Carpe Diem Cafe & Wine Bar — Restaurant in Lafayette

Update July 2024: We’ve visited Carpe Diem a few times and they’ve been great at accurately labelling what is gluten free and what is not gluten free. I feel safer eating there and have not gotten sick. My husband and I have always enjoyed the gelato and desserts there and I’m glad to feel safe enjoying their food again. I appreciate the changes they have made.

Original review: I want to start by saying that we enjoy the food and atmosphere and have been routine customers, but be forewarned that items may not be gluten free even if labelled as such. Always ask! A few months back, we visited and the biscoff gelato was labelled gluten free on the sign in the gelato case. I have been there multiple times and it was never labelled gluten free before so I did ask just to make sure. The person behind the counter said it was mislabeled and was not gluten free. She erased “GF” note. She said the staff was still learning and she put a note on the counter by the register to remind the other employees that the biscoff flavor was not GF. I can understand how this can happen and was glad she tried to make it right. However, we visited this past weekend and they had a flavor that was new to me since they rotate flavors. This one was banana pudding and labelled Gluten Free but had a topping that that I assumed was vanilla wafers. This was going to be my choice but thankfully, I asked the employee if it was gluten free and mentioned I was checking because of the topping. She said it was NOT gluten free and the topping was “probably vanilla wafers”. She never erased the gluten free label from the sign in the gelato case so anyone else may have assumed it was safe. I understand that gluten free is a preference for some, but for others who have a wheat allergy…or Celiac (like myself), this would have made me extremely sick for days. I’m glad I asked, but I don’t think it’s ever okay to be careless with gluten free labeling when gluten-filled toppings are purposefully put on it. It either comes down to lack of knowledge by the staff or carelessness, neither of which seems okay to me. If you’re not sure if it’s GF, please don’t label it that way. Someone thought it was gluten free, so what if I asked the wrong staff member and was misled (even if unintentional)? I feel like it breaks my trust and is disappointing as safe food is already hard to come by in the Lafayette area. I’m not sure if...

The only reason I gave this place more than one star was because the Gelato was good. This was my first visit to this café. When I walked in I had no idea where to order, so I stood in front of the Gelato case and decided which flavor I wanted. Because I am lactose and sugar intolerant, I wanted to order just one scoop in a cone.

When I looked up from the Gelato a server was standing on the other side of the case just staring at me. He never said one word to me. So I asked him if he was the person I would give my order to and he gave me a sarcastic yes, what do you want?

Me: I want the Special, one scoop on a cone. Him: That comes with 2 scoops. Me: I wasn't going to stand there in the café explaining to him about my medical condition, so I said again, I just want one scoop on a cone. Him: ok, let me see if I can pull the cones apart. I stuck his hands in a bag of cones and finally worked one out and it was not broken. He said again, this comes with 2 scoops. Me: I just want one scoop on a cone.

He scooped the gelato on a cone and handed it to me. He then walked over to a register and charged me full price even though I had only had one scoop. I left and ate my gelato while driving home. When I got down to the cone, it was STALE!

Like I said earlier, the one good thing about this otherwise not good experience was the Gelato because...

Went here after trying the burnt honey cake that my brother bought for my moms birthday.

Location: limited parking on the street. There was alot of drainage construction going on when we went.

Atmosphere: dim, comfortable, plants, cute signs, and very nice inside. Smelled like essential oils. Walk up to the counter to order and they will give you items right away or bring to you. Clean dining area and bathrooms. Tables and bar style seating. Inside and outside seating. There were people inside that worked on their laptops, hung out with friends and enjoyed coffee/snacks.

Food: chocolates, Gelato, cake, baked goods, coffee. I 100% recommend the burnt honey cake! It's light and delicious. Unlike any cake I've ever had before. I'm not much of a sweet eater but I could eat this entire cake! My mom also liked the berry Gelato and said it reminded her of a Gelato she had in her childhood.

Prices: not horrible but a little confusing to know how much some things cost. For example, a sign said a piece of the burnt honey cake was $8, but I was charged $6.50 ($6 feels more fair than $8 to be honest).

Service: Very nice and patient. Allowed us to sample the Gelato options. There were only 2-3 workers at the counter when we went, but they handled the guests very well. I never...