Romantic Temecula Restaurant

Cafe Champagne at Thornton Winery

Café Champagne is a fabulous Temecula restaurant located at Thornton Winery. It offers a great dining experience for enjoying either lunch or dinner during your California Wine Tour of Temecula wineries. Cafe Champagne combines country French elegance with contemporary fusion cuisine.

Wine pairing suggestions of Thornton wines are recommended for each dish on the menu, but their extensive wine list includes wines from all over. You can choose to dine inside or outdoors on the terrace.

The atmosphere is casually elegant with burgundy table cloths, dim lights, and a candle flickering on every table. The views from the windows of the vineyards and lovely grounds at Thornton winery added to the ambiance as well.

We ate outside on the terrace where we enjoyed listening to music performed by a duo consisting of one man on guitar and another playing the keyboard and singing. They were happy to play a John Denver song we requested.

We shared a bowl of cream of mushroom soup, which tasted wonderful. Steve ordered the roasted breast of chicken stuffed with smoked Gouda and mushrooms. It was served with a roasted garlic thyme sauce, creamy mashed potatoes, and fresh vegetables. Steve ate every bite and declared it to be the best chicken he had ever eaten.

I ordered the hazelnut crusted wild king salmon served with a smoked salmon potato cake over a wild mushroom ragout. The salmon was cooked perfectly . . .just the right texture and full of flavor. The mushroom ragout was delicious.

The service was wonderful. There were two different busboys who kept our water glasses from ever being empty. Our server, Terri, was attentive and extremely friendly.

Steve enjoyed a white and dark chocolate mousse for dessert. The combination of the two flavors was a treat. I had a hot lava cake, which was a gooey and rich chocolate cake covered with vanilla ice cream and topped with blackberries and strawberries. It was the perfect end to a wonderful meal.

We enthusiastically recommend Cafe Champagne as our top choice for a romantic restaurant in Temecula with terrific food, great service, and wonderful ambiance. It's a wonderful place to enjoy fine dining during romantic getaways.

Be sure to check out the fabulous Temecula wineries Temecula, including Thornton Winery where Cafe Champagne is located.

Temecula Wineries

Directions from Highway 15:
Exit at Rancho California Road. Turn east toward the Temecula Wine Country. Continue on Rancho California until you see Thornton Winery on the right.

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