Cafe Lavande — Restaurant in Milton

Went to Cafe Lavande for the first time today for lunch! Such a cute little place that I was surprised I'd never been to. The exterior is extremely unassuming but the interior is gorgeous!

Food: For my main dish, I got the Shakshouka. I don't know what I was expecting, but this dish exceeded those expectations by MILES. My dish contained a tomato sauce mixed with poached eggs and cheese (I think it was mozzarella, so delicious!). I was so impressed with this dish, and it also has a little spice kick to it that I really enjoyed. I also tried a bite of the Egg Basket that I also loved. If I had known the flavors before-hand, I think I would have chosen that dish instead! Both were incredible!

Dessert: I also got an Iced Mocha Latte and we tried three pastries: the pistachio and raspberry pastry, coffee flavored pastry, and a pineapple coconut pastry. The Iced Mocha Latte was delicious but just a tad sweet for me. I think it may have just been too much since I had it directly after the pastries, but if you have a sweet tooth, you will love it! My favorite of the three pastries was the pistachio raspberry one. The pineapple coconut one was a little too airy for me (but still yummy), and the coffee one was incredible and very coffee infused. I like how delicate each of the flavors are in the pastries though, it makes you feel like you could eat it forever.

Service: The service was the only concern I had with Cafe Lavande. This place truly deserves a 5-star rating, but I felt that the service takes away from the restaurant experience. However, I would like to preface: the staff is very friendly, the following is mostly about managing a large crowd. Cafe Lavande is incredibly popular, and it makes sense why it was so busy on a weekend. However, my friends and I waited about 20-30 minutes to get seated, and then were instantly told that we only had 1 hour at our table. I understand it is a popular place, but it was a little disappointing. On top of this, the staff seems very stressed and it made me feel guilty for asking for things. For example, our table needed 3 sets of utensils but we only got 2. I went up to one of the servers to ask for a 3rd set and she told me they only had forks and I told her that was okay, but she seemed really stressed and overworked when I asked her this. Additionally, we never got waters, and when we asked for them, she also didn't seem very happy about it (again, I don't blame the staff, but trying to be honest). It made me feel guilty to ask for anything because I felt badly about how stressed they were. Also, the way you order is by going up to the register, but the line got so long that you would be waiting for at least 45 minutes to an hour to order. My friends and I wanted to order coffee and pastries after our main dish, but ended up having to wait for a long time to order, and after ordering, it took even longer to get what we ordered (and when we did, there were no utensils in the box). They also have mainly large-party seating- one suggestion I would have is to create more seating for smaller parties to help with seating more people. When I first arrived, there was a party of 2 sitting at a table that could have seated 7 to 8 people. I love this place and love even more that it is a family-owned restaurant, but I feel that they are severely understaffed and struggle with sufficient space for seating.

Atmosphere: Incredibly beautiful interior with fun music. Feels a little cramped when it gets super busy, but very gorgeous overall.

Long story short: Food is flawless and interior is stunning. I hope they are able to figure out a way to manage the large crowds on weekends. As of now, I would love to come again, but only to pick up an...

Cafe lavande is a locally owned Halal coffee shop and Bakery and Cafe I've actually been here a couple of times. The first time was to pick up a cake that was ordered for a company Gathering celebrating a birthday. So don't forget that you can pre-order custom-made cakes for your events.

The shop is located in the Target shopping center off of Atlanta Highway in Alpharetta. I drove past it a couple times the first time I came here so it may take a little bit to find it but I've included pictures what to look for in my review.

The next time we went there was for a small gathering of friends to have coffee and pastries. We decided to sit on the outdoor dining area because it was nice and Breezy out there on a nice afternoon. The seating area has plenty of space for groups together but it is next to the busy Alpharetta Highway so if it is a busy traffic day you might want to consider that when choosing to sit in this area.

There is also a nice indoor dining area where there are many people there to eat a small meal and enjoy their coffee and pastry Delights.

We had lattes which were handcrafted and served to us on a nice cutting board style serving tray to our tables. We also sampled three different kinds of pastries; A coffee bean cake, pistachio roll, and a Napoleon pastry. The pastries here are in the French style which makes them beautifully created and not overly sweet. They are served on nicely appointed plates with real silverware flatware which makes this a more Elegant Touch to your coffee with friends experience.

The Napoleon pastry has multiple layers of puff pastry with nutty flavored cream between the pastry layers. And topped with whipped cream and crumbles. Very very flaky and tasty.

The pistachio roll is a pistachio flavored sponge rolled with a cocoa cream and then topped with a dollop of pistachio whipped cream.

The coffee bean cake is alternating layers of chocolate sponge and multiple layers of espresso flavored cream filling. On the top layer there is coffee flavor ganache on a crumble top.

The atmosphere here is Bright and cheerfully and decorated with style.. Don't forget to take some cake home or get some bread that is Tastefully displayed in their front display case.

The cafe side has light sandwiches that you can order as well if you're in the mood for a brunch or A light meal. I cannot speak to this since we only had pastries and coffee. Although, looking at other patrons who were having a light meal they looked very delicious just from eating with my eyes.

This is a nice place to go and hang out With Friends and have a nice conversation and light meal. So, it's worth your trip to this...

Unfriendly Service and Poor Communication

I recently visited Cafe Lavande for the first time, eager to support a Muslim-owned business in my community. While the atmosphere was beautiful and the food was decent, the service left a lot to be desired, ultimately making my experience disappointing.

Lack of Basic Customer Service When my friend and I walked in, the cashier didn’t greet us or make any effort to engage, which immediately created an unwelcoming atmosphere. Instead of starting with a simple “Hello” or “How can I help you?”, she just stared, waiting for me to initiate. I had to ask for a menu, to which she only responded with a gesture. It would have been much more welcoming if the cashier greeted us and offered the menu or guidance on how to order.

Long Wait and Unprofessional Response [PLEASE READ] After placing my order, we waited at our table for 23 minutes without receiving our food. When I politely inquired about the status, the employee I spoke with responded in a dismissive tone, saying, “Well, your food is going to take SOME time to make.” When I explained that it had been over 20 minutes, she rolled her eyes and replied, “I’m sure it hasn’t been THAT long,” as if I were exaggerating. This response felt condescending and unprofessional, especially since I had the receipt to confirm the wait time. Even after showing proof, she turned to check on the order without acknowledging my concern or apologizing. A simple, “Let me check on that for you” would have been much more respectful.

Impression of the Overall Service I understand that delays happen, and sometimes the kitchen might be busy, but the lack of communication and dismissive attitude were disappointing. I wasn’t expecting over-the-top friendliness, just basic courtesy and respect. Good service is about making customers feel valued, even during busy times, and a simple check-in or an apology for the wait could have turned the experience around.

Positive Note As we were leaving, the owner did greet us with a “Have a Good Day,” which was a small but appreciated gesture. It was the only moment that felt genuinely welcoming and is the reason I’m giving two stars instead of one.

Final Thoughts While I wanted to like this place and continue supporting it, the service needs improvement, especially in terms of communication and customer interaction. A friendly greeting, acknowledgment of wait times, and a respectful response go a long way in making customers...