maman — Restaurant in Washington

I've been here a few times now, and I've learned that I'm just not a fan of their coffee drinks (initially thought it was just what I had ordered, but I've tried 3 different ones and haven't liked any) That can be chalked up to personal preference though. I've tried several pastries, and a couple have been really good, but the others were pretty lackluster. Today, I tried to do a pickup order for the first time, as the other times I've been there, there has been a pretty long line, and I've found it difficult to hear whoever was taking my order. I also get sort of flustered in atmospheres like that, so I thought pickup was a better option. I walked in, let the employee at the counter know I was there for a pickup order, and they pointed to what I thought was my cup for pickup and said that it was "over there." So I picked the cup up (it didnt have a name on it or anything), put a straw in it, and stirred it and waited for the pastries I had ordered. I then realized that my cup was actually at the end of the counter. I let a different staff member know that I had accidentally picked up the wrong cup and apologized. The individual just stared at me, clearly annoyed, so i explained that i had picked the other cup up and put a straw in it/stirred it by accident. Since they just kept staring at me, saying nothing, I repeated that I was sorry, took the items I had ordered and left. I understand the frustration, but it was a genuine mistake, I apologized, and I picked up the cup that it looked like the other employee had pointed to. I had been planning to eat in since there were tables actually open for once, but I wound up leaving because the whole interaction just made me feel uncomfortable and unwelcome. The other staff members there were nice-ish, but I don't think I will be returning. Food has been so-so (though, again, that can be personal taste), I've had less-than-positive staff interactions when there on more than one occasion, and it just isn't worth the prices when there are other coffee/pastry options nearby that I personally prefer and have had better...

We enjoy coffee and good pastries, and when we heard this French style café that does both well was coming to the neighborhood it peaked our interest. We went in with an open mind.

Atmosphere: Everything green in there is fake, granted it's likely cheaper, saves on water, etc. But the artificial flora lends it self perfectly to the experience.

Baked Goods: The baked goods weren't memorable, I can't even remember what we ordered that's how unremarkable they were. But there was one pastry that stood in the case, which we did not order but still laugh about today, a squished flat almond crossaint, literally it was flat, I thought this was some new kind of pastry that I had never seen or heard of, no it was just a very flat crossaint.

The Coffee: The coffee they were serving was meh and from a roaster located in Brooklyn.

Something else we noted was the large cracks running along the table which look like a nightmare to clean because there were so many crumbs in between.

Things we liked:

The staff behind the counter were friendly and welcoming, and probably the only thing I felt comforting about this place.

We also liked that you can get your own bottle of water at the few self see E stations located both on the main floor and upstairs.

If artifical ambiance is not your thing you could walk a block down and support the local...

Would give a 3.5 if I could but the current experience is not a 4 star. The best part of the place is definitely the decor — it is gorgeous, like you’re in a garden in the French countryside. My cappuccino and pain au chocolat were tasty as well.

A big negative is that there is no WiFi which is a particular problem because there is also no cell service at all in the building (must be due to the construction of the building). It was to the point where I could not send a text message to the person I was meeting and had to go outside to get in touch with them. Service is also slow. Perhaps they are going for a “people relaxing without technology” vibe — which I do enjoy on a vacation or a lazy weekend morning — but a modern coffee shop in the US needs to give people the ability to do work.

EDIT: I saw some reviews about how some of the employees don't know English. I do want to say, as a Spanish speaker, that the server/busser who only spoke Spanish was the nicest employee in the place and was a highlight of the otherwise mediocre experience. Figured I would give that shout-out!

EDIT: Maman has finally brought WiFi to this location! That plus some good coffees and pastries on my return attempts bring it up to 4 stars. Service is still very slow, but a very good...