Le Chantilly — Restaurant in Albuquerque

I'm opening this review with the caveat that I may update all information and opinions after the actual wedding cake is created and consumed. However, I just couldn't wait for the event that brought us to Le Chantilly for planning to sing their praises.

First for the service, we arrived by appointment for a planning session for our wedding cake with no idea how to go about design. The baker/designer brought us morning drinks and walked us through design options and the array of flavors that met our exceedingly tight criteria. She did all this with gentleness, smiles, and infinite patience in regards to our frankly odd requests and Raz's inability to focus and be still after a healthy sampling of high-sugar wedding confectionery.

Among our odd requests is a top tier of fruitcake on the wedding cake since tradition dictates that we keep it for our first anniversary, and no other cake can survive that duration of waiting. Our Baker didn't bat an eye, she just gathered one of the freshly made fruitcakes and cut us a sample to taste.

I'll be a monkey's uncle if that wasn't the best fruitcake we've had in the last 20 years! It was almost impressive enough for us to trade out the other layers for it, but we figure we'll keep the best for ourselves on the day...

On our way out, we stopped for savory pastries. Savory pastries are hard to find in Albuquerque for some reason, and we were joyful to have found them. We're doubly joyful to have eaten some truly wonderful meat, cheese, egg, and even spinach-filled croissant and puff-pastry. Even if our wedding cake isn't right out of our dreams, we'll be back for more of...

My first visit to Le Chantilly was not what I had in mind. The food is, borderline, OK. I tasted several pastries and did not find anything that amazed me. The ambiance is not inviting. The "decoration" is pathetic. I arrived around 2pm. The place was dirty. Food crumbs all over the carpet floor. Plates,cups and dirty napkins from previous customers were on the tables waiting to be removed. Two girls were working at the time. One (skinny) very polite and somewhat hardworking. I watched her helping some walking in/out customers, putting dishes into the dishwasher, cashing people out. The second girl (chubby) rude and lazy, if you ask me. She not only does not work, but she also eats in front of the customers. I do not think she was on her break, because as soon as she realized I was watching her eating her cake, she decided to get the broom and start swiping the floor. The impression I had is: That place has no management. Employees do pretty much what they feel like doing. "Running a business without care only helps...

This has been my favorite pastry restaurant for the past 25 years! I live on the east coast but travel back to New Mexico as often as I can to visit family and make sure to ALWAYS make a stop here! Since I was little my favorite pastries have always been the pink and white petite fortes, but with (the amazing) Terry’s help and suggestions, I have now tried the quiches, the almond pockets, the sugar cookies, and the wonderful coffee! My latest visit to Le Chantilly left me feeling such gratitude for Terry and the rest of the great people that work there, that I was compelled to make a declaration about it. Hopefully, to connect more people to the love that they create in their café, through the outstanding food and service. A special thanks to Terry for making me feel so welcome and for being down-right awesome! I look forward to seeing you...