The French Market — Restaurant in Rumson

The aesthetic was pure charm. However, the service was anything but. I stopped in for a cup of coffee ☕️ one morning, and I entered to no greeting, no smile, no acknowledgment from the cashier who stood a mere five feet from the door. As there were no other customers, I stepped up to the register and ordered my coffee. The cashier rang up the order and then swiveled the screen around so I could complete the tip section (as if). I did press 3% because so far, while non-plussed by the service, I could still forgive the non-greeting because customer service is not what it used to be, but after the register was swiveled back to its rightful position, that is where our interaction ended. No other words besides prompting me to fill out the tip were exchanged. No cup nor coffee or direction was delivered. I didn't want to trouble the cashier with a question, so I turned to look around and then saw the urns with the stacks of paper cuos and lids beside them. I then realized that I had tipped a girl to not greet me, not serve me coffee, and not even tell me where to go to serve myself coffee. The coffee was OK and it was hot 🔥 which isn't always the case from an urn, so that was a plus. But a good cup of coffee is a lot easier to find than good...

My wife and I are on the #eatjersey challenge to have a meal in all 564 towns of NJ. We chose The French Market for Rumson, our 108th town.

This beautiful cafe is decorated in a chic manner for atmosphere. It makes a great backdrop for your Instagram pictures.

It is mostly designed for takeout, where all orders are taken at the counter. They have a limited number of tables to eat in the well-decorated space. However, all food is served in cardboard takeout boxes with plastic utensils, much like Chinese food. (That's not very French, and not very cafe-like either.) Given the way the cafe is decorated for folks who eat in, and in a well-to-do town like Rumson, I would have expected the option to eat on regular plates w/silverware.

With that being said... the food was EXCELLENT! We both got crepes. One with egg, ham, & swiss, and the other with egg, spinach, & feta. We shared an order of French toast which was made with brioche bread. The crepes were served on a bed of salad, and the French toast was accompanied by a fruit cup.

The cafe also has a selection of pastries and cheeses. We did not try any of these, but they looked good.

If you're looking for crepes-to-go to satisfy your itch for brunch, the French Market should be...

Cute and charming ambiance BUT ... where is a nice knowledgeable staff so that I can order something? I'm celiac and must eat gluten free. Not one of the three people working (including the cook) could answer what the crepes are made of. All 3 had no clue about ANY ingredients in ANY of the food. It is so obvious when an establishment doesn't want to pay for decent help. I have to guess that sacrificing service will cost the place money in the long run. When I worked in the restaurant industry, we were tested to make sure we knew all the ingredients of every dish. If I were working that shop, I'd know what all the food was about and I'd be sure I could answer customer questions. I'd never be ok with 3 dumbfounded faces just staring and shrugging. And the 'chef' would know to toast the bread for a Croque Monsieur (I had the foresight to bring my own bread). And why did we have to eat our dine-in order out of a box? If these are new owners ... I implore you, don't be another nice business ruined because you think paying for decent help doesn't matter. It does. A...