Champagne French Bakery Cafe
- Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: No
- Good for Kids: No
- Takes Reservations: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: No
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: Yes
- Good for: Breakfast
114 reviews
Larkspur, CA
"I took my lovely date on "Lover's Lane". Room for just two at the table with the hint of intimacy with a curtain hanging to our table's side…" read more »
22 Reviews for Champagne French Bakery Cafe
They don't do ham & cheese croissants anymore so -1 star for that. Also, the last time my friend and I came here, we got a box of desserts to go and when we got home, we found them all to be dried out and day-old. Those experiences aside, this is an ok chain restaurant when you can order quiche and croissant sandwiches and this particular location serves french fries! If you're going to order dessert, I would eat it at the restaurant so you can return it if it's bad.
Lovely little taste of France in Mill Valley.
Champagne cafe & bakery offers a nice place to take a time-out and enjoy a sweet confection or light lunch. I stopped in recently with a friend and we shared a perfect lemon tart and a cappuccino for me.
The place is clean, lively, and with a display case showing the day's sugary attractions - what I liked about it was that the case was not overly full, having the right amount of choices with the more popular items running low. To me, that ensures the freshness of what they are offering.
I bought several bags of the Crushed Peppermint Meringues to take home, and they are as delicious as they are beautiful. And at $4.50/bag (about 50 total), they make a nice hostess gift as well - the bag is tied with a raffia ribbon, so it's gift-ready.
If you like to serve a Buche de Noel at holiday time, this is your place.
They have a back patio for seating during the warmer months - I will definitely give that a try next time I am in Mill Valley - the reviews for brunch at this place sound great. And who can resist a "Champagne" brunch? Not this francophile.
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When I lived in Mill Valley, I used to love to come here for something simple but substantial -- their Nicoise certainly fit the bill, as did their small but tasty steak au frites.
Of course their baked offerings are also quite tasty.
Only drawback: they close relatively early.
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I dream about their almond croissants. I spent a day in Mill Valley & passed by this bakery during a stroll in town, got a cappuccino & an almond croissant & went on my day (babysitting)...later, my taste buds made me go back at the end of the day to buy half a dozen to take home. they were just right, not to sweet, not to amaretto tasting, the marzipan was the right texture, the croissant dough flakey/ buttery & not greasy
This is a really cute place to stop in one of the cutest little towns around, Mill Valley.
Yes, this place is part of a small chain. But, what this place has on the one in Corte Madera is location and setting. Even though it is part of a chain you do not feel that at all. It is set in quaint, beautiful downtown Mill Valley. And, the back patio is such a relaxing and peaceful place to have brunch. They also have a broad selection of delectable French inspired bakery items.
So, if you're on your way to the Marin coast, or the Wine Country, or beyond, from SF, this is a great place to stop for fuel.
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I had to update this as I went into Champagne this week with my parents, and while the food was still good, the lady at the counter was unfathomably rude both to me and my mother (and both of us spent YEARS waitressing, so I can cay with some confidence we were not ugly customers). Awful, awful service. So disappointing.
I have eaten at a lot of French places and have never in my life found the French stereotype of rudeness to be true. I guess it takes an American to really turn up the asshole in a French restaurant.
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Yesyesyesyes.
Three reasons this place should be tried at least once for brunch:
1. Impeccable croissants. I mean flakey, buttery, good alone or as an egg and cheese delivery mechanism. Lovely anchoring for your post-Saturday night belly.
2. Cute little patio with jasmine plants and a decent amount of warm morning sun.
3. The brunch special is delicious and relatively cheap for what you get (small pastry, fruit salad, bacon egg and cheese croissant with red skin potatoes ...all accompanied by coffee, orange juice and champagne!). I'm not sure if it is the same every weekend, but damn. Yum!
Oh, and the guy gave us a free champagne refill. Yes, a refill ...on CHAMPAGNE.
It's the world I wish I lived in all the time.
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My friend and I stopped in here on our way to DYK. Champagne is a neat little French bakery just a few blocks away from the Mill Valley end of the Dipsea Trail Run. We only briefly stopped by to pick up some croissants and use the restrooms. The croissant was just the right mix of buttery and flaky. The bathrooms were clean and easily accessible. What more could I ask for? :)
Oh yeah, one last beef. Why charge $2.19 for a croissant? I'm sure you think those 19 cents (10%) make a big difference for the bottom line, but you charging me $2.19 is a total invitation for me to use my credit card. As someone who hates carrying change, either make it $1.99 (or $2) so that I can pay cash or live with me using my card for $2.19. [/rant off]
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The two stars are for the patio, which is pretty nice (overlooks a parking lot, but still, on a sunny fall afternoon, it's pleasant), but the food is just uninspired and even slightly mass-produced and reheated tasting. More like something you might find in a bus station.
What a cute little, totally Mill Valley place. Nice selection of pastry, and a varied menu. Coffee was delicious. Sit outside on he patio for a relaxing meal.
Very Rude and Obnoxious Service - the miserable girl who works here really is unhappy about life. I wish she would cheer up and not ruin my day along with everybody elses.
Not bad, but definitely not great. If I'm ever in Mill Valley again and go here, I'd probably just stick with one of their desserts, rather than buying a sandwich. I got the chicken pesto, which was fine, but didn't blow me away at all. It was very, very mild, and in fact I really didn't taste much pesto at all. I stupidly got the caeser salad, which had pretty nasty dressing, and my girlfriend got the spring salad, which was definitely a better, safer choice. A customer near us ordered the vegetarian, quiche special and upon seeing it, I immediately wished I had gotten it instead! I hate it when that happens. Kind of overpriced for the dinky sandwich they served, but again, not bad, just kind of boring.
My girlfriend and I would spend every Saturday morning getting brunch at this place. I love Champagne. Even though we hated the waiter for a while, the Danishes and Croissants were just delightful and the food is great. They're diet soda is perfectly carbinated and they're sandwiches are great.
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Great breads and fancy pastries.
What nice introduction to Mill Valley! Smells good, has beautiful pastries, its website matched its menu, and the food was good. I got the Nicoise Salad, and the albacore was yummy. Sit outside if it's nice out; the patio is fully covered.
The fact that this patisserie is named after a beverage should clue you in that it's a bit off the mark. We were tempted inside by a display of really handsome pastries, and were glad to be allowed to take Buddy out on the back deck with us, which is a pleasant spot. My croque monsieur was bedeviled with a too-strong ham with a tough rind, too little bechamel, but was saved by good bread. My salad had bit too much dressing but was otherwise fine. IQ had a breakfast crepe which had a bit of a pre-made feel to it. Later on the drive home, we tried a raspberry almond croissant which was good but I was puzzled as to why it was sliced and seemingly toasted at some point. What's up with that? IQ's bread pudding was just plain awful. They get an extra point for being dog-friendly on a warm day, but I doubt I'll try them again.
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Love the food. Love the ambiance. Love sitting on the little deck out back with my friends. We've tried a couple of other places but always end up here for a sandwich (and a treat) for lunch.
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Cute bakery in Mill Valley...great for a snack, baked goods or a drink. They also have a patio in the back.
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Walk inside and the display of pasteries will sell you even if you came in for a sandwitch. The best sandwitches here are the warm chicken sandwitches that have pesto, swiss, tomato, and lettus....get it on a soft roll...they are kinda sweet. A-mazing! Top it all off with creme brule.
my beau & i had a quick lunch at this place and we both loved the taste of the food! he had the b'fast croissant which was warm & soft, scrambled eggs and crispy bacon with a side of fresh fruits. on the other hand, i had their chopped salad with chx, avocado, tomato wedges, radishes, green onions, cucumber wedges with parmesan cheese,croutons with dijon vinaigrette & 3 baguette crisps. staff was friendly,however, it's quite pricey.
Saying I eat breakfast at Champagne every single weekend might be an exaggeration, but if my fella and I had our way and our taste buds didn't occasionally stir us elsewhere, we would. And that's saying a lot considering their pretty shady service. Aside from the short and evil man who works behind the counter at the Mill Valley location (he's especially mean to vegetarians, women and people who are mentally retarded --- I'm not kidding), this place is really chic, quick and tasty for a run-of-the-mill bakery. The decor? BCBG (Bon chic, bon genre). The soda? Nice and bubbly. Their raspberry and cheese Danishes? Delish. Their sandwiches? Warm, moderately-priced, not-too-bready and fresh. Just don't tell Dr. Evil you mistakenly got meat in your omelet and would like a replacement. He'll come out from behind the counter and inspect your plate with a fork. And then, if you're as lucky as I was, he'll march the plate to the cooks, close the blinds and ...only a fly on the wall knows what happens next. If you want all the goodies and none of the dirty looks, check out the Corte Madera location in Town Center. They seem more civilized and courteous. Bon apptit !
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Great panini sandwiches and decent coffee
A few years ago, our neighborhood was lucky enough to have the wonderful bakery, Bay Village (now called Tartine in SF), nearby. You'd walk down Madrona Avenue and the alluring smells of fresh bread, croissants, tarts, cookies and croque monsieurs would pull you into the shop. Fresh ingredients and brillant recipes left me (& everyone else) wanting more. So, as I rate Champagne Bakery, keep in mind that I'm measuring against Tartine as a standard. Champagne Bakery is part of a chain, with this particular one located on prime real estate in downtown Mill Valley. Despite their hotspot location and local clientele, this place really lacks any innovation with flavors. Their pastries, tarts and petit fours have an overwhelming "dough" taste. And then the sugar hits you, without much recognition of the other ingredients - be it fruit, chocolate, etc. Lunch baguettes are often less than fresh, quiche is either cold and greasy or hot and greasy. Their smoked salmon, mixed greens, madelines, and lattes are OK. I've been here about a dozen times with out-of-towners who want to try it because it's "cute" as well as just on my own trying to catch them on a better day, but it's the same experience over and over. All that being said, if you're catching a movie next door, it's convenient for a quick latte and madeline.
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