Café Blériot XI — Restaurant in New York

I walked by here yesterday (6/14/22) and happened to catch the owner/manager of the cafe berating a (potential) customer for sitting outside while the lady waited for her friend to arrive. The owner/manager (an older white female) came outside to shout at the lady (a younger black female) saying she needed to make a purchase if she was going to sit there, the customer politely responded stating that she intended to make a purchase but that she was simply waiting for her friend to arrive to the cafe, too. Apparently that wasn’t good enough for the owner because she continued to berate the lady and told her to either buy something now or get out.

Honestly, I couldn’t believe what was happening. As someone who frequents coffee shops in the neighborhood to meet up with friends, it’s is such a normal occurrence to wait 5-10 minutes for a friend to arrive and order together. It made no sense for the owner/manager to act this way given that she simply could’ve asked a question without having to yell and threaten someone.

Needless to say, I won’t be going here and will instead ask people to meet elsewhere so we can support businesses that treat people with respect...

Just had a very strange experience at this coffee shop. I’m very purposeful about going to mom & pop or local chain places for an espresso drink because usually they’re better & I like to support small business. Went into Bleriot for the 1st time today and asked for a cappuccino in the smaller mug. The person behind the counter said the mugs weren’t available and pointed to a paper cup. I said in a joking voice- “oh that makes me sad” and then she identified herself as the owner and launched into some explanation about how hard it is to clean the ceramic mugs. I finished my order and she asked if it was to stay or to go. I answered to stay and again tried to joke that of course it was to stay because I wasn’t trying to steal one of her nice mugs. Then she told me “no more jokes”. I was flabbergasted. “Is that an official policy?” I asked— again in a joking voice. “I think if I have one more customer like you today, I will have to close” she replied. So I left. Can’t say if the coffee is any good, or if she was having a bad day because of something else, but wow— that’s one of the weirdest and worst customer service experiences I have had in...

This place is a real hidden gem. I fell in love with their little teddy bear financiers (adorable and delicious) on my first visit, and now I try to come back for one (or two or three) every time I’m in the city. What really makes this place so lovely is the lady at the counter (who I think is the owner) who is so friendly and welcoming. I stopped in today for my little teddy bears and she asked if I wanted to try a croissant - I hadn’t even realized she hadn’t charged me for it until I’d already left and couldn’t give the profuse thanks that is deserved for such a kind gesture. It was the middle of the day, so it’s not that they were trying to get rid of unsold product - just kindness! That kind of generosity indicates, to me, her real love of what she does and the cafe’s desire to have loyal repeat customers as opposed to just making sales. And I think that counts for a ton in such a huge city! There is some seating in the small but lovely interior (instagram-able, if you’re into that!). If you’re looking for a great pastry and some friendliness to brighten your day then I highly recommend this place....