Reviewing Left Bank: An authentic Parisian-style brasserie in San Jose.  

What beats a lazy Sunday afternoon with delicious food, refreshing drinks, and good company? In my books, that’s pretty hard to top. You can easily accomplish this feat if you go to Left Bank with a group of your closest friends for Sunday brunch! With their dreamy European vibes and mouthwatering French cuisine, there will certainly be a dish that fits everyone’s palate and will ensure a pleasant old time.  

Left Bank is nestled in the heart of Santana Row, the hottest outdoor shopping area in all of South Bay, where you can browse through quaint boutiques and pop into any eatery for a nice drink and some snacks once you feel peckish from all the walking. Considering that Santana Row is always packed, I’ve never taken the chance to eat at any of the uber-popular restaurants since the lines are long and, to be 100 percent transparent, I assumed were overhyped. When my friend asked me out to brunch at Left Bank on a lazy Sunday afternoon and told me he had put in a reservation, I felt like the opportunity had fallen into my lap. 

Once we arrived, we were seated immediately inside at a charming booth shaped like a semi-circle and were asked if we had been to Left Bank before. My boyfriend and I were there for the first time, so the waiter gave us a quick walk-through of the menu as well as recommended a couple of drinks. We started off our brunch with some French spritz, and I also wanted to give a non-alcoholic beverage a try, so I ordered the recommended “Tropical.” All the drinks were refreshing and beautifully decorated, with the alcoholic beverages having a good amount of pour. I ordered the croissant bun sandwich with avocado as the waiter recommended, while the rest of my group ordered the French ham omelet and niçoise salad. Left Bank has a beautiful blend of indoor-outdoor dining, so it was the ideal place to people-watch while sipping on cocktails and waiting for our food. 

By the time our food arrived, I was so excited to finally dig into my sandwich. My sandwich came open-faced with a perfectly cooked sunny-side-up egg on one side and half of an avocado on the other. The French ham omelet came with sides of fresh fruit and crispy potatoes, and the niçoise salad looked bright and flavorful with all the different colors and ingredients. I assembled my sandwich in a hurry and took a huge bite. All the ingredients were flawlessly balanced; the saltiness of the bacon and cheese was cut through by the fresh tomato and sauce. The runny yolk was dripping down my hands, but I was not phased because the fluffy croissant bun completely took me by surprise. It was buttery, pillowy, and soft with layers and layers of flaky dough; it won my heart over as my favorite part of the entire dish. I understood why the waiter recommended the avocado since the creaminess added an additional textural element to the bite. The accompanying arugula salad was bright and crisp, tossed with the right amount of dressing so the veggies weren’t drenched and still had a bite.  

My friends equally enjoyed their meals, and I had a bite to confirm that Left Bank excelled in the quality and taste of all their dishes. The French ham omelet was seasoned to perfection and had an abundance of ingredients. The potatoes were crispy on the outside and pillowy on the inside. I was caught off guard by how umami and savory the niçoise salad was. I never had a niçoise salad before, but the anchovies and fresh tomatoes actually went so well together. The extra dash of protein and carbs from the egg and potatoes kept the salad hearty and filling.  

Throughout our entire meal, the restaurant stayed packed and busy, with a steady flow of customers also looking to enjoy their Sunday afternoon with the three goods I mentioned before: food, drinks, and company. I realized why Left Bank was such a popular establishment, and their rotating menus to accommodate different times of day were impressive, to say the least. I would love to come again for a romantic date night, and I definitely want to try their take on the classic French dishes, such as moules frites and escargots. Left Bank is the place to go if you want to escape your daily life to step into a romantic Parisian brasserie.