poured in beautiful tall elegant glasses w/​chic black straws. It’s the little things!
We ordered the Old World bread platter which was simply delicious. Complete with pesto, red pepper, and garlic spread. But the best part was the delicious aged balsamic vinegar — simply amazing and a great start to one of the best lunches of all time.
For lunch I had the Burrata salad. Someone once told me that Burrata is the sexiest of cheeses. I must agree — it’s damn sexy. Lying atop a lush bed of fresh greens, the cheese oozed with creamy goodness. Accompanied by sweet juicy citrus, toasted pine nuts and drizzled with balsamic — this is definitely an X rated dish that will tantalize the senses!
Like the obligatory post-​coitus cigarette, dessert became an absolute necessity. The crème brulee was in my sights long before lunch had begun and my mouth began to water at the sight of its freshly caramelized crust.
*Tap-​Tap-​Crack* the sweetly satisfying sound of caramelized sugar shattering beneath the back of my spoon. It’s the Siren’s Song of food. I instantly knew this would be a crème brulee for the ages. Smooth creamy custard with a whisper of vanilla lined the inside of the warm shallow ramekin. A heaping spoon full of homemade whipped cream drizzled with caramel adorned the plate. Before I knew it, all was gone.
All desserts are freshly prepared, by our own server no less! Everything served is fresh and in season — none of that frozen crud here. Just authentic gourmet European-​chic food, in the heart of the Central Valley Farmland. It really is a match made in Heaven.

The mushroom appetizer «picnic menu» item… A m a z i n g !!
Lobster ravioli… A m a z i n g !! Best I’ve ever had
Spicy Lamb Panini… My husband LOVED it!
And… of course, the lavender cheese cake was a mouth watering treat! Very unique in taste but so delicious !!!
Service was perfect !!
Make a reservation !

Köstliches Essen — sehr gute Variation von Hamburger und Pommes! Und charmante Background-​Live-​Musik