The Restaurant
Mille Fleurs Restaurant located in Rancho Santa Fe, just a short drive east from Del Mar, offers a classic French menu in an upscale country-home space with gardens, patios, a piano bar and private rooms.
From the time local restauranteur Bertrand Hug opened Mille Fleurs in 1985, it has been a standout location for Rancho Santa Fe celebrations, anniversaries and more. The venerable restaurant has received numerous accolades over the years including: "Top 25 in America" from Food & Wine Magazine, and "Best French" and "Best of the Best" from San Diego Magazine. About Mille Fleurs, The New York Times was quoted, "Far and away the best restaurant sampled in greater San Diego." The iconic space is adorned with one-of-a-kind vintage tile work that was imported from Portugal decades earlier, and features the always popular interior courtyard with bright yellow sun umbrellas, market lights and the 100-year-old Chinese Oak Tree overhead.
Visit on a Friday or Saturday evening and enjoy the three-time San Diego Magazine "Best of the Best Piano Bar Entertainer," Randy Beecher. Beecher has crafted an unforgettably entertaining experience for diners over his 29-year tenure at Mille Fleurs Restaurant.
These days, Hug is joined by Ryan Thorsen—director of operations and now owner of Mister A's—as they continue the Mille Fleurs' tradition of excellence in food, wine and service.
The
Cuisine
The Mille Fleurs' culinary team is second to none. The restaurant boasts an ever-evolving menu that embraces local, seasonal ingredients of the region. The Mille Fleurs team make a daily venture just a mile down the road to Chino's Family Farms to source their fresh ingredients for the same day service. The result is a delicious display of Southern California spun into classic French cuisine. Executive pastry chef, Papa Moussa, is a master of French pastries and has brought new life and creativity to the menu since taking on the executive role.
No discussion of the restaurant is complete without giving attention to the award-winning Mille Fleurs wine cellar which boasts over seven hundred choices—spanning the globe and varying greatly in price. Sommelier and Maitre D, Marko Dedic, can help guests navigate the extensive list to create a tasting experience unlike any other. Mille Fleurs is proud to offer a vast by the glass and half bottle list in addition to the full bottle selection.
The
Chef
Harrison Axelrod's journey into the culinary world is as flavorful as the dishes he crafts with passion. Under the tutelage of his father, he developed a profound love for culinary arts, a love that would simmer quietly as he pursued a seemingly divergent path in mechanical engineering at Auburn University in the NROTC unit for nuclear engineering.
Harrison's heart remained in the kitchen and to support his education, he continued to cook, honing his skills and experimenting with flavors at The Depot in Auburn until he graduated. With a degree in hand but his passion in cuisine, Harrison made the bold decision to turn his back on engineering and step into the heat of professional kitchens. First under the tutelage of Chef Joe Hippley of Tavern on the Green for 7 years, then over the next several years, he would immerse himself in the culinary world, moving to the South and different restaurants. He then ran the kitchen of Esposito’s mediterranean restaurant near New Orleans where he was the chef for 3 years.
His heart moved him to follow his fiancée Hannah when she was offered a bigger job in San Diego, after relaxing a while, he applied for the chef position at Mille Fleurs in November 2023 where he was hired after staging for a couple of weeks.
We are very lucky to have him and we hope that you come by experience his brand of cuisine..
Accolades & Awards
