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Chopin Cafe & Restaurant
Categories: Restaurants Polish Restaurants Breakfast & Brunch Polish, Breakfast & Brunch [Edit]
1574 Palos Verdes MallWalnut Creek, CA 94597
(925) 256-8658
- Hours:
Tue-Thu 11 am - 3 pm
Wed-Sun 5 pm - 9 pm
Fri-Sun 9 am - 3 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
98 reviews for Chopin Cafe & Restaurant
Review Highlights
"The Hunter's Stew is a gem as well."
(in 18 reviews)
"Food is excellent and I love the stuffed cabbage."
(in 18 reviews)
"Blinces with raspberry puree and whipped cream."
(in 3 reviews)
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98 reviews in English
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Review from Charlie P.
Livermore, CA
1/20/2012
WOW...I would make the drive to Walnut Creek ANYTIME to visit Chopin! My good friend introduced me to this lovely little Polish cafe....she wanted me to try the blintzes...which I did....and which I LOVED! There was a sweet young waitress who didn't know what kind of coffee I wanted, so she brought out the owner, who was so sweet and kind! That coffee (Cafe Au Lait) was the best I have ever had! It was amazing, just like the blintzes!
As a side note- I love that this is in a strip mall, yet once you walk inside you are transported to a lovely European cafe! Love the dainty lace curtains and all the traditional Polish artwork.
Someone else said in their review that they rated Chopin only 4 stars because they thought it was strange that you walked through the kitchen to get to the restroom! I gotta tell you...I wish I could see EVERY restaurant's kitchen! My fiance went to the restroom and when he came back his eyes were round as saucers! He said (with a HUGE SMILE), "There is not ONE thing from Costco back there!....There was a huge pile of fresh potatoes, and a little old Polish lady with 3 huge cast iron skillets!!...SHE was making Polish sausage!!" Which I might add was the best polish sausage I have ever encountered! Delicious!
There are obviously "regulars" at Chopin, and obviously the owners talk to them more than they create conversations with us "not-so-regulars"....but we did strike up an amazing and fun conversation with the owner and when we left my fiance said, "We will be coming back here....and often!"
I can't say enough good things about Chopin! I also cannot wait to introduce everyone I know to this wonderful little cafe! Truly a gem! -
Review from Allen S.
San Ramon, CA
2/5/2012 1 Check-in Here
Chopin is a small polish restaurant across from Lunardis. The atmosphere is a nicely decorated European cafe. The restaurant is quiet making it a nice place to meet with friends. Like many European style cafes Chopin has outside tables.
Being a polish restaurant we had the polish sausage and weren't disappointed. The blinces with raspberry sauce were a nice addition. -
Review from Blake S.
Bay Area
1/29/2012
Walking into Chopin, I immediately feel that I am transported to another country, if not another time. From a modest library adjacent to the espresso machine, to the old-world, decorative metal plates and blankets, and most importantly, the humble, Polish hospitality.
The menu seems to offer the best of the best- a small sample, but each dish is unique. Be ready to brackish and bitter tastes, think sauerkraut. The variations on this taste make the meal an exploration that I savored.
I ordered the herring as an appetizer. With a saltiness redolent of fish, but with a creamy, slightly bitter, lower layer. Paired with raw onions, tomato, and pickle.
The Hunter's stew was served a little too cold to my taste, but I was a late arrival. It is substantive and filling. -
Review from mc f.
Walnut Creek, CA
1/15/2012
we are new to WC area and was searching for breakfast after church on a Sunday morning. Little did we know this place was a Polish cafe. We went in anyway to try it. To our surprise, menu was very plain and simple BUT delicious. We had the french toast and blintzes, was amazingly good. This place is very small, but the dishes were worth the stop.
Only received 4 stars because it was weird that in order to go to the restroom, one would have to pass through the kitchen where you can see all the dishes, cooking etc.
I was only rating on the food, it'd be 5 stars. -
Review from Alan M.
San Ramon, CA
1/31/2012
Our adult kids turned us on to Chopins knowing how much we enjoy Polish food. Chopin's doesn't disappoint! We've now eaten there several times and look forward to going back again. The place is not fancy but it is nicely decorated (and very reminiscient of restaurants we have been to in Poland). The owners are very friendly and their food is wonderful. You get a great meal for a very fair price.
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Review from Koshka K.
San Francisco, CA
1/14/2012
Atmosphere: small cafe, very European style.
Service: Quiet, nice place to take a friend to catch up. Super friendly wait staff and attentive, though are few waiters
Food: my husband and I have eaten here many times. We live in Walnut Creek, it's our favorite cafe. The Borscht is a served as a hot vegetable soup - not the thick cold type. I like it but it is more bland than the mushroom soup. The Mushroom soup is my favorite, rich w lots of chopped mushrooms. I even tried the special "pickle soup." It is basically a potato soup w chopped pickles. It sounds crazy but if you pickles, it's salty yumminess.
We're tried all the apps. The potato salad is Eastern European style -I enjoy but if you like sweet potato salad, this isn't for you. The marinated mushrooms, the pierogis and the dumplings in mushroom sauce are delish. My favorite is Bigos aka Hunter's stew, the stuffed cabbage and kielbasa. The Bigos is an old world dish the is rarely offered outside of a polish home. It's old fashion comfort food. Love it.
Dessert: The pound cake is just OK - not bad but not the best. The raspberry blintzes are so good. Small portion dessert but filling. The blintzes are light, good texture.
Drinks: my husband enjoys trying the European beers, he likes the porter the best.
Price: Worth it! Good price for what you get --good food, the portions are filling. Parking is easy, service is quick and the place is quiet. -
Review from Elly G.
Walnut Creek, CA
12/4/2011
The restaurant is small and simple. The food is OK and nothing spectacular. You can hear everyone's conversation too. The service is slow but friendly. I do like their hunter's stew.
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Review from brandi g.
Los Angeles, CA
6/30/2011
Great little family restaurant. Service was excellent, food was great and generally reminded me of Poland. The people are so friendly in Poland and it was no different here. We had a great conversation about our favorite restaurant in Warsaw and about Warsazwa in Santa Monica.
We had all the mushrooms, the soup, the marinated mushrooms, the pierogis and the dumplings in mushroom sauce. My favorite was the soup and the pierogis. Delicious! Also at the table was the Hunter's stew and the stuffed cabbage, which were well received.
We had some of the Polish Porter- fabulous! And the highlight was the raspberry blintzes. Probably the best I've ever had. I don't always love them, but these were stellar.
Next time we are going near Walnut Creek, we will definitely go back! -
Review from Heather H.
Hamilton, OH
10/26/2011
Maybe it's because I'm Polish - or maybe just because I had a hankering for pierogis, but I really enjoyed Chopin Cafe.
The family owners (from Poland) were very sweet and the food was terrific. It very much reminded me of the food I had when I visited Poland a year ago.
I had the borscht and mushroom pierogis while my cousin had the beef tartar and goulash. All dishes were very good.
If I had to complain about anything it would be that there wasn't any music playing - but it may have been because it was late on a Sunday night. Like I said, if I HAD to complain.
All things considered, I'm definitely coming here again. -
Review from Linda M.
2/14/2011
Had dinner at Chopin with my parents and we all enjoyed our meals.
Marinated mushrooms - mild, light vinegar, nice but a little boring, and served with heavy onion
Red borscht soup - mmm, pretty tasty and I'm not particularly a beet fan
Cream of mushroom soup - also tasty (dad's favorite of the apps), light on the cream, lots of mushroom chunks
Herring - Big pieces served with tomato and onion. Mr. M thoroughly enjoyed.
We split dinner entrees (which the kitchen was kind enough to put on separate plates), since portions are big and we'd had an afternoon cheese plate at home. That turned out to be the perfect amount for us. Hubby and I had the pirogi, which come with 8 at dinnertime. You choose your combo from cheese&potato, sauerkraut&mushroom or beef. They were out of cheese&potato, so I tried the other two kinds and thought the sauerkraut&mushroom were the standout. My P's had the Hunter's stew, and I have to say I liked it better (shhh) than my late Latvian uncle's famous (in our family) sauerkraut. The stew was mild with a very light tomato base. We washed it all down with a nice Polish porter, the perfect accompaniment.
This is not the type of food I go for often, but it was a nice break from the usual. Perfect hearty meal for a chilly night. We didn't get the warm fuzzy welcome from our waiter and the owner didn't greet us as she did several obvious regulars, but service was fine. We talked about going here when our son did his 2nd grade heritage report on Poland, but just never made it until now. For sure we'll take our son back with us next time, and we'd like to try their weekend breakfasts too.
Large portion dinner entrees run btwn $10-18
Apps/salads/soups in the $4.75-$10 range -
Review from Stephanie C.
San Francisco, CA
5/14/2011
Never had polish food before...and this was a GREAT introduction to it! :)
Food: 5***** - Had the mixed pierogies (2 cheese & potato, 2 mushrooms & sauerkraut, 2 beef) If you're a dumpling lover like me, you definitely have to try these. The dumpling skin is perfect, thick and doughy, exactly like the good Chinese dumplings. Friends ordered omelettes, polish sausage, stuffed cabbages, and they all liked them.
Service: 5***** Small family-owned restaurant. The kitchen staff looked like a bunch of Polish grandmothers. YOU KNOW it has to be good, authentic home-cooking. :) The waiter was a young Polish man, hospitable and personable.
Cleanliness: 5***** Designed like a little Polish cafe - felt like I was in a Polish grandma's kitchen.
Great place for breakfast or brunch! -
Review from Kim Lan G.
Oakland, CA
5/11/2011
Seriously JUST like my Busia's (Polish grandmother) cooking, which is saying a lot because her cooking is legit, to-die-for Polish food that I have to travel to Chicago for at least once a year to stock up on. So good it can't be replicated...'til now...
Sauerkraut and mushroom pierogies are my favorite, though my husband prefers the cheese and potato; the beef pierogies are good, too. The cream of mushroom soup is thick and flavorful with plenty of huge chunks of mushrooms. There's magic in the dill dressing that covers the cucumber salad - don't say I didn't warn you. Pastries are delightful also: apple strudel/cake thing and a cheese blintz covered in raspberry love.
The place is small - only seats about 28 people, so come early or make a reservation. I get the impression that Sunday breakfast is a popular time to go, too, though I say that because we overheard the (wonderful) server turn down a bunch of people for reservations for the next day, which happened to be Mother's Day.
We live in Oakland, but I'll definitely be going back to Chopin Cafe for more legit Polish food - heck, it beats flying to Chicago. -
Review from Marc G.
Oakland, CA
7/31/2011
My wife and I happened to be in Walnut Creek, which to us is a strange suburban land of settled geometries on the other side of the Oakland/Berkeley hills. I feel like going through that tunnel on 24 you are crossing into some parallel world of strip mall consumerism. But even in this world you can find great places to eat, like Chopin Cafe and Restaurant. Located, not surprisingly, in a strip mall, the food here is really tasty. Just great comfort food, that is actually good and not just good because it's familiar.
The space is small, and has limited seating. We went in on a friday evening, and at the time there were only a few elderly couples. Which is great when you are used to being crowded out in SF/Oakland by other 20-30 somethings. Unlike new restaurants in SF/Oakland though, there is no irony or pretension in Cafe Chopin, only really good food. The pickled herring maybe wasn't the best i've had but the presentation was really euro--with tomatoes, onions, and pickles; nothing creative, it just is what it is. Same with the potato salad, which was excellent. The beer here is polish--I had the pilsner and my wife had a lager--both came with frosted mugs and both were super tasty.
For the main course we ordered the Hunter's stew and Pierogies. The stew isn't really a stew as one might normally think of it. It is mainly sauerkraut marinated with sauces and it includes beef and sausage. Not sure why but I LOVE sauerkraut, so I thought this dish was really delicious. The pierogies were the best I've ever had in my life, no exaggeration. The skin they use, was absolutely perfect: thick and doughy and cooked exactly the right amount. It's so easy to over or undercook them, so when they come out perfect like this, its a treat. We got the mixed plate which inlcuded cheese and potato, mushroom/sauerkraut, and minced beef. Mushroom sauerkraut were the best. You get about 8 dumplings and they are topped with caramelized onions.
My wife and I were so full we couldn't order dessert, though I'm going to be more disciplined next time and not order two appetizers.
The place seems like a family business and we received excellent table service by (I'm assuming) the son. Anyway, it's not like a super romantic place to take a first date (because the decor is modest--but perfectly eastern european with the lace curtains and glass tabletops-- it is located in a strip mall, etc.), and its a little off the beaten track, but totally worth it. Another great thing is that the prices are very reasonable.
So, this is all to say that, if you are in Walnut Creek and are looking for a different experience compared to the super hetero-aggressive, SUV, bleached out, plastique, cougar-dens like Va de Vi or Cheesecake Factory (which are worth visiting for their own sake), go to Chopin Cafe. -
Review from David H.
Clayton, CA
10/25/2010
My experience at Chopin Cafe was very bizarre. Firstly, the food was fantastic. Secondly, the service was awful -- but only for us.
I tried the herring (appetizer) in oil, which was not what I'd expected never having had herring before. I polished it all off, including the tomatoes and raw onions, had the perogies for dinner, and tried my friends dumplings in mushroom sauce. All of it was really good, except the herring, which was just odd. The perogies had very full flavor, complex hints of cheese in the potato and cheese kind and a mil beef flavor in the beef variety. The amount of food was appropriate for someone with a good appetite or who had just run a half marathon. The best part was the blintz we had for desert. Without close second, it was the best blintz I've ever had. And I'm from Chicago, where we take our blintzes seriously.
I have two detractions, however. 1- No fountain drinks. All pops were in cans, meaning no refills. 2- The service was terrible for us. We watched as all the people around us were greeted warmly, some got hugs from the waiter, and with almost all of them he was chatty and talkative. I couldn't get my water refilled. And when we left we said "Thank you, it was great" and the response was a terse "it was."
It seemed that the service was friendly toward people they knew, or regular customers. Anyone else received fairly poor service.
One last complaint to note is that they close their kitchen an hour before they close their doors. Don't come here wanting a last-minute meal right before closing time.
The setting is nice, friendly, and small. By small I also mean it can have a nice, intimate feeling but is not good for a group exceeding four or five. In fact, they charge 17% gratuity for all groups of five more more. FIVE! That's the smallest group size for automatic gratuity I've ever seen.
In short, the food gets five stars, the service gets zero. My two-star rating is just an average. -
Review from Bri S.
Pleasant Hill, CA
9/22/2011 1 Check-in Here
Great for light breakfast
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Review from F T.
Bay Area
10/27/2010
Food: 4 stars
Service: 3 stars
Value: 3.5 stars
When my hubby told me that he was taking me to have Polish dinner, I was all excited. When we were driving in Walnut Creek and entering the residential area in the dark, we began to wonder if the address was wrong. The area didn't look like there would be a restaurant opened here. But we finally arrived this plaza in the middle of nowhere.
When we entered this little restaurant, there were 3 tables of customers eating, but no waitress. We stood there and waited to be seated. I saw there was an old lady cooking in the kitchen, so we waited. My hubby asked me if we should just leave because if there was only one person working here, serving and cooking, we might have to wait long time for our food to be ready. I then walked to a table and asked the people if their food took long time to come, but they said their food came out fast. So we decided to stay. We just picked our table and sat down. Luckily, as soon as we sat down, a younger man came out from the kitchen and gave us the menu.
We ordered Mizeria ($4.25, cucumber salad with sour cream and dill dressing), Pieczarki Marynowane ($5.95, marinated mushrooms), Golabki ($12.25, stuffed cabbage with hearty mushroom sauce), and Biala Kielbasa ($14.25, homemade pork and chicken Polish sausage made from chef's secret family recipe). The cucumber salad was very light and refreshing. But we had to add some salt to bring out the flavor. The marinated mushrooms were too sour to be eaten alone. We had it with the meat dish and it was perfect. Both entrees were excellent. The homemade sausages were yummy but I just wish they were pan-fried a little longer so the skin could be more golden brown and crispy.
I love this little family-own restaurant. I like the ambiance and the atmosphere. The service was decent (could be better). I would definitely come back. -
Review from Jennette B.
Pittsburg, CA
2/13/2011
Family owned
Super Cute
wonderful service and food! -
Review from Vladimir P.
San Francisco, CA
8/15/2011
I ordered Borsch, golybci and pork cutlet. It was ok but not mindblowing.
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Review from Minh T.
1/7/2011
I LOVE this little Polish gem!
I've eaten here a few times with the lady, taken her parents here, and now have taken some friends here. It's ALWAYS a good meal.
This looks like a Polish grandma's house and the lady who cooks looks like a Polish grandma. I've had about half the menu and it's all good. The stuffed cabbage has to be the best, but the hunter's stew is also very good...it all depends on what you're in the mood for. One word of caution: the portions can be HUGE. I like sharing in general, but you might want to consider splitting plates or appetizers, just ask the very helpful server.
I love supporting local businesses and with this style of food disappearing from the Bay Area, I really encourage people to come here and try something different. -
Review from xx x.
Menlo Park, CA
7/20/2011 2 Check-ins Here
I had the soup, salad, and home made sausage and everything was lovely. It's great for a cafe and the food is an excellent value for the price.
If I lived near here I'd be back often. -
Review from J L.
Berkeley, CA
7/22/2011
This little restaurant is adorable. The interior is so cute and romantic. The food is DELICIOUS and at a very good price for what you get. I ordered the potato/bacon/cheese/meat dumplings and they were so yummy. And the beef stew, which is also very good. The meat is very tender, and exquisitely seasoned. The food is delicious, cheap, and the tables and seats are all adorable. What more could you ask for?
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Review from Alyssa K.
6/18/2010
Great food, great service, fast kitchen, reasonable prices.
Red Borcsh - red beet soup. I know, red beet soup doesn't sound all that appetizing, but I decided to try something new. It was delicious!
Shared the Cutlet and Sausage dish. The sausage was my favorite. very flavorful. the cutlet probably needed a sauce or something, but it was still good. -
Review from Victor G.
Oakland, CA
5/24/2010
Chopin Cafe was reviewed by Manabu M. with such enthusiasm i had to check it out. though polish, the dishes had a similarity with german dishes, at half the price. decor is polish art works, plates, and lace curtains.
music: probably chopin instrumentals, barely audible.
sampling:
-cucumber salad (3.95 served with traditional dill dressing)
got this by mistake, looked like just cucumbers and white dressing.
poked the cubes a little looking for the potato salad i ordered then returned it to sender.
-breaded pork cutlet(7.95)
large sized pork fillet breaded and grilled. tender not dried. amazing deliz despite no sauce. contrast chicken fry steak (old american) and tonkatsu (japanese)
-vegetable potato salad(3.95)
very small cubed potatoesi ntemixed with celery bits. 2 small scoops of potato with a tomato slice. natural taste, "dry", no sauce. contrast this with german potaote salad which is spicer with black pepper .
-coffee (2): a little harsh and a little weak, polish style? unsure.
-home made rolls
a little sweeter and bigger than the baked dinner rolls available at safeway.
-fine dining
-chopin cafe is very small, 12 tables (of 2's) inside and 4 outside.
-single server in his tees flittering around like peter pan
-service "leisurely" (seems to be slow). this can be expected by one manpower (horsepower) service.
-eatery mostly full, was told table would be ready in 10 minutes and it was. (a pleasant surprice, server rewarded later).
-very good value, fresh ingredients in food.
-traditional polish fare, not fancy but good, inexpensive dining..Listed in: german eats, bier, shopping,…
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Review from Manabu M.
5/2/2010 7 photos
"So if you like Chopin, Manabu, which symphony of his do you like most?"
At Davies Symphony Hall, some guy who called himself "a classic music connoisseur" asked me this question when I told him that I loved Chopin.
Immediately, I realized that he was testing my knowledge with this tricky question so I answered his question.
"Chopin NEVER composed any symphonies because his works were all related to piano music, sir." I guess he didn't know how much I loved Chopin and I had studied his life, played his works and visited his gravestone in Paris.
So when I read my fellow yelper, Janet O's review, I just had to drive a car to Walnut Creek in the East Bay. I really wanted to try Polish food which Chopin may have had in his homeland.
This restaurant was located at on the north-western corner of a mall surrounded by beautiful hills and trees. It had a plenty of parking space. When I arrived at the restaurant late lunch time, people were still enjoying their meals.
I was seated immediately by a friendly male server who, I thought, could be a Hollywood actor easily and I noticed they were playing CDs of Chopin's piano works. That was great. When I looked around me, I saw the lace curtains, white table clothe and Polish art on the walls but people were dressed very casually. There was very homey atmosphere in this restaurant. When I go try a new restaurant for the first time, I usually get nervous but I was not at this restaurant. I felt like I had been invited to a dinning room of Polish friend's. I was somehow very relaxed. Since this was the first time for me to try, I ordered something familiar. "Breaded Pork Cutlet."
The complimentary "home-baked" bread was warm and very light and soft. I loved it!
Breaded Pork Cutlet was not like Japanese panko-breaded pork cutlet. Of course not! It was close to Wiener Schnitzel. And it was just $7.95 and HUGE like a flattened baseball glove! The outer breaded part was beautifully cooked to the golden brown color and the pork was tender and juicy. I had to admit that it was much better than Japanese tonkatsu even though I was proud of my county. You know, to have tonkatsu, we usually use tonkatsu sauce with it but this one didn't need anything, even salt and pepper.
The side dishes were sauerkraut and fried potatoes. The sauerkraut was perfect for me since it was not too sour. As for the fried potatoes, one potato was cut in half and fried. The outside was crispy and inside was soft and fluffy. They were delicious as well.
As for the dessert, I ordered "Blintzes" which was like a folded cream cheese crepe served with raspberry puree and whipped cream. I really liked this warm crepe. If nobody had been around, I would have licked the plate for sure. Then, I noticed that I ate too much food so I had to leave this restaurant walking like a sumo wrestler.
Surprise! I came back to this restaurant on the next day.
On the 2nd day, I tried their "Stuffed Cabbage."
Stuffed cabbage is a very popular home cooking dish in Japan, too.
My mother used to make her Japanese version of this dish a lot.
It is funny that Japanese people never use rice in this dish even though they love rice.
When the server brought me the dish, I was surprised at the size.
It was $7.95 and HUGE again! He kindly gave me two kinds of sauce, rich mushroom sauce and hearty tomato sauce so that I could taste both.
The cabbage was rolled carefully. The ground beef and rice inside was well-seasoned and delicious. Both of the sauce was good but I liked the mushroom better. It was just my preference.
At this restaurant, while Chopin's piano music flows like a gentle stream, a lady from Poland proudly serves us comfort food of her homeland. Just like Chopin, who never forgot his homeland and kept his love toward his county, I can feel the lady chef's love, pride and patriotism toward her country well in her dishes.
In the Bay Area, this restaurant must be the closest place to Chopin's homeland.
I am planning to visit this restaurant over and over in the future. I just wish I will be able to play his works much better by having their delicious Polish food.
Well, life is not that easy, unfortunately.Listed in: My Favorite Restaurants
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Review from Catherine N.
Livermore, CA
7/12/2011
Chopin Cafe is such a cute restaurant! There was an old couple running the shop, and it's an old shop, with about 10 little tables inside. They were warm and welcoming and so adorable! We ordered the beef and cheese/potato dumplings as well as the homemade sausage. The pierogis were delicious and we believe that the sour cream was homemade! The sausage was so good and came with mustard, fried potatoes, and sauerkraut. I have never loved sauerkraut until I had it at Chopin! Our meal was so tasty, and I have to come here again to try their blintzes, pork cutlet, stuffed cabbage, hunter's stew, and borscht. Too bad it's so far away.
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Review from Janet O.
*******Authentic Polish Restaurant********
I've had many Polish dishes- in Chicago. The concentration of Polish population is the biggest in this midwest city. I was very surprised to find the same quality and authenticity of food in the Bay Area.
This place is small. They have two tables that will sit 12 the most. They have two tables that would sit four the most. One table that would sit two and about four tables outside to dine alfresco.
Unpretentious decor. Very simple and minimal. This restaurant is run by four Polish people who are so warm and pleasant. A very friendly lady came out with some of our food. Later I found out that she does most of the cooking.
While dining we noticed a group of people who sat outside. They left without eating. That group showed up without reservation. Dinner time is not a wise time to show up without one. We called and reserved ahead and was late for about half hour but with a call to them the reservation was held till we arrived.
The food was amazing. Portions are huge. Service was great and fast. We shared the Cucumber Salad. The simplicity of the salad was the kicker for me. The crunchy cucumber was thinly sliced and mixed with very light sour cream and dill dressing. It was amazing combination and is perfect for a warm day. $4.25
I ordered the Breaded Pork Cutlet. Two huge pieces of really tender pork meat. It was served with cooked sauteed sauerkraut seasoned with bacon and spices and sauteed potatoes. It was super tender and super tasty. Crunchy on the outside but tender on the inside. $13.95.
The other entree was Stuffed Cabbage. The cabbage leaves was stuffed with seasoned ground beef and rice served with mashed potatoes and two ways to sauce it with:
Hearty mushroom sauce $12.25
Rich Tomato Sauce $11.95
We chose the Rich Tomato Sauce. Reason being it gives the dish a kick. The cabbage could come out bland with the Mushroom Sauce. It's really more like want you want. But try both to get the feel. Either way the way I see it the latter is what most Polish people would choose back in Chicago.
Dessert:
Crepe with sweet cream cheese. With a drizzle of home made raspberry sauce and whipped cream. This is my most favorite dessert ever. The prize eludes me right now.
This little Polish gem sits in a strip mall near the end of a cul de sac. So it's got a good space it can call it's own. The plants that surrounds the area adds a little whimsy to this place.
If you look at the price and just mind the numbers you would say this place is pricey. Since the portions are huge you will end up taking half or most of the food home. I took one of my breaded pork cutlet home. Company did the same thing. Except for the dessert of course.
So the portions are good for two meals. So in theory the dinner was only $28+ tip for two. Not bad at all. Although we paid $54.60+ tip total for two. -
Review from Finnegan M.
San Francisco, CA
5/24/2011 2 photos
I haven't had Polish food since Chicago several years ago, so this was quite a treat. (Yes, even a little German dog can do Polish food.) This restaurant has a lot of pride and it shows in the food that they serve! I recommend that you go there hungry, because you will certainly leave with a full belly and a smile on your face! Very, very good Polish fare.
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Review from Colleen D.
Oakland, CA
6/30/2011
Went for lunch at 2:20. Kitchen closed. Ridiculous for a restaurant supposedly open until 3:00.
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Review from Steph L.
San Francisco, CA
4/5/2010 5 photos
WOW. I'm so glad I found this gem of a restaurant. If you ask me, there aren't enough Polish restaurants in the city. I'm not even talking about GOOD Polish restaurants. I mean ANY Polish restaurants. So for Chopin Cafe to be as good as it was was definitely a treat! I don't have a car and I live in the city, but it's worth it to beg/bribe/coerce/blackmail/seduce one of my vehicle-possessing friends to drive us all the way to Walnut Creek to eat here.
I decided to come here for lunch one weekend because the prices are cheaper and the portions (I think) are smaller. What this equates to is me being able to try more dishes. After we ordered, they gave us these warm dinner rolls. Warming the bread before serving them is such a simple thing, but it makes such a big difference! They were so yummy I ate a whole roll even though I knew I had a lot of food coming.
My friend and I split the following dishes:
CREAM OF MUSHROOM SOUP (http://www.yelp.com/bi...) - good, but nothing all that special. We wanted to get the red borshch but they were out. Sadness :(
BIGOS [Hunter's stew; rich seasoned stew with sauerkraut, cabbage, pork, sausage, mushrooms] (http://www.yelp.com/bi...) - so delicious! If you like sauerkraut, this is the dish for you. It was basically a big plate of seasoned sauerkraut. The mushrooms were earthy and added a nice contrasting texture. Could've used a little more meat, but it was so good I didn't really care.
PIEROGIES with sour cream (http://www.yelp.com/bi...) - yummy. We got the combination which included 2 each of sauerkraut and mushrooms, cheese and potato, and beef. The beef filling was like a short rib. I don't believe they use cheddar in the cheese and potato one like I'm used to, so it wasn't as sharp as I'd have liked it to be. My favourite had to have been the sauerkraut. It wasn't so much sour as savoury. The mushrooms added some umami too. At the end my friend wanted to eat all the fried onions off the plate, but thought better of it.
GOLABKI [stuffed cabbage; cabbage leaves stuffed with seasoned ground beef and rice with hearty tomato sauce] (http://www.yelp.com/bi...) - oh. my. god. I could eat this all day. This was amazing. The cabbage leaves, ground beef, and rice gave a nice mix of different textures and the dish was seasoned perfectly. I couldn't get enough of the tomato sauce!
We ended our lunch with two BLINTZES (http://www.yelp.com/bi...) for dessert. These were one of those things worth getting (and staying) fat for. Two crepes stuffed with cream cheese and raspberry sauce, topped with even more raspberry sauce and served with whipped cream. The crispiness of the crepe and the creaminess of the cream cheese contrasted amazingly. The raspberry had a nice balance of sweet and tart and was just really delicious. This was perfection on a plate! (Though if you add cream cheese to anything, it's very likely that I'll like it)
My goal is to try everything on this menu at least once. Let's see which friend I can beg/bribe/coerce/blackmail/seduce next to take me here next...
Bonus: our server was also very tall and nice to look at ;) -
Review from Eric B.
11/8/2008
The divine Gayle V. and I finally dined here together last night. We both had long weeks and were both in the mood for a relaxing home-cooked meal to reconnect.
The Chopin Cafe is a small, cozy, and yes homey restaurant with lots of reds, lace curtains, various Polish art work, and of course charm and Chopin music playing throughout. I felt like I was more of a honored house guest than a cafe customer. I was even tempted to sneak back into the kitchen and see what else was cooking! Brisket maybe?
The younger guy who waited on us was friendly and also generous with the red wine. Polish beer is also available. And the sweet older Polish lady (his mother?) had our large plates of comfort food out quickly and with an "eat eat" attitude that any Jewish or Italian mother would appreciate.
We ordered some very tasty sauteed mushrooms as an appetizer. The dinner rolls were very good and warm. For the main course, I had the Hunter's Stew with sauerkraut and mashed potatoes, while Gayle had I think the goulash with potato dumplings. It was way too much food. However, since it was so delicious and we were so busy (and somewhat quietly) debating one particular election outcome, we not only completely cleaned our plates, but we were still on speaking terms after we were finished!
This is a very nice neighbourhood cafe that is worth a new or a repeat visit. -
Review from Ellen L.
Lafayette, CA
10/20/2010
Love this place.
Food is great. Always fresh. Pirogies are the best! Delicious.
Great for carbo loading before a big race. -
Review from Lyzbeth S.
San Francisco, CA
2/24/2007
The best Polish restaurant and food in the Bay Area.
I don't often give five stars. The fifth star is for being rare in addition to being wonderful.
GREAT
Borscht
Mushroom crepes with sauted mushrooms
Blinces with raspberry puree and whipped cream
House-made rolls
VERY GOOD
Breaded Pork cutlet
Hunters Stew
Pierogi
Beef Roulade
Cream of mushroom soup
Sauerkraut salad
GOOD
Kielbasa
Stuffed cabbage
Apple square
Herring in oil served with finely sliced onions and pickles
Cucumber salad with traditional Polish dill dressing
SKIP
Potato dumpling
Pickled mushrooms
RED BORSCHT: Classic Polish at its best. Clear pure-tasting, earthy ruby broth with a few large pieces of beet and potato and beet greens. It is tooped with sour cream and sprinkle of dill,
MUSHROOM CREPES: Browned in butter and topped with a delicate cream sauce, the perfect thin, square crepes were filled with mushrooms that exploded with flavor and jucieness.
BLINCES: The same lovely, delicate wrapping as the crepe but filled with sweet hot creamy cheese with a not overly sweet raspberry puree drizzled over the top. It would have been perfect if real and not canned whipped cream was used. .
ROLLS: Fabulous yeasty house-made rolls that are especially great if you catch them hot from the oven.
PORK CUTLET: One of the best Eastern European breaded pork cutlets in the Bay Area. Tender, tasty and served with cooked sauerkraut and fried potatoes
HUNTERS STEW (Bigos): Very good version of this Polish stew made with sauerkraut, cabbage, pork, sausage and mushrooms.
PIEROGI: Six freshy-made dumplings that had hand-crimpled edges with a soft, pillowy potato-cheese filling. Sprinkled with chopped parsley and served with caramelized onionsand a small dish of sour cream. They were fried in oil rather than butter and could have been a little more browned. Sauerkraut, mushroom, beef or any combo of fillings.
BEEF ROULADE: Fall-apart tender, flavorful rolled slices of beef stuffed with onions, peppers and a bit of bacon.
MUSHROOM SOUP: Good, but the borscht is so much better.
SAUERKRAUT SALAD: Surprisingly not like sauerkraut at all. A light salad with shredded carrots, scallions and lots of pepper.
WHITE KIELBASA: The homemade pork/chicken biala-kielbasa is very different from the usual smoked Polish sausage. It has a snappy casing and some fancy knife cuts on one side.
STUFFED CABBAGE: Good rice/beef filling but it could use more cabbage. The tomato sauce tasted canned. The mushroom sauce might be a better choice.
APPLE SQUARE: Called strudel, but more of a cobbler with shortbread crust topped with applesauce and a cobbler-like topping
HERRING SALAD: For fans of herring, this had good pieces of herring and outstanding white pickled onions. This dish would have been so much better without the addition tasteless tomatoes in the center and really weird pickles --- the type found on hamburgers in diners.
CUCUMBER SALAD: Good cucumbers in dilly sour cream. I didn't like that it was sweetened with sugar.
POTATO DUMPLINGS: Dense and without much flavor. They had a texture like mochi. Dumplings and beef were on a bed of too much mushroom gravy was just ok. Order gravy on the side. Comes with two pieces of Polish pickles cut in the shape of a heart.
PICKLED MUSHROOMS: Like canned button mushrooms in a harsh, overly acidic white vinegar. -
Review from Mister X.
San Mateo, CA
6/20/2006
The name of this restaurant baffled me at first as I thought Chopin was French, but he was not. His father was, but Frederic was born and lived in Warsaw for at least 20 years.
I had to look it up.
OK, back to the review: I've eaten here twice, for lunch and for dinner and I would definitely go back to this little Polish restaurant in a mini-mall, especially for their pierogies. They are chewy and overstuffed and come in different varieties (mushrooms, potatoes and cheese, etc.) and are served with caramelized onions. For lunch I've also tried their sausage, sauerkraut and fried potatoes which was done very well (not fancy, but well), and at dinner I've tried their Goulash. The beef was good, but I found the dumplings a little gelatinous. It could be my fault, I expected something more along the lines of Slovak or Czech bread dumplings.
The service is great, I don't know if it's a family run restaurant but it sure feels like it, with son and daughter waiting and mom in the back cooking. If you like Pierogies, you should give this place a try. -
Review from Gracie B.
Newark, NJ
11/25/2007
After 2 weeks away from each other, Steven G. (now known as my white boyfriend) treated me to dinner here after he was nice enough to supervise the organizing of my apartment.
Steven has already summed up our experience quite well - I, too, felt that it was like entering someone's personal dining room. And the little Polish grandma was sooo cute and sweet. The bathroom is through the kitchen and it seemed like it was just she and her granddaughter running the place - cute, right? I also had the kielbasa and LOVED the smiley face (ok, so I'm a kid). It was all quite tasty (though I would have preferred the sauerkraut to be a little more sour).
I do have to say that it was quite funny that I went to dinner here after having a rather interesting debate with my mom's friend about why I'm not really a Walnut Creek kinda gal. I'm still not a convert, but Steven and Lukey are finding some great reasons for me to at least travel through the tunnel -
Review from Tatyana K.
San Francisco, CA
12/7/2008
I came back here last night after more than a year and nothing's changed! It was a bit hard to find because of the construction and my awesome sense of direction. It was very warm and homey inside, the place has maybe 8 table tops. And I would say it's in Pleasant Hill really, a good drive from WC downtown or anything central.
I had cream of mushroom soup: decent creamy concotion with few mushroom piece floating, it was served scolding hot however :( ; and hunter's stew: a pile of saurkrat, sausage, and chicken served with two tiny balls of mashed potatoes (i felt so cheated! I loved mashed potatoes and was expecting a new, hefty serving!) and a carved horseradish (cute!). The house red wine with mystery name was fruity and sweet but went well with the food without being overpowering.Listed in: Russian food around the bay
-
Review from Emily J.
1/10/2009
My honey and I went here for lunch today.
They have about 10 tables and when we got there just before noon only one other table was taken. By the time we left, over half the tables were filled and most of those people seemed to know the waiter. I took this as a good sign since they obviously have a lot of returning patrons.
They have different lunch and dinner menus but the main difference seems to be that the dinner entrees are larger portions and a little bit more expensive than the lunch entrees. Their prices are very reasonable for both meals.
I got the cheese and potato dumplings and my honey got their stew. Both were very comforting and delicious. Most of the other things on the menu looked similarly comforting and delicious. The women sitting next to us had just finished breakfast and said that it was very good.
The ambiance here is lovely. I felt like I was in the owner's home and the waiter was friendly. He seemed to have an exceptionally good rapport with the returning folks. -
Review from Christopher W.
Danville, CA
3/21/2010
Stumbled upon Chopin Cafe when looking for something different. I would say that it's one of the few Polish places in the area, and seems to be family run. I ordered the pierogies (and got a combination of sauerkraut and mushrooms, cheese and potato, and beef dumplings). These were quite different than what I had before-- the others I tried elsewhere were larger and deep-fried. These were steamed and ironically reminded me of Chinese potstickers lol. Felt like asking for soy sauce :P. Good portion size, I believe there were 6 of them.
The old lady (that I assume was the cook) brought the food out to our table--a nice touch! A very quaint establishment that is worth another visit. They have an extensive menu that changes for breakfast and lunch (and potentially dinner). Next time I am going to have to try some of the cakes they had on display. Nice to see family run establishments from time to time. -
Review from Sylwia S.
Walnut Creek, CA
9/23/2009
Cute Polish cafe with great food, we didn't eat here, we actually took it to go to eat at home and let me tell you... the food was great. Their dill pickle soup is very good, just like my babcha used to make it, and their stuffed cabage, EXCELLENT, I'm definatly coming back when I need my Polish food fix and I don't feel like making it at home. =)
na zdrowie!! -
Review from Van W.
Oakland, CA
11/16/2009
This place is a surprise for its location. It's a quirky place with a home-y feel. I went here for lunch with coworkers, it was a very comfortable atmosphere.
The first time I was here they accommodated our party of 10 despite it being a small restaurant. The second time there were 5 of us -- the waiter was friendly, attentive, and hot.
Our Polish friend approved of this place, but more importantly, I approved of their pirogies. Yum! We made many inappropriate Polish sausage jokes and a great time was had by all. -
Review from Sonja P.
Benicia, CA
5/26/2010
I was really excited to eat their pork cutlet since I haven't had one for so long. When I came here we were greeted by a frustrated waiter (understandable since the place was packed) , and had to wait 30 minutes for an open table.
Fastforward: I got the pork cutlet which was just alright. I suppose it needed a sauce at least or a lemon maybe. It was served with sauerkraut and two potatoes. Honestly, the sauerkraut was probably the best I ever had but the potatoes were also dry. The whole dish was a bit dry. Surely next time I will get an entree with a sauce (mushroom or tomato) like the stuffed dumplings or the stuffed cabbage.
On the flip side, the blint, though I believe was microwaved, was pretty good. I remember promising myself i will not get desert. Portions are huge and worth the price. The waiter had become more pleasant as customers began to clear and somehow persuaded me. The rum cake was drenched in rum...yum. Definitely craving it...I definitely will come back for another try.
