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Café Henri
Categories: Restaurants French Restaurants Breakfast & Brunch French, Breakfast & Brunch [Edit]
1010 50th AveLong Island City, NY 11109
Neighborhoods: Hunters Point, Long Island City
(718) 383-9315
- Nearest Transit:
-
Vernon Blvd - Jackson Av (7, 7X)
21 St (G)
Hunters Point Av (7, 7X)
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 8 am - 12 am
- Attire:
- Casual
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Brunch
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
134 reviews for Café Henri
Review Highlights
"The eggs Benedict are absolutely to die for, soooo yummy."
(in 25 reviews)
"A wonderful respite in LIC."
(in 16 reviews)
"Of course, the big bowls of cafe au lait are just heavenly."
(in 5 reviews)
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134 reviews in English
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Review from Sophia K.
New York, NY
2/8/2012
Cafe Henri is the perfect neighborhood French bistro. I used to work around the corner from here so I must have eaten here at least 15 times and have never had a bad meal.
Amongst my favorites: the omelet with ratatouille, their cheese burgers which is served on a delicious toasted brioche bun, crepes (salty) and hangar steak. Their soups are made fresh and their lattes are so superb that they gain their own star!
My only complaint is that the service is almost always slowwwwww. -
Review from Lily C.
New York, NY
1/14/2012 1 Check-in Here
Why isn't there a Cafe Henri in Forest Hills??? Hipsters always get the cute, cozy, restaurants with yummy brunches. They got West Village, Alphabet City, and now LIC.
It was a weekday and I was looking for just that - cute, cozy, good breakfast/brunch menu - but in Queens, not Manhattan. So I decided to venture to LIC and found Cafe Henri. After perusing the Yelp pictures, I was sold on restaurant and the French Toast!
What I loved about Cafe Henri's French Toast is that they use baguette bread and not soggy challah. Plus, the fruit on the side isn't just cantaloupe, melon, and grapes. I loved that the fruit also had grapefruit, oranges, and strawberries.
And have you seen the size of their cafe au lait?? Oh my! -
Review from Jodi C.
Mamaroneck, NY
1/11/2012
BEST EGGS BENNY EVER!!!! When i first moved to NYC I lived just a few blocks from this little gem and once I discovered the eggs benedict I couldn't resist coming back at least once a month. Yes, they are truly that good! I honestly have not tried anything else since :-/ beyond the banana and nutella crepes which are also de-lish! Im not a huge fan of the espresso, it is too strong for my liking. So when I ask for a latte, I always have to ask for extra milk. However, I have been going long enough now that one of the waitresses knows my face and always remembers how to make my latte just right!!! Outside of this particular waitress, the others are just okay and friendly enough. though I may have higher expectations than most bc for one I come from the midwest and two: I used to be a waitress and would run circles around these girls.
Other than that I love the place and recommend it. Just make sure you do not go to the one in the west village. Its not nearly as good :) -
Review from Renee S.
LONG ISLAND CITY, NY
1/29/2012
My husband and I love this place. We eat here all the time and our favorites are the burger, french toast. eggs benedict, crepes, and pasta. We were thrilled when they added great fries as a side last year. Service is always friendly and in a French style - some would say slow at times but they let you eat and enjoy their cozy ambience. We bring friends here all the time and they really like it too.
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Review from Lila C.
Brooklyn, NY
12/9/2011 1 Check-in Here
This place is really cute and was the perfect dinner spot for a cold weekday night in LIC. The atmosphere is warm and cozy and although I went with my mom, there were people on dates, families with kids, people eating alone, etc. The wine menu is great and they have sufficient options by the glass as well as beer and mixed drinks.
My mom ordered a leek, swiss, and mushroom crepe and I got the salad nicoise. Both were delicious and we cleaned our plates. Serving sizes are normal - not a giant diner salad but not a puny piles of leaves. The tuna on my salad was cooked perfectly and the meal was a great value for the price.
As many reviews noted, there is only one waitress and she's a busy lady. Our meal took quite a bit of time to come out and we had to beg for bread as we watched other people get their food around us. For a while it was: chocolate crepe on my left, juicy burger on my right, hungry Lila in the middle :( But the waitress brought us a free chocolate mousse for dessert which is exactly what a restaurant should do when kitchen backups occur.
Overall a great meal and I will definitely be back. -
Review from Yi Ting C.
Jackson Heights, NY
1/8/2012 1 Check-in Here
Yummy brunch! I would definitely return to try dinner. The eggs benedict is as good as everyone described. Presentation of the dishes was nice too.
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Review from JDou C.
New York, NY
2/4/2012
We ordered take-out to bring to some friends who had just had a baby and were stoked to find a restaurant in LIC that serves breakfast before 10 AM on the weekend. The menu looks great and the Yelp reviews were solid. For five people, we ordered two omelettes, a fresh fruit crepe, French toaste and a croque madame. We asked for the bacon to be put in a side container for religious reasons. Whoever took our order sounded like she couldn't be bothered and said, "I'll see if the chefs can do that." We picked up the food and note that every order was in a aluminum and plastic container placed inside a paper bag and then placed into a plastic bag, but the bacon was still in the order with the french toast. What gives? We switched food orders to make it work out, and bacon aside, everyone tried a bit of everything in hopes of seeing what everyone was raving about. The omelettes might as well have come from Denny's. The eggs were overcooked with the veggies thrown in part way through and which were then under cooked. The fresh fruit crepe had a haphazard assortment of fruit (apples, oranges, bananas, grapes, strawberries) that were more appropriate for an elementary school fruit salad than for a warm crepe. If you're not going to bake the apple then don't serve it luke warm. The ham in the croque madame was clearly prefabricated: too thinly sliced to taste anything except the saline solution and plastic used to pack it for the supermarket. Save yourself the heartbreak and go up the street to LIC Market or up into Astoria to hit up Vesta for the same price.
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Review from Iman A.
New York, NY
12/25/2011 1 Check-in Here
My friend and I ordered the eggs benedict with spinach and escargot to be adventurous. The eggs were good but could have been hotter. It comes with home fries and salad. The escargot was memorable, especially with the baguette bread. Dipping the baguette into the oil is heaven. I like this place and would come again if I was in the area, but Hunter's point is so dead that I wouldn't go out of my way to come here.
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Review from Rafael H.
Ridgewood, NY
12/11/2011 1 Check-in Here
Eggs Benedict with the bacon substituted for salmon is the best option here, come early to beat the wait on Sundays.
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Review from Lina F.
10/10/2011
If you are already looked at the older reviews, what are you waiting for??!! Order the FRENCH TOAST!
It's honestly the best french toast!! Henri uses baguette bread - it's crispy on the outer edge and soft at the center. The french toast entree comes with fruit and a choice of meat. For $10.95, you can't ask for anything more.
Cafe Henri also has amazing coffee! -
Review from Michael M.
Elmhurst, NY
12/27/2011
This place is one of my go to's when it comes to brunch. Good food, good atmosphere, and unfortunately a good long wait as well. For brunch, Cafe Henri serves traditional brunch items with a french twist. I really love their eggs benedict with smoked salmon and the french toast is delicious as well. The prices? Very decent, certainly will not break the bank.
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Review from Eugene P.
Manhattan, NY
7/12/2011
I've been here many times now, mostly early for breakfast so there haven't been issues of crowding or excessive waits between ordering and eating. Always, the food is quite tasty and the prices decent.
Until today, the only qualm I've had with the place is the service. Rather, the one waitress we kept getting. Other reviews label her as snobby, but that's not at all the impression that I had, so perhaps they've only employed a rogues gallery of food service misfits at this place.
No, our waitress is always totally oblivious to the needs of the customer, to the point where it's offensive. She'll seat us and hand us our menus, walk three steps away and then circle back around while we're vocally discussing our options and interrupt our obvious culinary decision-based talks to ask us if we're ready to order. She'll do the same mere moments after she's brought our food and we're in mid-sentence praising the presentation of the day's fare to ask us how everything tastes. Minutes later, while we've got our mouths chock-full of delicious morsels of one kind or another, with our forks readying the next salvo, she'll come by to ask if we need our plates cleared. It's like having a goldfish for a server.
Once, we showed up and the place was closed. The somehow dejected and apologetic busboy opened the door and said, "We can't open today. The waitress didn't show up." We gritted our teeth and looked at each other, muttering in unison, "The waitress..."
But today was different. Today there was a cheerful, polite and attentive waitress who could read the atmosphere and perform her duties with utmost competence. It was near-bliss; Almost too good to be true. Which, as a pessimist, is my fear. Maybe this girl is the sweet, cooperative roommate of the waitress who was willing to fill in when there was a workshop on obliviousness for the other one to attend.
But if today's experience is repeated on my next visit, I'm bumping this place up to four stars. -
Review from Drew S.
LONG ISLAND CITY, NY
12/13/2011
Wavering between three or four stars, Henri's extended weeknight hours gives them the nod.
We'll start with the basics: decent, consistent food, adequate, cute waitstaff, pleasant, cafe-like ambience with French pop background music.
I like their breakfast/brunch as well as Henri's burger and short-rib sandwich, and if you're a fan of crepes, they have many to choose from.
I choose to give it four stars because every other restaurant (diners not included) in the QueensWest/Hunter's point area, is closed by 10ish on weeknights with the exception of Shi, which closes at 10:30pm.
Henri is open until midnight!
This is a big deal if you feel like decent food later in the night.
I'm not a big fan of diners, so eating the short rib sandwich tonight around 11pm (take out) with a glass of wine at home had me feeling like a happy camper.
Thank you Henri for staying open!
(# of visits: over 30) -
Review from Iain T.
Berkeley, CA
8/27/2011
A solid four for the food, but the service is a little lacking.
Brunch is the best meal of the day and the selection here is very good. They're also very good on teas and coffees. But service is slow and slightly surly. Certainly worth checking, but not somewhere I'd go again considering the competition. -
Review from Adam F.
PRINCE, NY
9/22/2011
Came here after leaving a bad restaurant. This place is incredible. Ambience was perfect for a good night. They were playing live music with a jazz band. For a small place I was very impressed.
Definitely come here on a good night out and stay for the food and atmosphere. The service could have been better for a small place but it seems that there was only one server so it was understandable.
Definitely coming back here again. -
Review from Kurtis P.
South Orange, NJ
7/5/2011
Perfect for breakfast/brunch....only so-so the rest of the time. In a world where we can never escape the hustle & bustle of NYC, this is a welcome respite. The relaxed atmosphere (increased due to the absence of loud music and obnoxious snobs known to frequent the smaller, out of the way places) this truly is a nice spot to relax and enjoy the morning. The service isn't slow, its deliberate. The food is fantastic and perfectly timed out. Many people confuse not having a plate in front of them right away with the idea that courses are meant to be timed out. You're meant to enjoy your food, savor its taste then think of what you're going to order next. And at Cafe Henri they do that. You truly can enjoy your food and your company as you relax away from the noisiness of the outside world.
As many people have said, the lattes are humongous and as tasty as you can imagine. I'd have to say they could be the best coffee options in LIC. The food is fantastic. A few trips so far and haven't had anything I didn't like. I'd highly recommend it for breakfast or brunch, but their regular menus are a bit lacking in options.Listed in: LIC's finest
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Review from Jane C.
Long Island City, NY
5/2/2011
Dear Cafe Henri,
You are [mostly] amazing. Your food is delicious. Your lattes are perfectly-sized (for a coffee monster such as myself) and your brunch fare is simply out of this world. I enjoy the small and cozy space, and especially think that the selection of eclectic magazines nearest the rear wall is a nice touch.
However, I've tried to avoid your establishment recently for fear of the snobby service. What gives? You employ a particular waitress - let us leave some of this information anonymous - who is young, spritely and (given all inclinations) would seem to be sweet and caring. But yet, she is not. She is quite awful, actually ... and her lack of service / acknowledgement / communication / general regard for human-kind is quite terrible.
As they would say in French, "...le sigh!..." because your crepes, your french toast, your espresso and your creme brulee are all, "Magnifique!"
Methinks young waitress might have a disparaging future in hospitality and food services; and that my collective tipping at your restaurant will come to reflect this fact.
xoxo,
Jane :) -
Review from Bethany L.
New York, NY
Updated - 8/14/2011
I am reducing my previous rating. I can not deal with the small place and the poor service.
I made reservations for father's day brunch two weeks ahead of time. I was told by a waitress that I would be called two days before to confirm my reservation, because I did not receive a call I called them to confirm....was then informed they do not take reservations and that I could call twenty minutes ahead of time to see if I could get a table.
I was willing to again do the party of 3 sitting at a table for 2. I was ready to have our plates overlapping and hanging off the table. I was ready to take turns setting down our soup bowl sized drinks due to the lack of space. I was ready for a wait staff that although knowledgable about their menu, do their best to rush you out and to let you know it's a honor to dine at their establishment....
We will not be spending our 1st father's day at cafe henri and due to the aggravation it will be some time before we forgive them.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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1/31/2010
Their Sunday Brunch is fantastic! The eggs benedict and crepes are to die for.
Service is prompt and… Read more »
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Review from Vinny C.
Howard Beach, NY
7/14/2011
Nice cafe, very cute and comfortable
Mushroom crepe - great, 4 -
Review from Renee m.
4/28/2011
Space: quite small, tables are packed very closely together but would you really expect spacious seating in a French cafe?!
Service: slow, very very slow and slightly snobby
Food:
Eggs Benedict w/ Canadian bacon - nothing to go slapping your mama about
Crepe w/ honey - light and pretty good -
Review from Jen W.
Flushing, NY
4/29/2011
Here come the hipsters! Ugh. This place is SMALL, let's repeat that, SMALL, the tables are close together and the service is pretty slow. So if you're hungry and want brunch, you should go elsewhere. Seriously.
Their lattes are HUGE, the food is pretty decent. But definitely not worth the long wait.
I went here on 2 occasions. First time we were a party of 3, we were sitting at a table for 2, but whatever, we squished in, and got our food pretty fast. Their savory crepes are pretty good, their sweet ones, well the sugar one was kinda rubbery.
Came back here with a party of 6. Bad idea. We crammed into a table for 4 and drank our obscenely large lattes. Course our food took forever to come, that is everyone else got their food around us. The tables that came in after us got their food. We sat there chomping on air and lattes. The waitress eventually gave us 5 slices of bread for the 6 of us. Yay! We waited close to an hour for our food. To say we were not happy campers was an understatement. You cannot come here with a large party! This place simply cannot handle it. And I love how they put the tip in automatically since our party was over 5. I guess that's why the staff really didn't care if we got our food or not.
If you're a party of 2 or 3, then you'll get your food at a decent rate. I really don't hate them, I just won't go back there with a large group.
If you're wondering why I made the hipsters comment, its because this place says all their eggs are organic. You know hipsters love to flock to organic. -
Review from Euripides X.
ASTORIA, NY
11/5/2011 1 Check-in Here
The sandwiches, and deserts are the best. Everything on the menu is carefully prepared with fresh tasty ingredients. I can't remember when I've had food this delicious.
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Review from Solomon A.
Brooklyn, NY
10/23/2011 1 Check-in Here
I've been to this place a few times now and I must say, the food is consistently good.
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Review from Vy N.
San Francisco, CA
Updated - 4/16/2011
Though I love Cafe Henri's french toast and escargot, I have to be fair in my review ..
The Croque Monsieur was COMPLETELY INEDIBLE ..(like Alice X and Dana O have mentioned).. dry and hard as a rock .. I think it was left too long under the broiler ... I expected and asked for bechamel sauce to make it less dry but it doesn't even come with it! I let the waitress know but she didn't care nor did she apologize or offer anything else .. just too bad.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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6/27/2010
Wonderful place for brunch .. friendly, attentive service .. right off the 7 train (less than a… Read more »
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Review from Jennifer S.
New York, NY
9/3/2011
The quality of the food and cute atmosphere well makes up for the slow service. I ordered the carbonara special - it was really good - but it was obvious that it had been sitting while they prepared the rest of our table's order - would have been better if it were served hot. One friend ordered the pesto pasta - this may have been the best dish to grace our table! Another friend ordered the mussels and ate them with much joy (if you read my reviews, you know that I don't do seafood). We also ordered a tasty fruit crepe and chocolate mousse for the table - yum!
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Review from Tara L.
11/29/2010 1 Check-in Here
I've only been here for brunch but it's always been absolutely excellent. The french toast or the smoked salmon eggs benedict are my favorites. My absolute favorite is their huge latte...it's practically a bowl of good strong espresso with lightly steamed millk and just a little bit of froth. I get one and am good to go all day!
It's pretty small and the tables are really close together so I usually try to go when this place isn't busy...I especially dislike it when toddlers are crawling all over the place which seems to happen pretty frequently. I know it's cranky of me but I rarely took my now teenage daughter out to eat when she was little and if I did, she was always strapped firmly in a high chair or in my lap not crawling all over the place. -
Review from Dean Q.
Briarwood, NY
9/9/2011 1 Check-in Here
Great place to bring a chick for brunch. Portions aren't quite IHOP size, but food is well prepared, and the coffee quality. My omelet was kind of luke warm by the time it was served, but it was still pretty tasty. The decor and atmosphere definitely make the place.
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Review from Kathy D.
East Elmhurst, NY
9/3/2011 1 photo
Three words: SHORT RIB SANDWICH. When you feel like a burger but then decide on something better!!! The short rib sandwich is it!!! Its juicy short rib with avocado on a brioche bun...pure magic. The meat is prepared in quintessential French manner, French spices and the meat's fat produce a succulent and juicy concoction that is mouthwatering , hence why I only took a picture of half a sandwich, as my husband and I devoured the first half. Be sure to order this for brunch you'll love it!!
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Review from Christina A.
Brooklyn, NY
12/3/2011
This place is just pathetic. I've given it many chances over the last couple of years, and every time it is the same thing-HORRIBLE service, sooooo slow and even then the food comes out wrong... how hard is it to get a simple order of 2 burgers, one medium, one medium well? It wasn't crowded, and I can not for the life of me understand how they stay in business.
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Review from Scarlett S.
LONG ISLAND CITY, NY
9/19/2011
Eggs Benedict.... Yummy! Cafe au lait is wonderful as well.
Tip: come for brunch, skip the dinner menu. -
Review from Kai-Lee P.
Manhattan, NY
8/3/2011
Absolutely amazing! My friends and I went here after a warehouse sale. We got seated pretty quickly and it was 10 of us. I had the French toast with the ham, potatoes and fruit. it was sooo fresh and good. I added a scrambled egg with cheese... My only complaint is with the egg...because the suckers are organic my one egg with cheese was 4 dollars... Considering my meal was 10, paying 4 bucks for 1 egg truly bothered my spirit... But dammit it was good. I will definitely be back for brunch again...without an egg...lol
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Review from Winnie Y.
Manhattan, NY
3/27/2011
This place is great for brunch, but they are really really slow at serving food.
The crepes are my favourite, I usually get the crepe Henri so I can choose my own 3 toppings. I usually add mushrooms, sausages and ratatouille.
The croque madam is also really good.
I don't like the coffee here though, which is too bad cuz I always want one with brunch. -
Review from Veronica C.
Manhattan, NY
12/29/2010 1 photo
Great brunch place! I absolutely adore Cafe Henri.... LOVE IT!!!
You gotta try it ya'll ...
LOVE IT !!!!! -
Review from Danny C.
Jersey City, NJ
The food is not as good as other restaurants in LIC.
It's pricy and tasteless.
The drinks and desserts are not bad.
If you go, try to skip the dishes and just get the drinks and desserts.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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10/2/2010
It's a cozy local spot for brunch. I forgot what i had for brunch, but it was alright. Overall… Read more »
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Review from Tracy X.
New York, NY
10/6/2010
Great brunch place! I absolutely adore Cafe Henri, the bf and I drove here every Saturday during the summer and it was a great way to start our morning routine. There's usually no wait around 10am, once seated, no one rushes you and the service was always attentive.
The brunch menu is quite standard plus a great selection of savory and sweet crepes. Although I've never had the crepes myself, it seems to be quite popular among other patrons. French toast + latte is my usual go-to, and once in a while I'll have the eggs benedict (both absolutely delish). The atmosphere is very quint and family friendly, I just wish they had outdoor seating, which would have made a nice sunny day even better (I don't particularly count the 2 chairs and table outside the door seating.) -
Review from Sasha H.
New York, NY
1/4/2011
This place is incredibly cozy, with great ambiance. You really feel like you could sit, linger, and enjoy yourself. The menu options are extensive and authentic - lots of familiar items (croque madam/monsieur, escargots) with some room to explore (rhum lait chaud, savory crepes). The dishes and silverware are modern yet appropriate, the food is nicely plated with always something green on the plate and generally balanced and attractive. For all this, it gets 2 stars, and seemed to have the makings of a great meal. Onto the food...
To drink we had soy, decaf cappucino petit lait, petit moka; and rhum lait chaud. Don't know if it was because it was soy, don't know if it was because it was decaf (not that these should be excuses, I've had many an exceptional soy decaf espresso drinks), but my cap was very BLAND, which is a word I don't usually use to describe coffee. It packed no punch. Where was the punch? In the rhum lait chaud of course! It came in a bowl with a handle, and must have been 75% rum! Perhaps we are just neophytes, but we were expecting a spiked hot milk, not a milky hot rum! But let's move on...
Escargots were good - garlicky, cheesy, but nothing exceptional. The flavor didn't pop and I've had better elsewhere (see A.O.C.). My spinach and cheese quiche was passable as well, but not craveable or memorable. The salad that came with it was practically a garnish. Eggs benedict with salmon were pretty good (and not to be cynical here) but I don't think I've ever had a bad eggs benedict (*knock wood!!!). For dessert we had the chocolate and banana crepe (again, mediocre, the crepe was dry and not as buttery/fluffy as I enjoy) and apple tarte tatin (essentially overly sweet applesauce).
However!!! I will say that I feel this place has a great deal of potential and I feel like maybe we did not succeed at the ordering game during our visit, especially given their extensive menu. This place is just too cozy to pass up another visit. But I surely hope they man up and bring the flavor next time!!!! -
Review from Mark B.
LONG IS CITY, NY
7/24/2011
I have to agree with another reviewer about the snobby service. This place is cute and the latte was great. We had dessert only and it was good. But the people in this place just have an air about them. I'm not opposed to going back but I'm not running back in.
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Review from Jennifer G.
New York, NY
11/4/2010
I've been twice for dinner and twice for brunch, and brunch is by far the better option. Brunch gets 4 stars, dinner gets 3... or maybe 2.
Dinner: Had crepes the first time, which were blah and completely unmemorable. Came back again after having eaten at the Cafe Henri in the West Village. The croque monsieur there was fantastic--served with light, well-dressed greens. It came out piping hot and had gooey cheese galore. The white Burgundy they serve is also amazing, especially at the price point.
Was now willing to give the LIC location a second chance. Cheese plate has one or two tasty options, as well as things like sliced mozzarella and swiss (really, French restaurant... really?). Onion soup had a bit of hard, clear plastic in it, which the waitress explained must have come from the container it came out of (oops!). I am still mystified by the complete lack of concern or apology... Meanwhile, the sandwich was quite dry and served luke-warm. Thank goodness they also have the same great wine options, or dinner would have been a complete disaster.
Sigh.
Brunch: VAST improvement. Their butter & jam are shockingly good, and the eggs benedict are really fantastic. I got mine with bacon (several long slices, shared between the two English muffins) and it was delish. Don't love hollandaise in general, but theirs is really flavorful and perfectly unbroken. The rosemary potatoes on the side are also pretty great. And, wouldn't you guess, it all tastes fabulous with some white Burgundy.
Go for brunch... it's worth the wait. -
Review from Tunyaluck P.
Astoria, NY
I like it here.
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Review from Steve M.
LONG ISLAND CITY, NY
8/25/2011
Great pricepoint and good quality food. Wife loves their coffee, too. Perfect for brunch although food portions for a hearty dinner appetite may be disappointed from what I remember of their somewhat limited menu. We'll definitely try them again.
