Le Boudoir

Elite '08

124

942

Rob C.

Miami, FL

hmm miami new times sure hypes this place up.
i only stopped in and tried their macarons.
tiny one $1.45 each, not impressive.  had lemon, raspberry, cinnamon, white chocolate.  interior was filled with artificial-tasting creme.  one of them was hard on the outside.  since they don't make them all the time and flavors rotate, might not have been that fresh, plus was hard and cold when came out of the counter (had to let them warm up first before eating).  although paul maisson's macarons weren't worth the $4 price for 1, they probably are still better (best macarons i've had was at bouchon in napa).  for miami, you can also get macarons at le royal french bakery in sunset area.

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1

25

Sophy R.

Coral Gables, FL

Honestly, I don't know what's all the rage about this place. Le Boudoir is a pleasant French Bistro with a convenient and hip location good for quiet groups or solo java sipping, but it is about as authentic French as the subway few blocks down the street.

The staff can benefit from some courtesy training and the prices are much higher for the type of food and menu selection they offer. Turkey and tuna sandwiches and Cesar salads do little to inspire the francophone in me as I can get them in EVERY joint in Miami. I was also disappointed with their selection of deserts, considering that the bistro doubles as a coffee shop. The French are notorious for delicious pastries and Le Boudoir has a very narrow selection that consists mostly of cakes with some chocolate elements (with the exception of a giant tart covered with fresh raspberries, which, apparently, was not for sale in pieces). The white chocolate mocha cake I had didn't have anything close to Mocha in it and reminded me of office birthday cake in texture and flavor.

Some people love this place and swear by it, which is fine with me, but I will not be back. There is just not much flavor to this place and the you can forget you're in a French bistro from reading the menu. It isn't much of an authentic experience (which may be worth extra $$) but it isn't a good place to just get some affordable lunch either.

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Elite '08

27

857

JD N.

Miami, FL

This French bistro is a little hard to spot because of the overarching columns of the building kind of makes it hidden. But the columns also give Le Boudoir a romantic and exclusive charm even though Le Boudoir is located at one of Coral Gables busiest shopping intersection (Ponce & Miracle Mile).

Le Boudoir, while it can double as a coffee shop and cafe, has a lounge feel so that struck me as odd for a while. I never would have thought I would want to relax and eat/drink in a place with an atmosphere that's more suitable for some flashy Miami lounging.

Prices are a little high for your regular cup of joe, but again, I'm spoiled in Miami, with the abundances of Cuban coffee around town.

The selection of food are decidedly French. They have salades, tartines, sandwiches. They also offer French entrees, so it is worth checking out.

But the star of this French cafe is the macarons. I've not been able to find French macarons in Houston, and I would not be too surprised if this place is the only one that makes and sells French macarons in South Florida. They're cousins to Latin American alfajores. French macarons are light, crisp meringue cookies, that is moist in the center. These macarons are filled with either flavored buttercream or ganache.

French macarons serves also as a good present to give to your friends or relatives that have been to France since they're a rarity in the United States.

But as cafe food goes - it gets only 2 1/2 stars. And then the 1/2 star is for the chic cafe atmosphere. For food, I ordered the croque monsieur. It was better than the disastrous croque monsieur I had at Le Sandwicherie in South Beach, and it was tasty, but for $8.95, I would have expected this place that makes desserts from scratch to also make bread from scratch and not use plain wheat sandwich bread. Also, the accompanying greens were just yellow-greenish parts of romaine lettuce, with a little sweet balsamic vinegarette.

And then for dessert, I ordered the mochi ice cream balls - a Japanese delicacy actually. It was raved by one of the waiter, and since I had never had mochi before, I took upon this chance to try them. They were good, but, I only got 3 pieces at the cost of $8. Scandalous, really. It's really all about the presentation and the ambience, nothing more.

If you come here, just stick with the pastries that they make on site, from scratch. Ignore the menu.

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