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Cafe Madeleine
Categories: Food Coffee & Tea Food Bakeries Restaurants Sandwiches Coffee & Tea, Bakeries, Sandwiches [Edit]
300 California St(between Battery St & Sansome St)
San Francisco, CA 94104
Neighborhood: Financial District
(415) 362-3332
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 6:30 am - 5 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dessert, Lunch
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
262 reviews for Cafe Madeleine
Review Highlights
"Mmmm hot chocolate with chocolate whipped cream."
(in 11 reviews)
"this place is still five stars because of their cakes."
(in 76 reviews)
"Their pastries are fabulous and reasonably priced."
(in 35 reviews)
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262 reviews in English
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Review from Chandler M.
Redwood City, CA
2/8/2012
Outstanding hot chocolate with more chocolate whipped cream on top. A nice pastry. Cozy interior. Staff looked slightly stressed, so one star docked for that reason, but the customers inside seemed to really enjoy themselves. When I got my hot chocolate, a middle-aged man, a customer, said, "That looks really good!" I tried it right in front of him and assured him that it was. The baristas can really make a hot chocolate, and a reasonably priced one (for the SF Financial District, anyway) at that.
I walked by this place by happenstance while walking to a meeting just down the street. When I got to my meeting, the receptionist at that facility recognized my cup and commented that I chose a really good cafe. Apparently this place has a pretty good rep.
I'd come back. -
Review from Ann L.
2/2/2012 1 Check-in Here
Went to Cafe Madeleine just to get a chocolate chip cookie. It's close to Embarcadero Bart in the FiDi, 2 other locations in SF.
They don't have chocolate chip with nuts I wish they did. It's a huge chocolate chip cookie No Nuts for $1.75.
It was ok, nothing special. A bit crunchy on the ends, soft inside. Cold.
Looks like lots of yummy cakes & other desserts. Sandwiches & other stuff too. Charged it.
Hrs:
M-F 6:30am-5pm -
Review from Marylouise R.
Vallejo, CA
12/28/2011 6 Check-ins Here
I'm so happy that I work close to this place again... oh how i've missed a good pastry!
My favorite breakfast pastries: almond croissant, chocolate croissant, and when i'm feeling extra indulgent a bacon and cheese brioche.
for lunch, you can't go wrong with their menu. my fav is the oven roasted chicken w/ parmesan and artichoke hearts.. YUM!!!
desserts - this place specializes in desserts. their chocolate raspberry truffle cake is divine. the red velvet is so good... and lastly, the kpoi cake. thin layers of hazelnut cake with a coffee buttercream. yes... COFFEE buttercream. SO damn delicious! -
Review from Grace L.
12/14/2011 1 Check-in Here
What I love:
Fresh mozzarella and tomatoes with fresh basil and pesto spread on a sweet Italian roll
Chopped salad with candied walnuts, apples, blue cheese and mustard-dill vinaigrette
Spinach salad with goat cheese, strawberries and toasted almonds with Balsamic vinaigrette
They also used to have this amazing broccoli salad with beef... so great! -
Review from Gwen L.
San Francisco, CA
2/3/2012
Delicious, cute little spot that's conveniently close to the office. Definitely try their burrata salad with truffle oil and salt - to die for!
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Review from Diana V.
10/18/2011 1 Check-in Here
Three words: Chocolate Whipped Cream.
Made from scratch.
Topping off a hot cup of cocoa.
Heavenly : ) -
Review from Lee L.
Long Beach, CA
1/28/2012
maybe their pastries are good. but my hard and bland sandwich was so sad. a bland brie and tomato and pickled onion sandwich? i didn't know that was possible until i saw that they only put a small slice of brie in the middle of the sandwich. that explained a lot.
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Review from elle l.
San Mateo, CA
1/4/2012
yum yum! love this place! Chicken chipotle was delis, also has the Cobb salad. The desserts look tasty, so will have to wait till the next time. This will be my new favorite place.
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Review from sasha h.
10/12/2011 1 photo
Cakes, petit fours, cupcakes, French pastries.. that is why I love this place.. Their sweets are incredible. We always get our desserts from madeleine for large work dinners, client lunches, birthdays and whenever anyone has a sugar craving and they want to share. They also have an assortment of salads, sandwiches and select deli items for lunch. Pretty much everything is decent, you can't really go wrong. They are really efficient here, the line moves pretty quickly so don't be offended if they don't chat a lot, it is just usually really busy so they try to go as fast as possible. Single pastries are on the pricey side.
From the cakes, all are pretty good but some popular ones around our office are caramelia, chocolate raspberry truffle, fruit tart, frou frou, chocolatine, tiramisu, mango, triple chocolate, key lime, lychee cremeux -
Review from Stephanie A.
Milpitas, CA
1/5/2012
What a cute place in a nice location with friendly staff.
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Review from Elaine Y.
10/16/2011
Our company gets birthday cakes here for our coworkers and it has been about 4-6 cakes now and it has not yet once failed. The quality of the cake is just so high. Moist cake, cute decorations, taste great, and creative combinations. For my own birthday, my coworkers got me the Green Tea Taramisu. One bite of that and it has gotten me hooked. I don't want to admit this or even too embarrassing to say this, but the first minute I got home with the leftovers, I immediately got a fork and start digging back in.
This place is amazing, if you don't try to get a cake here, you're making a big mistake. The cafe itself is a really cute too. You just can't go wrong. -
Review from Rachelle Q.
Fremont, CA
10/4/2011
Three words: Chocolate Whipped Cream. On Cafe Mocha. Heaven!
Bonus points for the friendly and helpful workers. -
Review from Linda L.
Oakland, CA
12/16/2011
This is right next to my building and it is always packed during lunch. They're known for their desserts but their coffee is pretty damn good! I wanted to order a soy mocha and they informed me that they couldn't do it since the chocolate they used was actually chocolate ganache. *Unlike starbucks, they realize there are people who are lactose intolerant. I ordered a soy vanilla latte instead. The service was a little slow but only because the chef was helping a customer with a choice of cake. They're cake is quite delicious and rich. And they have great mouse options too! The cakes sell quickly so you might have to pre order sometimes. I recommend coming here. It is a bit pricey but worth it!
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Review from Tianjiao G.
Troy, NY
12/22/2011
i was passing by this cafeteria and stoped by cuz their dessert looks so yummy. Actually it was ok maybe i should try some panini. still four star cuz of other reviews i dont wanna misleading.
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Review from Jeanette S.
Berkeley, CA
8/10/2011
The Tahitian Vanilla Pudding topped with a layer viscous (yet not too sweet) rich caramel and three delicately placed blueberries left me very satisfied! The pudding itself was thick and dotted with flecks of vanilla bean.
This dessert was pricey though, at $5.50. But that just gives you a good reason to skip out on lunch altogether and order a dessert.
Also, the ladies behind the counter were so adorable! Full of energy and smiles -- definitely coming back!Listed in: Frequent Buyer Cards, The Hunt for Baked Goods
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Review from J B.
San Francisco, CA
10/25/2011
Grilled cheese and tomato soup- love love love.
This is such a great spot and yes, I am a fan. This is one of the perks of working in the Financial District. -
Review from lura m.
San Francisco, CA
8/23/2011
Their cake made me sad.
My husband got me a lemon coconut cake for my birthday and I happen to be someone who LOVES frosting. While the inside of the cake was fine (not amazing but fine), the frosting made me want to cry. It was bland and instead of a delicious vanilla buttercream all I could taste was butter.
From now on we are sticking with a place we already know and love - Suzie Cakes in the Marina. -
Review from Theresa P.
Union City, CA
1/19/2012
Hi! I'm a big fan of your pastries and sandwiches and salads! The only place you fall a bit flat is with your grilled chicken on the cobb salad.. It's really really dry!
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Review from Josephine L.
Boston, MA
11/16/2011
This nondescript little cafe in the middle of a barren stretch of the Financial District has a hidden secret: an amazing dessert selection. The triple chocolate cake is divine. I don't know if they make their desserts in-house and I almost don't care. Being able to bite into a moist, smooth cake that doesn't make your teeth hurt and fills your senses with the best of chocolate's musk is pure heaven.
Comment from Michelle L. of Cafe Madeleine 11/16/2011
Yes, we make all of our own pastries, cookies and cakes.… More » -
Review from Katy A.
6/30/2011
this is the best place in the FiDi to purchase a birthday cake. Awe inspiring look, will personalize and it's worth every penny!
Also...when a place has chocolate whip cream on their mochas...you really can't go wrong. It's pretty much an experience your belly and taste buds need to have before you die. -
Review from Julie T.
South San Francisco, CA
6/24/2011
I LOVE THEIR CHOCOLATE DECADENCE CAKE! Chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting! It's so perfect... and amazing... and always moist. The sheet cakes are wonderful because its lined with HUGE chocolate covered strawberries. MMM I order one of these every birthday. I can't wait to order another. Birthday countdown, less than a month! YAYYYY
Prices are not bad either!
MM thinking about it, makes me want to drop by and get a cupcake RIGHT NOW -
Review from Cat C.
9/13/2011
My boss ordered a cake here for a going away "present" for a co-worker. I've heard this place is pricey but the cake was delish! It was a sweet & semi savory strawberry mousse cake with basil in it & the biggest strawberries ever. Definitely unique but tasty. Maybe I'll stop in one day for a pastry or a mini individual cake when I want to spoil my self.
Listed in: Sugar Rush
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Review from Melinda S.
San Francisco, CA
8/21/2011
I came to this place with the help of Yelp reviews. I typed Panini, and the first result was Cafe Madeleine. My personal favorite is the Mozzarella and tomato. http://Bomb.com. The pesto helps take this panini up a notch. I tend to pair the sandwich up with the tomato soup if I have room, and it never disappoints. The soup is the perfect amount of salty and compliments the sandwich nicely. After eyeing their selection of cakes and assorted sweets. I grabbed a couple slices for my roommate's birthday. To this day we still talk about how amazing the dessert was.
Great place for lunch and desserts. After reading more of these reviews I'm looking forward to stop by for mocha one of these chilly SF mornings. -
Review from Ashley O.
San Francisco, CA
4/1/2011
Ambiance: Really cute and simple with enough seating (both indoors and outdoors) to bring a few friends. During lunch hour, there's definitely a line, but nothing too outrageous. The staff is always welcoming and helpful.
Drinks: Their coffee drinks are pretty standard, nothing crazy. If you order a hot chocolate, though, make sure to ask for chocolate whipped cream. They also have a pretty good selection of other organic beverages in the fridge. :)
Food: Sandwiches = amazing + great selection! I especially recommend the tomato mozzarella or the eggplant.
Dessert: They have a lot of little bites to choose from, all of which are really good- sometimes seasonal, too.
Only complaint: I wish they closed at 7:00-7:30 PM (instead of 5:00) so that I could go after work sometimes, too. -
Review from Alice L.
3/29/2011
OMG, their cheesecake... I won't go into details on the state of ecstasy that its tender morsels elevated my taste buds to -- a lady does not kiss and tell. It's suffice to say that the way I stuffed that thing into my mouth would cause men to uncomfortably cross their legs.
Initially, I thought the cheesecake must be made with marscapone instead of ordinary cream cheese, but my conjecture was off base. I have no idea how Madeleine is able to make the the filling so light and fluffy. They must have whipped the cream cheese within an inch of its life. One day, I would like to learn to whip it, whip it good, like that. -
Review from Sarah Q.
Oakland, CA
12/22/2011
currently having a love affair with the dark chocolate soft custard cup... sweet mutha of god........ *smh* SO GOOOOD!!!
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Review from Angela K.
2/11/2011
Their cakes are amazing! My company always orders cakes from Cafe Madeline for our gatherings, and they never disappoint. If you're a fan of chocolate, you're going to love their chocolate cakes. I would definitely say they are a bit on the rich and creamy side, too sweet in my opinion.
Their lattes are pretty comparable to Peet's coffee, extremely strong and bold, yum! I took off one star cause this place is pretty expensive. $60 for a large cake, and $4 for a latte.
The inside is kept surprisingly clean and they have a couple of chairs and tables for you to sit around. I will come back to try their pastries and sandwiches next time, hopefully it's as good as all these reviews say they are! -
Review from Andi T.
8/7/2011
I got a great salad here -- took it to my new building's rooftop garden, and it was one of the best lunches I've had in a while. The lady at the counter keeps the line moving, and the orders came up quite quickly. Next time, I'll have to peruse the desserts...
Listed in: Veggie Lunch in the FiDi
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Review from Otto D.
San Francisco, CA
10/4/2011
A note to Management:
When you have five girls doused in perfume selling food in tight quarters, the overwhelming scent of their various perfumes will, no doubt, permeate the room and invade the coffee, pastry cases, etc. As a result, everything in your shop tastes like cheap perfume. Food Service 101 states you should mandate employees leave the stink juice at home and come to work smelling like nothing. Don't let something so basic ruin your establishment. Luckily, most of your customers have weak palates and less than discerning tastes.
PS - The coffee is absolutely horrible. -
Review from Karen S.
Nob Hill, San Francisco, CA
8/16/2011
I recently moved to Nob Hill and have been passing Madeline's in the morning on the way to the office. Last week, I jumped off the cable car at Battery and bought a cake there for a co-worker's birthday. It was easily the best b'day cake we've had. Layers of chocolate cake and chocolate ganache and topped with a carpet of deep raspberries with two huge glazed strawberries in the center. There was a very slight touch of kirsch or some other liqour with the berries. It was lovely. The fruite was very fresh and the cake and filling very rich. She was really pleased. I'll drop back by soon and get a box filled with assorted pastries for a special treat for the group.
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Review from Michael S.
New York, NY
5/21/2011
+ Amazing fresh grilled paninis
+ Good coffee
+ Tiramisu to die for
+ Good prices for a FiDi place -
Review from Jay S.
Daly City, CA
9/27/2011 1 Check-in Here
Their pastries are fabulous and reasonably priced. So far, hands down, everyone's favorite is the triple chocolate cake. Go early because they run out of their little pastries.
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Review from ryan n.
San Francisco, CA
12/2/2010
Quite possibly one of the best places I've been for a quick bite. Great staff in the cafe that is always friendly, polite and helpful. Even when they are busy they manage to make you feel like you're the only customer there. The food is great. Love their express sandwhiches which are often times proscuitto with basil butter, or mozzarella with tomatoes, just something that was easy to make perhaps an abundance of food they had from the day before that they can make a quick and easy sandwhich with. The only gripe that I have is that it is pretty expensive to get lunch there. One could easily spend 12-20 dollars to just eat for lunch.
Great service and food is what will keep me coming back from more. -
Review from SANDY M.
Concord, CA
9/16/2011
Pastry's are sooooo good! Our office often get our bday cakes here and they're AWESOME! Jill is cute too =)
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Review from Stacy C.
Looking for a late lunch (just after 3:00) I pulled out my nifty Yelp app to find a yummy place within walking distance and found Cafe Madeleine.
Walked into the cute little cafe and was greeted by a very friendly staff who offered to answer any questions and even provided a few recommendations when I mentioned everything sounded good and I didn't know where to start. As expected, they were not very busy at 3:00, but the few customers that were there seemed to interact with the staff like regulars.
I decided on the St. Andre cheese sandwich with sliced pears and candied walnut spread on michi bread. The sandwich was on the large side of perfect (as far as size goes) and absolutely delicious! I also had some of the bottled Tea's Tea Jasmine Green tea to go with it, very light and refreshing!
My plan was to get a dessert to-go when I was done, however the candied walnut spread was sweet and the thick slice of cheese was so rich, I did not need anything else to top off the meal.
Another winner for the Financial District!Listed in: San Fran: FiDi
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Review from Kimba I.
San Francisco, CA
4/6/2011
Definitely part of my lunch rotation. I enjoy their quiche that comes with a simple salad. Good crust and egg-to-filling ratio. I also usually get their tuna salad sandwich as it's a step above the typical. Their chicken pot pie was a little ho-hum, FYI.
Their cakes are pretty good (but not outstanding). The chocolate ones tend to be better than the fruit-topped cakes as those can be dry. I'm also not a fan of cakes decorated with big pieces of fruit - looks pretty but not practical when you're digging into your cake.
There's one woman behind the counter with a really high voice. She's ultra peppy but in a robotic way. I don't mind her, though. -
Review from Jay A.
Traverse City, MI
8/25/2010 1 photo
Hit and missed.
I had white chocolate cake and tiramisu.
The white choc cake was AWESOME.....but not so much for the tiramisu.
The price was a little high [$5.50 a piece]
I'd recommend Sheng Kee for yummy cake at the right price though : ) -
Review from Heidi j.
San Francisco, CA
6/24/2011
2 starts for service- they forgot my order and i waited for 15 minutes outside thinking they were giving it to my friend but she came out with just hers... it only took them a few minutes to make the sandwich when i went back in and asked them about it. it was during their noon-1 lunch rush. the cashiere kept saying to her sandwich makers "don't screw up. too many screw ups today!". way to motivate!
4 stars for the suuuuper delicious but messy (3 napkins...) sandwich- pear, cheese and honey walnut spread. delicious. -
Review from Tammy C.
3/30/2010 10 photos
(See pics)
I always love Clover coffee across the street and will come by to grab lunch so that I have excuses to pick up some desserts as I indulge / reward myself from working hard.
I did not realize they have so many different kinds of quiches before other than salads. I picked up ham and asparagus quiche and it was pretty good. It also comes with a side salad. All are very fresh.
For dessert, I picked up a colourful piece of Kopi (described from the official site as thin layers of hazelnut cake and coffee buttercream.)
Lunch makes me happy to go back to work when I know the afternoon will feel shorter when accompanying beautiful and delicious food and amazing coffee!
This is also a great place if you want to pick up a whole cake to share for birthdays or any other celebrations. These pretty cakes definitely earn the bright stars. -
Review from Felicia T.
San Francisco, CA
8/5/2011
I am officially addicted to their peanut butter cookies!! They're only $1.50 and are AMAZING !!
