Renaud’s Opens on Coast Village Road

Opening to a warm welcome from the community, Renaud’s Patisserie & Bistro softly opened the doors to its newest location in Coast Village Plaza on August 15. Owner Renaud Gonthier sat down with us last week to discuss the new bistro and bakery, which is currently serving breakfast and lunch and will eventually serve dinner in the coming months. 

The space has been transformed to resemble a chic, French-style bistro, with dark colors, brass fixtures, marble table tops, exposed piping, contemporary tile floors, and pops of muted red. “I wanted to do an avant garde spin on the classic Parisian bistro,” Gonthier said, telling us that interesting art work will soon cover the walls. A marble-countered bar frames the coffee work station and cashier, with a handful of both bar-height and traditional height chairs. Gonthier collaborated with AB Design Studio on the build out, and was responsible for much of the design aesthetic.  

The menu is nearly identical to the other Renaud’s locations, with specialty egg dishes, baked goods, French toast, yogurt, oatmeal, and more for breakfast, and an array of salads, sandwiches, French onion soup, and mini raviolis for lunch. Plus the usual sweet and savory baked items, including macarons, cakes, croissants, cookies, tarts, and more. A full coffee and espresso assortment is also available. 

With more than 60 chairs between the interior and the exterior patio space, Renaud’s is ready to welcome diners. The bistro is open for breakfast from 7 to 11 am everyday, and lunch from 11 am to 2:30 pm. Monday through Saturday the hours extend to 5 pm for pastry and coffee following lunch service. Gonthier tells us a wine and beer license is in the works, as well as dinner, which will feature a pre-set menu.

Renaud’s Patisserie & Bistro has become a thriving, award-winning fixture in Santa Barbara and now Montecito, offering “a taste of Paris” with a bakery located within three Gelson’s Markets in California (including Santa Barbara), and two other bistro locations in Santa Barbara: Loreto Plaza and Arlington Plaza, which serve breakfast and lunch.

Coast Village Plaza is located at 1187 Coast Village Road. For more information, visit www.renaudsbakery.com.