J'aime French Bakery — Restaurant in Philadelphia

A French-Inspired Breakfast in Philly While looking for a breakfast spot early Sunday morning, I found myself with limited options near the convention center after dropping off my wife for her morning meeting. Aside from the usual Dunkin’ Donuts and Starbucks, this small café popped up as an alternative, so I decided to give it a try.

The Setting

I arrived early, possibly one of the first customers. The café had a cozy atmosphere and offered a selection of French viennoiseries and pastries. Though the options were somewhat limited, they looked fresh and inviting, a refreshing change from the standard breakfast fare.

Our Orders

While I don’t typically eat sweet pastries in the morning, my wife, influenced by our shared French heritage, enjoys a classic croissant and café au lait. I opted for a butter croissant and a latte with almond milk, specifically requesting unsweetened almond milk. Unfortunately, what I received wasn’t truly unsweetened—a common issue I’ve encountered elsewhere. For clarity, unsweetened almond milk should have 0 grams of sugar, not a "low sugar" or "brown sugar" version. (Perhaps I’ll write a dedicated review about this recurring problem someday!)

As for the croissant, it was good but not exceptional. While it had a rich buttery flavor, it lacked the light, flaky texture one expects from a perfect croissant.

My wife tried the pain au chocolat (or, as it’s known here, the chocolate croissant) and found it enjoyable—though not my preference, it was a hit with her.

The latte, when made with regular milk, was excellent, which speaks to the quality of the coffee used by the café.

Additional Observations

We didn’t have the chance to speak with the chef, but we did see him preparing orders, including freshly made crêpes for other customers. It was nice to see that the café offered made-to-order items, adding a personal touch to the experience.

Final Thoughts

Overall, this was a pleasant breakfast experience, and the café provided a small but meaningful taste of France in the heart of Philly. It was a welcome departure from donuts and sugary staples for breakfast.

Merci pour la petite touche française à Philly! At least we didn’t have to rely on donuts for our morning meal.

Bon courage to the team at the café, and I hope they continue bringing a slice of French charm to...

yea this place is legit. would have to agree this is one of the best if not the best french bakery in the philly area. would venture to say quality-wise, on same level, probably better, than nyc commercialized french bakeries such as maison kayser. this is just a smaller operation with a personalized touch that you can taste and feel as soon as you step into this quaint bakery to the moment you devour all of the pastries they have to offer. you can even see the baker (himself?) in the back kitchen working diligently. just a glance at each of the individual pastries you can tell was conscientiously made and put together. it's the attention to detail on each piece, you can tell there is pride in the work, brings some nostalgia to how small patisseries used to operate. a true gem, hidden to me until now. things you have to try at least once- the apple croissant (best i've had) and the meringue fluffy dome thing (best i've had yet again, actually have never had anything like it but it is the perfect balance of fluff and crisp and chewy, you'll know what i mean on the first bite. my wife who doesn't really like meringue even was amazed. i guess it goes to show that sometimes you dont like a particular food until it's prepared the right way). oh and the lemon meringue tart is delectable. of course the croissants are great. the fruit tart is perfectly balanced. all of their creams/fillings are perfectly on point. my deepest compliments to the baker, and all the staff there including the authentic french servers (always a good sign). per usual, i'm hesitant to post such reviews for fear that it will be discovered by the masses, but seems like they are already well on their way, and much...

I heard about this place a few weeks ago and knew I had to try. I don’t love driving downtown so I decided today to go for a walk and walked 4 miles to try the food. It is so yummy and my cappuccino tastes amazing! However, the customer service makes me wonder if the French miserable attitude is actually a stereotype or not. I began placing my order and the woman makes me feel like I’m interrupting the conversation between her and her visiting lover. Very short curt interaction. One of the things I’d like to try for the first time is a crepe so I inquire about the filling, which she says is just a brand name and I can pick any flavor to which I reply the filling I’d like. She says you want just the jam or the crepe. I tell her crepe. She says here or to go? I say here. She says you want everything heated. I say yes. I pay, she makes my cappuccino, and I stand there for a min and ask, of the bag on the counter, is this all mine? To which she nods yes. I sit, only thing warm is my amazing mouth watering quiche. Eggs and cheese croissants cold in the TO GO bag. No crepe. I get up ask about my crepe which she then tells me she didn’t ring up. I pay and am told to come back in 5. I come back and get this steaming hot delicious crepe folded in a To Go pocket. I ask for a plate bc it’s very hard to eat and I literally said when asked I was eating HERE. She places a plate on the counter. I stand there and wait. She begins to walk away. I look around at the other customers eating off of plates WITH utensils and ask for a fork. That interaction definitely put a damper on my meal. It’s like why work at a cafe if you’ll make the customers who were so excited to come feel...