About Café Lafayette
Café Lafayette will provide you with a fine dining experience in the heart of downtown Exeter, California. Step through the beautifully designed front gate into the stunning brick lined shaded patio. Enjoy a quaint table for two, private party for a special occasion or have your business meeting in this beautiful garden area.
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Enter the front dining room with the beautifully created wine bar. Choose to dine in one of two dining areas, at the bar, or simply enjoy our wines brought from all over the state of California as well as a house wine brought from France.
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The wine cellar is located in the banquet room which is a perfect place to have a large party for any occasion.
Our Chef
Owner and chef Fred Imbert grew up in the town of Evian in the French Alps and dreamed of having his own restaurant. After a year in London working with seasoned chefs, he made the move to California. He has managed kitchens of all sizes ever since. He worked for a year at the Radisson hotel in Visalia, several years as executive chef for Kaweah Delta Health Care District, ran a bakery of his own in Hanford for five years, and was the chef at Monet’s Restaurant for seven years. Twenty years after beginning his culinary journey, Fred’s dream was realized when, on January 3rd 2015, Café Lafayette opened its doors in Exeter, California.
Our Name
Our restaurant is named after General Marquis de Lafayette who traveled from France hoping to aid General George Washington in the revolutionary cause. He brought with him a determination and spirit that impressed General Washington and together they built an alliance between France and America at a very important time for both countries.
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It is with this same determination and spirit that we bring to our customers a French influence on American food. We believe that cooking is a way to show creativity and do this through our ever changing menu.
