The French Café - Hamlin — Restaurant in Horizon West

This café, now under new ownership, has undergone a transformation so profound and unexpected that it left me in absolute awe. What was once a simple, functional space has now become a vibrant, welcoming, and deeply thoughtful establishment, infused with love, passion, and an undeniable sense of care. The new owners have not only revitalized the café itself, but they have also breathed new life into the surrounding community, turning this space into something so much more than just a place to grab a coffee—it is now a true sanctuary, a haven where people can gather, connect, and find inspiration.

One of the most remarkable changes is their commitment to working with local artists, an addition that brings an extraordinary sense of character and depth to the café. The walls, which once felt bare and unremarkable, now serve as a living gallery, adorned with an eclectic collection of paintings from various artists, each piece adding a unique voice and perspective to the space. The beauty of it is that each artwork is available for purchase, seamlessly integrated into the experience with QR codes placed beneath them, allowing customers to directly support the artists. It’s an inspired move—one that turns a simple coffee run into a cultural and artistic encounter, inviting people to slow down, look around, and truly appreciate the creativity that exists within their own community.

Beyond aesthetics, the café has made astonishing improvements to its menu. Before, I often found myself underwhelmed by the lack of variety, settling for whatever was available rather than truly enjoying the experience. Now, I have the opposite problem entirely—there are so many mouthwatering options that I find myself overwhelmed in the best way possible. Every item looks like a masterpiece, and I can personally attest that each dish and pastry is as extraordinary in taste as it is in presentation. The attention to quality and flavor is undeniable, and it’s clear that the owners have put immense thought into curating a menu that caters to a wide range of tastes and preferences. Whether I’m craving something sweet, savory, light, or indulgent, there is always something that captures my attention and leaves me eager to return for more.

Perhaps the most striking change of all is the atmosphere. What was once merely a transactional stop—walk in, get your coffee, and leave—has transformed into a space that feels warm, inviting, and deeply comforting. The ambiance is now that of a true café, a place where you want to linger, soak in the surroundings, and truly be present. The music is soft and soothing, setting the perfect mood for both productivity and relaxation. The staff, every single one of them, exudes kindness and genuine hospitality, making every visit feel personal and special. Even the owner, in an extraordinary gesture of generosity, has gone out of their way to offer complimentary pastries—a small act that speaks volumes about their commitment to creating an experience that goes beyond mere transactions.

It’s not just the enhancements in atmosphere, menu, and artistic engagement that impress me—it’s also the fact that, despite all these incredible improvements, the prices have dropped significantly. In a world where better quality often means higher costs, this café has defied expectations by offering so much more while simultaneously making it more accessible to customers. It’s a rare and refreshing approach, one that makes me feel truly valued as a customer rather than just another sale.

I never could have predicted such a dramatic and heartfelt reinvention of this space, but I can confidently say that this is now the best french café period and I also believe the best cafe overall in Winter Garden and Windermere. It has become more than just a coffee shop—it’s a community hub, an art gallery, a place of comfort, and a testament to the power of thoughtful, passionate ownership. This transformation is nothing short of remarkable, and I feel incredibly lucky to have witnessed it firsthand. It is an honor to...

Let me start off by saying I REALLY wanted to like this place. There IG looks amazing. The menu sounds delicious and I LOVE good coffee. I went so far as to give it 2 shots. 1st time I ordered the breakfast croissant which comes with an omelet in a croissant. I ordered it with onions and tomato inside the omelet and bacon and cheese on top. While all the coffees were great, and the croissant was super fresh and buttery, I was missing the bacon. We mentioned it to the server and she comes back with somebody from the kitchen and tells me that my tiny chopped up pieces of red onion was actually the bacon, (which it was 200% not) but “just to appease me” they brought me some more bacon, which was Four nice thick cut pieces of delicious bacon which in no way shape or form was in my omelette neither hole nor diced like they claimed. And not only did she try and tell me that it was in there, when I told her it wasn’t she insisted it was and told me to taste it again. I gave them another try because hubby really liked his breakfast. We went yesterday and I saw on their stories on IG That someone had posted just two hours before our arrival that they had a Matcha drink with bright purple foam Which I was assuming was Ube, which I love, but I asked the girl before I ordered just to be sure, and I asked her what “this” was as I pointed to the picture and she tells me “I don’t know”. A gentleman walks by and she asked him and he tells her it’s matcha with strawberry. Although I’ve never seen purple strawberries, I just decided to leave it alone and ordered my “strawberry matcha” Which was a beautiful pink color when I got it, not purple. Then I ordered my breakfast, a breakfast Italian Panini and not only did I order it. I pointed to it on the menu. Now, according to the menu, it should’ve had egg, prosciutto and provolone. The sandwich I got had thick cut ham, provolone and just a sprinkle of pepperoncini peppers (peppers aren’t supposed to be in the breakfast one), but I didn’t mind because I love pepperoncini peppers anyway. However, what I did mind is that my eggs from the sandwich were missing so when I brought it up to the server, they again told me that I was wrong and that I ordered the regular Italian Panini, but that they would make me the breakfast one at which point I was too annoyed by having my order messed up twice and then being told that I was the problem twice. Meanwhile, the regular Panini, which they claim I ordered, comes with prosciutto, ham, provolone, sun-dried tomatoes and pesto, yet the sandwich they brought me had no tomatoes and no pesto. So either they brought me the breakfast panini missing the eggs and added peppers or brought me the regular one missing tomatoes and pesto. In addition they have French toast sticks on the kids menu with a nice description of “dippable sticks” with a picture next to it of French toast sticks which we ordered for my daughter. they brought us regular French toast . when we brought it up to the server, she was completely confused and told us they don’t serve French toast sticks and we literally had to point it out on the menu. Lastly, they were going to refund $23 for a drink we were charged for that they didn’t have the ingredients for plus my breakfast which I didn’t even bother having. it literally took 2 people to do it and 10 mins of confusion, and the girl at the register ringing up the $23 order multiple times to a total of $80 something dollars instead of a refund, then someone else canceled all that and then rung up a $23 order and telling the kitchen not to make it and then just deciding on giving us cash for the refund. Lastly there online menu doesn’t match the menu in store on some items. Bright side, coffee was delicious, but I don’t think I will...

My wife and I decided to visit French Cafe for brunch after seeing multiple (and I mean MULTIPLE) videos on Instagram showcasing what looked like incredible food items and coffee drinks. Given that were recent transplants from NYC, we wanted to give it a shop since we’ve been looking for a cafe that’s quaint and had quality options.

We each ordered the iced crème brûlée latte and an omelette. I got the chicken fajita omelette and my wife got the veggie omelette. We also each ordered a pastry: my wife got the Nutella croissant and I got the strawberry tart.

First, the coffee was really not good. Didn’t really have the proper balance of espresso and sweetness - it just felt like a watered down, sweetened drink. Then, we got my wife’s croissant and it was so underwhelming. It was stale, simply put. As my wife put it, it was like the croissant was bought from Costco, cut open, and slapped with Nutella and chocolate sprinkles. So far, 0-for-2.

But probably the most disappointing part of the meal were the omelettes. Regardless of whether they were going for French style or American style omelettes, there’s never a world where ANY omelette should be overcooked and burned. Sadly, both of our omelettes were exactly that. My wife picked at hers but I could barely touch mine. It was to the point that the manager on duty kindly came over to our table to ask if there was a problem with the omelette and even he could tell it was overcooked. He was so kind and generous enough to have the kitchen make me another one, which I greatly appreciated. Even then, when the new one came out, I was really disappointed in it. It was just an average omelette. There was nothing about it that wowed me at all. Extremely mediocre omelette. I ate it because I didn’t want the food to go to waste but take my word for it: extremely subpar.

Overall, I was disappointed in how this restaurant was hyped as on social media. And unfortunately, this is a product of the over-saturated food influencer space. Everyone and their mother claims to be a food influencer simply because they hit up food spots and review the food. Truthfully, food reviewers sometimes deceive and don’t provide truthful reviews. And I’m so sorry to say that French Cafe is one of those spots where honesty and transparency was not properly conveyed in their reviews.

This review is not meant to hurt this business whatsoever. Rather, I’m providing feedback because this place was advertised as something that it is NOT: an authentic French bakery and bistro. If you’re reading this, it is not - believe me.

As for ambience, it was cute and cozy. Tables were spacious and chairs were comfortable. Wait staff was also friendly, and I also want to reiterate how kind the manager was in doing his best to rectify my omelette order. But sadly, these are the sole shining spots of this establishment.

Lastly, I’m not looking for compensation by writing this review. Also, I don’t plan on coming back again, so I’m not looking for a free meal out of this. Again, I’m providing the most honest, genuine feedback. Maybe there are other food items that are better but I was so disappointed and sadly, it’s for these reasons that I will not be returning to French Cafe. Hopefully, this feedback along with the other comments here will be one way that French Cafe improves its quality and standards in the future.

PS - apologies in advance for not having any pictures. Honestly, the meal was so underwhelming that I was more concerned about leaving, not...