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Tue-Sat. 8:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Sun. 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
"I went here for lunch today and it was so cute! I wanted to get every pastry! But, alas, I had to choose. My friend and I split the spinach…" read more »
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This place is fantastic!
My friend and I showed up rather late in the evening, and when I expressed my disappointment with the full outdoor seating, the waiter picked up a table and brought it outside so we could sit and enjoy the evening.
Furthermore, their french onion soup was perfect; covered in a thick layer of cheese and fresh baguette slices, covering a thick, brothy onion soup. It was brought out as a first course, since I ordered the croque monsieur as well; a nice touch since it meant both of my meals would be hot when I get to them, rather than getting both at once, eating the soup, and then eating a cold sandwich.
Overall, great food and great service.
People thought this was:
Went to Bistro Maxine this morning to grab some breakfast. Upon entry, it was very small but definitely had character. Bright yellow walls and large painting create a nice ambiance. The cafe was trying hard to look like France.
We ordered a ham and swiss cheese croissant and a strawberry nutella crepe for desert. Unfortunately, they were out of strawberries and croissants so our ham and cheese was served on a french roll instead, and this came as a surprise to me considering it was 10 am on a Friday morning. The food came out quickly, and the sandwich seemed a bit bland. The sweet crepe ( banana-nutella) ended up being pretty good. They did however serve water in little shot glasses which I thought was kinda weird.
Overall, decent place for a breakfast snack, but I would recommend others if you are looking for brunch or some crepes.
The owner contacted me apologizing for my experience and told me they were going through some staff changes. She also sent me a gift card in the email hoping I go back and give them another chance.
Today I went in for lunch and there was a party of 6 on a business lunch in the tiny space. However I still got great service even though it was obvious they were busy.
This time I tried the Ham and brie crepe which was really delicious. The crepe is just the right amount of softness and crispiness. I highly recommend it. It also came with a small side salad which was nice. The coffee was also really tasty.
I admire an owner who cares greatly about individuals' experiences.
People thought this was:
Overpriced, spinach was too gritty/dirty tasting, but the ham and cheese and craime fraiche was… Read more »
Love crepes, galets and real cider (the one with alcohol). Got addicted to it in France and really was missing it till Maxine.
If you are hungry order galet - non-sweet crepe. I don't think I tried every kind, but loved everything I tried! Some review were complaining that the was not much in the crepes. Well, compare american and french waist lines: which one you would rather have? For me the amount was perfect balance of dough and filling.
Their coffeee is so-so, but definitely on par, even better than Coupa's next door.
The biggest issue with Maxine for me: when I come it's usually empty, but the waiter is always worrying when we take a 4-person table for 2. I just don't like their small tables and have to promise to surrender the table if a big companies will start pouring in. Hmm...
Owner, please, make this table arrangements/agreements brief and less stressful. It always compete with my cravings for your sider and crepes.
I was disappointed by the nutella crepe I ordered. It was way too sweet because it had too much nutella in it. But then again probably many people would like that, not me, I would have preferred it to be less sweet. I liked the Latte though and it came in this huge bowl, pretty cool :)
The crepes here are phenomenal. It is completely worth the price to enjoy the delights that are in store for you here.
Both savory and sweet crepes are to be had here, along with wonderful service and pleasant atmosphere. I can't pontificate too much about this place since my experiences have always been takeout. So, as I said... the food is great! Unique to be sure!
People thought this was:
Amazing crepes, and highly recommended despite the high prices. I don't remember their Lyonnaise "food food" to be too extraordinary, but definitely skip over fro-yo and come here for dessert if you're in PA.
Hopefully the goofy French guys who sing Madonna during closing hours whilst you amaze your taste buds are still there. They definitely added to the experience (and couldn't understand a word of my seven years of French class...for shame).
A great find! I can't believe I never saw this place before. I've eaten at the restaurants across the street many times. But it's small and kind of easy to miss.
I saw several comments about the high price, and I'm not sure what they are about. I guess everything is relative, but two of us had soup and a crepe and were filled up for about $25 total. I can't remember the last time I got out of a downtown PA restaurant for less than 50. We had the onion soup and the vichyssoise; both were delicious. We also shared the jambon/fromage/champigion crepe and the Nutella crepe and both of those were delicious as well.
About the only bad thing I can say about the place, is that it is not a place for a night out with the boys. Go to the Old Pro across the street for that. It is an authentic-feeling, European style little bistro. It is, well......precious. It has very small tables and very few of them. Your girlfriend will love it, and she'll think you are sensitive for taking her there..
I love getting here for the brunch - ends at 11 so be early! The deal is you pick a crepe and it will add a delicious cappuccino and fresh OJ. Love the goat cheese, honey and walnut crepe with the buckwheat batter. SO GOOD!
I can never resist a mimosa, and they're not cheap but it's a splurge.
Tiny place, very cute. Service is pretty slow and prices are pretty steep. If they were slightly less expensive or had more attentive service it'd be a 4 star all the way.
People thought this was:
I had my bridal shower here. We were looking for a small venue in Palo Alto, and this place seemed to be the right size. We were able to take over most of the main space for our party. They were very flexible with what they could prepare for us - basically the owner said - we can make you anything. What we ended up doing was having everyone get an appetizer, savory crepe and sweet crepe. The place is open late so that worked out very well for us.
People thought this was:
A friend introduced me to this place and I'm so glad she did. We stopped by, looking for a small snack and ended up each getting a crepe! The place is quaint and very cute. I love how authentic it feels with the menu in French (with English, of course) and just the feel of eating outdoors on the street screams "so European!"
Here's what we got:
-La Chevre: filled with mushrooms, spinach and goat cheese. I love cheese and there was plenty of goat cheese in this crepe! It was thin and tasty and came with a small side of fresh romaine salad.
-Citron Sucre: filled with lemon juice and sugar. This would be perfect on a HOT day. The crepe was thin and light and very refreshing.
Service was friendly and attentive. My friend got a latte and I loved how it came in a big-ole bowl. And I mean BIG BOWL! I'm headed back just to get a bowl of coffee!
You know, I thought all the good crepe places where in SF, but now that I've found Bistro Maxine, I can honestly say that I've found a good place closer to home! Thank goodness!
People thought this was:
They have regular and buckwheat batter. The regular crepe batter is perfectly "al dente." They are comparable to Crepes-a-go-go in San Francisco in terms of quality and texture.
The mochas are good; however, always ask for "extra hot," otherwise it arrives luke-warm.
Received a prompt reply from the owner who expressed genuine concern that my bf and I had a less than pleasant experience during our time at the restaurant. I very much appreciate that kind of professionalism and desire to run a reputable,customer-service oriented business. Since there were many enticing items on the menu, combined with Stephanie's kind request to have us back, we will give Bistro Maxine a second try in the future.
Thanks Stephanie for caring about your customers and for striving to improve their dining experience at your restaurant. :)
Went here on a non-busy Sunday afternoon. Despite the restaurant being at half capacity (i.e. 3… Read more »
Ok, my quest for the perfect crepe in the Bay Area (- SF) is over. Bistro Maxine has divine crepes. The Epinard was fantastic. It has ham, spinach, egg and creme fraiche. The nutella and banana crepe which is standard fare was very good. I highly recommend the Chestnut Puree crepe. Delicious!!!! Very unique, I have not noticed this on the menu anywhere else.
This is a tiny place off University. It has a very European feel. The waiter was French, the tables were small and the service was slow. Who cares, the crepes were worth it.
Yummy and so cute!
We came here for an early breakfast this morning and were delighted to find an authentic creperie in Palo Alto. As other Yelpers have noted, this place is shoe-box-sized, so there were no high chairs and no room for a stroller. Hence, our one-year-old sat/squirmed on my lap while we ate. The preschooler loved getting his own glass of fresh squeezed OJ, reading the Babar books (in a basket on the counter), and tucking into his very own strawberry crepe. He also liked watching what was going on in the kitchen just a few feet away.
The crepes were really delicious -- they were thin, crisp, and filled with just enough filling. Hubby ordered a buckwheat crepe with goat cheese, spinach, and mushrooms -- also very tasty. The strawberry crepe was generously filled with fresh, sweet strawberries even though strawberry season isn't quite here yet. Very satisfying.
Service was fine -- quick, efficient, and professional. We will definitely return!
People thought this was:
Pricy but definitely worth it! Came her for brunch with three girlfriends, and we shared the Mont St Michel (brie, apple, walnuts), the Poulet a la Creme (chicken and mushrooms in creme fraiche), the Maxine (egg, spinach, mushrooms, Swiss cheese), and a specia tri-color veggie crepe. We also shared a banana nutella crepe for dessert. Yum to all of them! There really wasn't anything we tried that wasn't delicious. Service was slow, but it's the kind of place you go when you want to linger and visit with friends, so we didn't mind.
I ate here at 2:30 last Friday and was surprised that we were the only diners in the place. That's a good thing in a way at Bistro Maxine because the place is tiny. Like maybe four tables tiny. I wouldn't want to eat here when it's prime dining time. But then again, I walked by later in the evening at 6:30 and the place was empty except for a table for two.
It's nice to have a place in the Silicon Valley that serves crepes. Who doesn't love crepes? Especially underrated lemon and sugar ones. I'll have to try those on another visit. Unfortunately for me, the savory crepes on the menu all seem to have eggs, ham, or goat cheese, and I'm not a big fan of any of those ingredients.
I had a chicken and mushroom crepe with creme fraiche ($10) which came with a small simple unadvertised salad with yummy dressing. (I felt the crepe was priced $1 too high for lunch.) The crepe was good but I felt like the sauce was off. In other renditions of this crepe that I've ordered or made (yes, it's one of the few dishes I cook), instead of creme fraiche (which is runny and too thin), a thicker mushroom cream sauce worked better.
The servers were nice and spoke with French accents so it felt like the real deal. Buckwheat crepes are available on request.
People thought this was:
Not so good!
Hubby and I went on one of the hottest spring days ever, and they don't have airconditioning.
My nutella and banana crepe was not at all yummy! The banana was a little mushed up with only the TINIEST bit of nutella. I needed to drink a lot of water just to get the dry crepe down :(
Service was really slow. There was only one waitress, but they only have 5 or 6 tables. She walked by 3 or 4 times before re-filling my small water glass....no, I mean, she totally didn't even stop! I had to drink both my and my husband's water before I could flag her down to get more.
Why so damn skimpy on the nutella man?
The crepe was tasty but the service was a little slow for only four people on the whole restaurant.
I think I'm most exciting about their morning drink selection. Their hot chocolate is delicious, served in a bowl with whipped cream and chocolate sauce drizzled on top. Their spicy hot chocolate brings just a touch of heat at the back of throat, enough to make it interesting, but it's more of a whisper than a blast.
Soy milk is available for 50 cents extra.
People thought this was:
I just so happen to be driving in Palo Alto and came across Bistro Maxine when there was an open parking space right in front of their shop. My lucky day! to find this little and very posh creperie at just the right moment.
Ah, I ordered a dessert and savory crepe... ate the dessert crepe first, of course! Then the spinach, mushroom and brie cheese crepe... both were GREAT! Just enough cheese, not too much.
Dessert crepe: strawberries, chocolate and bananas!
While dress attire may matter at some dining establishments, you can expect the fragrance of lamb and the local dog park dirt on your pantalones to get heads to turn in your direction.
Such a cute and authentic little creperie! I really did feel transported to Paris in this little restaurant. My hubby and I went here for brunch around 10:30am so it wasn't too full, but everything started filling up when it was time for us to go.
We both ordered savory crepes: I ordered the Jambon Brie (ham and brie), while my husband ordered L'épinard (spinach, ham egg, crème fraiche). Both were really great, though I gotta admit I like his slightly better. The crepe itself is super thin and light, and very authentic. Definitely very different from the crepes you get at those asian crepe places. I think next time I come back will definitely want to try their croque-monsieur and sweet crepes!
Their drinks were great as well. I could actually taste the difference of having good quality Barefoot Coffee in the cappuccino I ordered...very tasty! And they have wine! I had a mimosa... I like how they give you the whole little bottle of champagne so you can give yourself refills, unlike most places that just give you the glass. Nothing like having both caffeine and alcohol with breakfast...great way to start the day! :-)
Our brunch bill went up to around $35 (probably because of the mimosa/cappuccino) so it was a little on the pricey side. However I think it's worth it for a special treat once in a while (still cheaper than going to France!). Will definitely have to come back and sample some of their other goodies.
People thought this was:
Delicious!
I went with two friends today and we all opted for the buckwheat batter for the savory crepes and the regular for the sweet. A word of warning - a crepe listing "egg" means nearly-raw egg, not a scrambled/friend/otherwise well-cooked egg.
I had the chicken+mushroom+cream sauce crepe, and it was hearty and earthy and filling in all the right ways. For my lunch "dessert", I had a Crepe Suzette (crepe in OJ, sugar and whipped cream), which came out tasting like what an orange cremesicle's wet dream of a sunny heaven would be. One of my friends had a chestnut crepe which had no right to be that tasty!
The coffee here is from the excellent Barefoot Coffee, and the spicy mocha comes in something resembling a soup bowl.
It's expensive, but worth the occasional trip!
People thought this was:
neat little french cafe serving a light meal, I like the savory crepe here, tried the brie, walnut + apple version. Friend really likes the hot chocolate served in a large bowl.
although compared to crepe-a-go-go in Berkeley, they serve here flat crepe thus up the quality but down the quantity.
still, I like the feeling of sitting here on a rainy day for a light snack. Will be back soon!
Really glad there is a good crepe place in Palo Alto.
Service: Very friendly and attentive.
Crepes: Had the Crepe Maxine (swiss cheese, egg, spinach, mushrooms) which was good. The only thing that seemed a bit off was the egg which was too thin of a layer. Their buckwheat crepe batter could have been fluffier (comparing to Ti Cous and what I've had in Paris) but it's still very satisfying :)
Overall, my fav crepe place in the South Bay is still Crepe Cafe in Menlo, but I'm very happy to go to Bistro Maxine too.
highly overrated. Got the chicken crepe w/ buckwheat and spinach/mushroom/goat cheese one, as well as the chestnut dessert crepe. The chicken was kinda flavorless if not for all the creme fraiche. The spinach one had way too much cheese--all the flavor came from the cheese. They were not what I would call savory.
The dessert crepe was the best of the three, which isn't saying much. It would've been much better if it wasn't overly sweet.
Service was ok.
Went here for Sunday brunch, thanks to the Yelp reviews on this place. I'm a big crepe snob (I've yet to find one that takes like what I ate from a street vendor in Paris) so I had high expectations for this supposedly legit French creperie.
First off, a warning, the place is smmmmmallll (small, in English). Maybe I somehow missed that in the reviews, but yea, it's teeny tiny (I'm talking six small tables inside, two outside, most seating two people.)
For the top reviews of this place and it's size, I was surprised that the wait wasn't too long. They got people in and out of there like clockwork, somehow, even though the service was kind of spotty. I noticed that the second people arrived outside to look for a table, miraculously a group got up at a table suited for the size of their party. It was a marvel, really.
Part of it is that they have signs on each table that say "no laptops, please." Somehow the table next to us didn't have that sign, and of course a lady comes in and starts to use her laptop. They didn't bug her about it though, I guess it wasn't busy enough to matter.
Onto the important stuff - food and service. The waiter, who I'm pretty sure was French, seemed to have a little bit of an attitude, but that kind of made the place authentic. Service-wise, we were ignored a bit, and it took a while to get our food. That's my -1 star for this place. It's small enough that the waiter should be able to get around to all the tables in a timely fashion, even though he was doing the whole thing on his own. So I was left a bit underwhelmed in that department.
However the food was... magnifique! Not quite my Paris experience, but really good nonetheless. I split the Maxine crepe (cheese, spinach, egg and mushroom) and another crepe (apples, walnuts, brie) with my mom. They were both tasty. Then we had the Nutella and banana crepe for dessert (because, yes, I allow myself to be a fat pig when going for crepes) and wowie. But, to be fair, you can't go wrong with nutella and bananas.
Tips: Order the buckwheat crepe batter for a more authentic crepe. It tastes a lot better anyway.
If you like spicy mochas or spicy hot chocolate, you'll LOVE Bistro Maxine. My bf ordered the spicy mocha and it was SO HUGE. They bring it to you in a soup bowl. I had a taste and it was delicious. Spicy indeed. Just wish the water glasses they used were bigger because every time I had a small sip of that beauty I finished off an entire glass of H2O!
People thought this was:
Good place to relax and eat crepes. So many different combinations to tickle my palate. Very good, light food.
Don't go here if you expect your crepes to resemble burritos.
This tiny creperie in Palo Alto serves classic yummy savory and sweet crepes at a leisurely pace. Come here to squeeze into one of their tiny tables, eat a crepe or two and sip a cappucino while watching the peeps of Palo Alto party at Nola's across the street.
Note, too, the coffee beans (Barefoot Coffee) used in the coffee drinks are awesome so ANY coffee drink will be good.
The place is a little crowded and the leisurely pace can turn into a really really long wait so don't show up ravenous.
I love this place! It has a very authentic feel to it in every aspect; quaint, slow-paced, relaxed with a heavy emphasis on presentation and quality. The food was ridiculously good, savory and sweep crepes are both insane! The waiter seemed to fumble with our order a bit and took a good while to get our food out to us, we got about 50% off the price of our meal, which tells you something about the owner, he cares about his customers' experience and you can expect the same.
Am I a horrible person for giving this place "only" 3 stars? I hope not. But here is why I think I'm justified.
I thought Bistro Maxine was good. It was decent and cute and the waitress was very very nice. My boyfriend and I had a good time there. It was quiet and we could just chat along and no one bothered us. It was a nice and relaxing place and I would totally go back.
Here's the thing. I didn't think that the crepes were that amazing. Yes, they are good, but they aren't great. Maybe it's because I live close to the wonder that is Chez Maman, in Potrero Hill, San Francisco. The crepes there are paper thin and light and fluffy and still somehow are incredibly full flavoured. The one that I had in Bistro Maxine was a bit heavy and reminded me a tad of bread. Once again, don't get me wrong, it was good, but not great.
I am totally willing to entertain the possibility that I did not order well. Maybe the spinach, egg, ham and cheese (($9.95) crepe that I had wasn't what I should have ordered. I think I'll come back and try the desserts.
People thought this was:
Small little place tucked away in one of the small lanes intersecting University Avenue......and when I say small... I mean small.... it is really small... but I must say that the crepes are awesome.....
I have tried their vegetarian savory crepes as well as their dessert crepes.....
The people are nice....they greet you and welcome you into their restaurant with a smile and usually try to make some nice conversation.....
One of the better places for crepes in the South Bay/Peninsula area..
Authentic French, decent crepes. But it does have decent wines by the glass. A bit of a chicky place, though!
Delicious and authentic. The owner is very friendly; my friend and I spoke with him for a while about France and Europe in general. Fantastic.
People thought this was:
I love crepes, its a great thing to eat for lunch. My friend and I shared a Crepe Maxine and a crepe with bananas, sugar, and carmel. The maxine was super tasty, definately a makes you wanna drool kind of dish. Although, I do wish they had a bigger menu on the dessert side, its not very large at all less than 10 dishes (and most of very small combos, like fruit/nutella, fruit/sugar, nutella/sugar). Price is a bit high, but overall i had a good time. They serve fresh orange juice (room tempurature), its a bit sour, $2.50 each 12oz, so it can get pretty expensive. They normally serve water at room tempurature too.
Good spot to quench a crepe craving. They don't over-sauce the crepes, so everything is relatively "healthy". Their pate dish was very good. For the price, this place is fantastic! The service was wonderful as well!
People thought this was:
Had a late lunch in here today. It's a very small and quaint bistro short of a few tables. This is going to be my new favorite lunch spot when I could get away from work for a whole hour and not having to deal with calls, broker requests and paper jams.
I've been salivating at the thought of their Saumon Savory Crepe, which includes capers, a slice of lemon and creme fraiche. It was outstanding. Plus they served a small salad on the side.
I finished it all. It was so delicious with a bottle of Perrier.
I even had a cup of mocha and had to compliment Judy for it's nice flavor.
I'm definitely coming back here and want to try their dessert crepes!
People thought this was:
This place is AMAZING! I love the crepes they have to offer! I've tried most of the sweet dessert crepes, and a savory one.
I love the presentation of everything. Especially their hot chocolate and latte's. I like how its a cozy little place. My only issue is that there isn't enough seating if a lot more people were to come in. The crepe maker is a sweet heart too. Extremely nice.
Quiet, small, polite and doable. 3.70 stars actually. It's just the kind of place I want to be left in if I am asked to read a book on princess Diana, listen to someone emote lost love on the violin or watch sports from far ..very far (old pro is on the other side).
Food: I do love crepes and I thought I'd give this a try for lunch. I got the crepes maxine ..it was lunch .. so a non-sweet crepe. Presented well, decent portions too but I wish the portions were larger. It was bland for me and someone like me .. well I could eat two of those ...just to feel like I ate something. The salad was simple and I liked the dressing. I would try other things over the course of time at this place.The coffee was pretty good too.
Service: I must say the staff was very polite, helpful and makes you feel like the world is such a great place to live in.
Ambience: A 15 person headcount would max out the space. Anything greater and I suggest you walk in with an oxygen tank. I went at a quiet time and I liked the quiet resonance of the place.
What to look out for ? Look at the funny little sticker on the tables that chides you if you power up a laptop.
Note - This place is closed on Mondays but if you got the connections you can throw a private party here.
Yeah .. I'll go back here again to try other things.
People thought this was:
The girl and I slept in Sunday morning and were craving a light breakfast. After perusing Yelp, I decided on crepes. There aren't a lot of great crepe places in the Bay Area, but we decided to give Bistro Maxine a shot.
This place is just off of the main street in Palo Alto. I've been down this street many times but always passed this place by. It's a quaint place that's very small and only holds about 12-15 people. The menu is simple and is in both French and English. We passed over the sweet crepes and got two savory crepes.
It wasn't on the menu but the girl got a mushroom and brie crepe. I got the smoked salmon (saumon) crepe. Both were FANTASTIC. The crepes were light and slightly sweet and were filled with just the right amount of filling. Each crepe came with a small house salad with vinaigrette on the side. We shared each others' dishes and we ate every last morsel. The girl finished the meal off with a huge cup o' latte.
The service was excellent and the food came out quickly. We were in and out on a drizzly Sunday early afternoon within 45 minutes. The place was pretty much packed the entire time even at 3pm. In the middle of our meal, a heavyset French woman came in with a skinny man. They were both around their 60s, I'd say. Near the end of her meal, the woman complimented the server on how authentic and delicious the food was. Her stentorian yet saccharine voice could not disguise a heavy French accent that was heard throughout the little restaurant. It almost seemed contrived, but it was too funny and awkward not to be genuine.
We are definitely coming again. Very soon. Man I can't wait.
People thought this was:
Palo Alto, CA
Category: Bakeries
Menlo Park, CA
Category: French
Mountain View, CA
Category: French
Palo Alto, CA
Category: French
Los Altos, CA
Category: Creperies
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