The husband and wife team of Florent and Amelia Marneau have been dazzling Orange County foodies with their French cuisine for almost two decades. This restaurant lives up to its hype and then some, and we were thrilled with the experience we had on our most recent visit.

About Marché Moderne

Chefs Florent and Amelia Marneau have owned Marché Moderne since 2007. This husband and wife team built their restaurant around the couple’s experience working in Paris’ dynamic dining scene, with Florent as the Executive Chef and Amelia as the Pastry Chef.

Not surprisingly, Marché  Moderne has become quite the destination for fine dining in Orange County. The couple’s interpretation of French cuisine is impressive, and there are few if any, restaurants in the region that can execute the level of approachable but elevated French food that diners experience when they make a reservation here. 

The Food & The Menu

The menu at Marché Moderne is dominated by French cuisine, with classics like Veal Ribeye & Joue de Veau Grilée, Roasted Bone Marrow, Crispy Duck Confit, and Coq au Vin. Still, there is also a light streak of Polynesian influence in the Hamachi Sashimi and Cured and Smoked Hawaiian Kona Kampachi Crudo.

While the prix fixe menu is the main draw for many diners, the restaurant also offers an a la carte filled with French classics.

The Experience

On the night we dined at the Marché Moderne, the prix fixe menu started with a Caviar Egg and a glass of brut Champagne from Esterlin. The nose on this wine has some nice brioche, and the palate is silky, light, and with expressive minerality. It was a lovely pairing with the caviar and the perfect way to start the meal.

The second course was a traditional langoustine preparation complete with pork belly confit, and it was absolutely amazing. The fattiness of the pork belly called for a dry wine to cut through all of that richness, and we were pleased that the sommelier chose a 2018 Hubert Meyer Riesling from Alsace. This award-winning wine checked all of the boxes for a dry Riesling: zesty, flinty, and refreshing. It paired well with the langoustine and pork but could have been enjoyed as a stand-alone wine as well. 

With the third course, Chef Florent kicked up the decadence with lobster. Homard Flambé au Courvoisier is a slightly extravagant dish made with beurre noisette (brown butter sauce), lemon Hollandaise, and scallops. Similar to the pork belly richness in the langoustine, the heavy butter and cream element called for a dry wine to balance those palate heavy flavors. The somm could have gone a few different directions with this pairing but selected a citrus-forward Chablis, Charly Nicolle, Per Aspera from Bourgogne. We picked up some refreshing lemon, stark flintiness, crisp green apple, and bright minerality. Another great selection.

Veal Ribeye & Joue de Veau Grillé was the main course in the five-course meal, and like the previous four courses, it did not disappoint. With this luxurious steak, we enjoyed our first and only red wine of the evening, Pinot Noir. The palate on the 2018 Santenay, 1er Cru, Francoise & Denis Clair, Clos des Mouches was soft, with hints of vanilla, dark red fruit, and a pleasant earthy finish. The vines where the grapes were sourced are 30+ years old, and the wine was aged in stainless steel. A nice way to end the wine portion of the meal.

Interestingly, the restaurant chose to offer a hand-crafted cocktail in lieu of a fifth wine to pair with dessert. Rather than go with something like a port, the syrupy rum baba was served with a petite cocktail maison made with vapeau de rum and vanille de coco. 

Corkage

Marché Moderne has a good wine list, and the restaurant offers a wine pairing option with the prix fixe menu. But, if you have a special bottle at home that you would like to enjoy with your meal, Marché Moderne has a corkage fee of $45 per bottle. Regardless of party size, guests are limited to two bottles per reservation.

Final Thoughts

The food at Marche Moderne is unapologetically rich and decadent. The dishes are small, but they are what you would expect from a prix fixe menu at a restaurant of this caliber. Because so many of the courses are prepared with ingredients like butter, cream, and fattier (in a good way) meats like pork belly, veal cheeks, and lardons, the paired wines tend to be on the lighter, drier side. There wasn’t a bad bottle in the bunch that was selected for our menu, and each wine complemented rather than distracted from the ingredients. 

Overall, dining at Marché  Moderne was a fantastic experience. The service is over the top, again in the best way, and very attentive. From the bartender Luis to our server Philipe, everyone was wonderful.

It’s not surprising that the restaurant books out 30+ days in advance. This is the perfect date-night spot. If you plan on going on a weekend, just be sure you plan well in advance. Marché Moderne is definitely worth the wait, and we look forward to going back.