L'Appartement 4F — Restaurant in New York

I usually dont write low star reviews - especially for small businesses. But after my experience and looking at the comments below I felt I should- maybe if more people do so then the owners will re think their approach. As almost weekly - and I mean this- I stopped by to get breakfast for the family. total bill $75 for 3 baguettes and 5 croissants- no surprises here. Keyfood has a Balthazar fresh baked baguette for $3 but yours is way better.

The cashier informed me that she will add a 10% service charge. I smiled at that and asked if she is joking as I honestly thought she was. She said that it wasn’t a joke and I said well it should be my choice to tip at a bakery for a to go premade product order. “this is the rule“ she said. Hours later I saw the owners and I said to myself instead of disputing the transaction or writing a review I wanted to chat about this. Because I really love nothing more than supporting small business owners even if that means I will end up paying more for the product. Because their story inspires me and I hope more people get motivated to open small businesses and leave their careers.

The owners pulled a sign from the back- impossible to see- that had a note on the bottom explaining the charge. They told me that the reason for this charge is because people didnt tip so any order $75 has that fee. They offered to refund me the tip which I declined as this is not the point. I will leave you that tip every Saturday if that’s what your staff needs. But enforcing it is just unreasonable and trying to convince me that it is ok- as a business owner- is just embarrassing for yourself.

A few business tips for you:

•The goal is to increase the average spend NOT decrease.

•One rule should apply to all; if you feel you want to incorporate the service charge then do so for everyone (see Union Square Hospitality Group tip policy)

• Offer that type of service where you dont have to force gratuity like a sketchy nightclub. Improve your packaging, make sure you have napkins available, but above everything BE POLITE. Be comfortable with who you are.

•Do a market research for staff pay- look at all the other cafes/ bakeries; from Joes to Devocion , make sure YOU pay your staff a LIVING wage ( Yearly study published by MIT NYC @$25.65/hr) and not minimum wage. You charge $13 for a baguette with ham, you should be able to give a $3 raise to your 2 employees at the register. It comes down to $1 per baguette daily I think. The responsibility of taking care the employees fells on the owners FIRST. You take care of your team as if none of your guests will and everything is extra, customary and welcomed.

“If you do the right things at the top line the bottom line will follow” Steve Jobs- please spend 30 seconds and watch this.

From the few minutes I chatted with you I know you are good people. I know you work hard and that you will at least think...

Incredible pistachio and almond croissants. Worth the early morning trip.

Came here on a Friday morning to try their famous croissants. Arrived 15 minutes before opening and was third in line. By the time the doors opened, the line had stretched pretty long, but it moved fairly quickly.

I’m usually not a big fan of flat croissants, but when it comes to almond or pistachio fillings, this structure just works better. More even distribution and more balanced texture. While I generally prefer the traditional pillowy, flaky kind for breakfast, this was perfect after a long day of walking the day before. We picked up the Pistachio Rose, Raspberry Almond, and Nutella Almond croissants, and every one of them was superb.

Initially I thought the pistachio rose croissant would be too floral. They hammered it with rose petals on top, and the rose scent hit from a few feet away. But it faded quickly after the initial aroma. What lingered was the filling: rich pistachio, just a bit more decadent than a standard almond croissant, and not overly sweet. Probably the best pistachio croissant I’ve had by a narrow margin.

Both the almond croissants we tried were excellent, but I slightly preferred the raspberry. Instead of jam, they used raspberry crumbles on top, which added great texture and a clean finish that didn’t overwhelm the palate. The Nutella version was extra nutty and indulgent. Still good, but definitely on the sweeter side, and a bit much without coffee (which, unfortunately, they don’t serve—so grab one beforehand).

I’ll admit there are quite a few places that do almond and pistachio croissants well, so the difference here may be subtle for some people. But what makes this spot special is their focus on almond-based variations (from raspberry and Nutella to several others I saw on the rack). If you’re into this kind of pastry, it’s absolutely worth...

I thought this place was going to be horrible from every review I had read. It was actually the opposite -- super good! It is to the point where I went twice, despite hating to go over to Brooklyn Heights (it is absolutely a hassle). The items do look a bit flattened (lamination is nearly nonexistent), so if you care for looks... Yeah. It was not there. However, if you care about taste, these were so good! I have had most of the items, and they are drenched in delicious butter. I loved everything I had. The cinnamon roll stood out to me -- I thought I would not like it because it just appeared to not have a lot of frosting, but in actuality it had the perfect amount of frosting. It is one of my favourite cinnamon rolls as it is one of the few I have had that has the croissant exterior as the bun itself. So cool! The cookie was also fairly good, and different because it had tahini in it (which I have only ever had twice before). Service was fine, but the location is pretty squished. They do have an upstairs for seating, as well as a couple tables for outdoor seating. It isn't really somewhere I would go and study because it can get noisy with how squished it is, but I have seen people do it. I would personally just get my items and leave, but that is just me. Additionally, I would say go on the weekdays if you can. I go around 12:30 on a weekday and they still had the bulk of their stuff and no line. The one time I went on a weekend (Saturday) at 8AM, and there was a bit of a line. The line did go by super fast, and everything was there though. Maybe if you have something you specifically wanted, you should go early on a weekday to ensure that they have it. Overall, I...