There are real gems out there in Atlanta, often hidden away, far from the lens of influencers and snobby patrons. Cafe Alsace is one such discovery that belongs on the radar of those in the know. Having been around since 1997 and founded by a French immigrant, Benedicte Cooper, this is one of the more unique establishments focused on specific cuisine of Alsace region. Spectacular liver pate. Incredible Flammekueche flatbread. Ridiculously inexpensive selection of great wines, up charged at 1.5x retail. I mean, where does one find deals like that in today's market? The patio has a couple pleasantly setup tables. Sadly, as with most Atlanta patios, it is next to the relatively busy road, but it is what it is. With all this said, Cafe Alsace is a real winner when it comes to a casual French meal. read more

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Cafe Alsace is a very cute French restaurant in Decatur square! We came for date night and I called ahead to see if they would take a reservation, but they only do parties of 4 or more. We ended up taking one of the last tables, so I would definitely recommend getting here earlier in the night! We started with the bread and cheese board and tbh that was definitely the worst part of the night. I ended up not being a fan of 3/4 cheese, but I did really enjoy the bread. I had the beef bourguignon for my main while my fiance had the ratatouille with sausage. Out of the two, the beef bourguignon was the favorite! We ended the night with a crème brûlée that was really good. There's a lot of character in cafe Alsace and it's a very cute place for date night, and I'd definitely come back if I'm ever craving French food. read more

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I visited Cafe Alsace recently to enjoy a Valentine's Day dinner with my wife. It had the same authentic, small cafe charm that I remembered from a prior visit years ago, but in a nice touch it was also all decked out for the holiday. As many restaurants do for Valentine's Day, they offered a prix fixe menu including a starter (wonderful chestnut soup), main (we chose a savory crepe with sautéed chicken), and dessert (a light raspberry puff pastry). Each course was delicious and accented by additional Valentine's touches (see photos). I'm not an expert on French cuisine but I can say the food is reminiscent of meals I've enjoyed traveling in France. Service was on point and we were well taken care of throughout the night with each course arriving in a timely manner. Note they do not have parking or valet, so if you make a reservation allow time to find a parking spot in downtown Decatur (some of the public garages are quite pricey so a short walk is worthwhile). Cafe Alsace offers a delicious meal in a romantic setting, so give them a try if you want a can't-miss date night. read more

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The ambiance in this place was delightful--low lighting and a romantic feel. We went on a weeknight and received excellent service. My partner had a mushroom pasta special that was quite good, but for me the highlights of our meal were my ratatouille and a baked brie, peaches and brioche appetizer special! Highly recommend if in the ATL/Decatur area. read more

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What a quaint cafe in Downtown Decatur, GA! Mom lives about a block away so we walked over on a drizzly morning around 11:15 am. They open at 11:00 am, it was Saturday. There was already a table seated inside and we chose to sit on the sidewalk, under the awning. How perfect. 5:00 pm somewhere & 11:30 am in GA, so a glass of $15 wine seems fitting! A belated Mother's Day lunch, after all. Started with a beautiful salad, escargot and pate- all absolutely DELISH!! Our server was kind and very soft spoken. Was fun to sit out & watch some sort of wedding party (we assumed) parade walk by with varous white boxes & trinkets. A beautiful parade of young girls dressed in their fairy dresses- wondered what that was about. A healthy vibe of goth & dog walkers, hand holding... so fun! Oh, the food. We were relaxed & the 2nd wave of great food came. A rustic artichoke quiche, French onion soup & tomato soup. So lovely!!! We ate until we were satisfied, got a to go box & walked around the cute stores for a while. A nice day! You need to go & take a moment to relax. For 2 people with a good tip & those $15 glasses of wine was a little over $100. Bon Apetite! read more

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We love this place for a date night! It's very small and doesn't take reservations for 2, but we've gone twice and have shown up by 6pm and have gotten a seat no problem. The bread is very fresh, we've ordered the Nage de saint jacques- essentially a seafood broth with scallops/ shrimp and fish. Very good and flavorful. We've also ordered the boeuf bourguignon, like a beef stew with spaetzle pasta. Would recommend if looking for a great French place! read more

Cafe Alsace - Boef bourguignon- already half eaten before I remembered a picture! Large portion! - French Near Me - Decatur, Georgia

If you love French food you're going to LOVE Cafe Alsace! A tiny little restaurant in the heart of Decatur, with the best French food ever. Perfect date night spot! My husband and I had the bread plate, the chicken cordon bleu, and he had a special they were offering that night. (Pictured below) Even the drinks were amazing! 10/10 recommend! read more

Cafe Alsace - Chicken Cordon Bleu - French Near Me - Decatur, Georgia

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The food was of poor quality. For a French restaurant in a notable part of town, this was surprisingly disappointing. I had the salad Niçoise and it was very clear that the salmon, the potatoes and the green beans had all been cooked 1 to 2 days beforehand and then placed in a fryer to reheat them. The green beans were not even prepared and had their stems still on them. One would expect the interior of a French café to have quite a bit of charm and a rustic feel. However, I think that they have given up reinvesting. The floor is covered in indoor outdoor rugs. And the surfaces and corners have quite a bit of grime. read more

Like the real deal French!! I loved the Wellington and pate the most. Authentic and super yum!

I came in for lunch yesterday and I absolutely enjoyed my time. I had a wonderful hospitality and was seated right away. I love the ambiance totally chic and flowery decorated entrance and beautiful views. The food was good. I would come back for dinner and try more food. Thank you. read more

Cafe Alsace - Menu - French Near Me - Decatur, Georgia

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Believe me when I say, just don't. I've been to France numerous times. My husband is German, but his Oma, and her family are all from....you guessed it: Alsace! There is no real French food in this restaurant, period. Very slow service, overpriced, and pretty lousy food. read more

It is hard to beat the cuisine of this long standing Decatur restaurant, the best there is in that area in my opinion. The authentic Alsatian dishes are made with fresh ingredients and I have never had one that was not outstanding. The service is friendly and the only thing is that one has often to wait for a table at night because it is usually pretty busy, the owners having resisted to increase the size of their place in favor of the quality of what they serve. Closed on Sundays and Mondays.. read more

This Small place reminds me of being in Paris. Everything was so good. A few of us meet every few months. This was such a joy. The service was great. read more

Charming atmosphere. Great service Superb and consistently delicious foood Very reasonably priced Have never been disappointed! read more

I think you'll be okay if you stay away from the Tarte Flambé which was a soggy, cold, never should have been served, we-should-have-sent-it-back, terrible mess. Tasted like it had been given to somebody at lunch time for takeout, returned, and reheated for us. But the drinks, the Special soup, the desserts, and the Spätzle were awesome. Nice wine list and service as well. read more

Went for a birthday dinner with friends and all 4 of our entrees were a hit! Service was friendly, had to call to make a reservation but our table was available (even a little early!) when we arrived. The owner was sweet and you can tell the restaurant is a really special part of the community. read more

Don't pass up this little gem in the heart of Decatur. This is probably one of the only places that you will be able to order a Beef Wellington in GA. The decor is quaint like a country house or restaurant in the French countryside. I tried the chicken liver Pate with warm French bread and tiny pickles and I enjoyed it so much I took it to my hotel to finish the next day. The star here is the Beef Wellington, which is a was a perfectly cooked and extremely soft Beef tenderloin wrapped in pastry with mushrooms and served with green pepper corn sauce in a bed of potato gratin. It was exquisite! The server was attentive and I never had to wait for anything I needed. I recommend one of their red wine blends to pair with your food. read more

Cafe Alsace - French Near Me - Decatur, Georgia

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Not nearly as enamored with this restaurant as other reviewers. I just don't think the food is that great. For lunch, I had the quiche, which was very salty, and the onion soup, which was watery. It's been two or three years since I've had dinner there, and I wasn't crazy about it back then either. I just don't get all the hoopla over this restaurant. The menu is very limited, and to me, the food is very mediocre. read more

I have definitely have overlooked this restaurant. Came here kn a whim and had amazing delicious food. Especially the entrees and great service! The pate and escargot was alright but the pasta and pot pie like dish was amazing! read more

Cafe Alsace - French Near Me - Decatur, Georgia

Very intimate Staff is friendly and the owner fantastic Large portions all 3 of us were stuffed and everyone's meal was wonderful Definitely recommend read more

A pleasant dining experience with warm, homey, delicious food. The ambience is adorable. Feels like a cafe trottoir from France with a neighborhood and welcoming vibe. Not much space but i didn't feel that i was crammed. Food: Salmon Wellington: literally zero critiques. This dish is delicious. The salmon was cooked perfectly, not dry at all. The puff pastry was fully cooked and flakey without being moist or soggy from the salmon. The croquette was perfectly crispy and flavorful and i felt that the goat cheese sauce provided the perfect zing and tanginess that the dish needed. Would come back for this dish alone. Beef bourguignon: this dish was good but nothing complex. Heavy on the wine taste and very peppery. A heart stew with tender meat. A dish that i think could be made by many but solid nevertheless. Probably would not get again only because other dishes to try and it didn't blow me away. Duck confit: i enjoyed the orange glaze of this dish tremendously. It wasn't too sweet or overpowering but full of flavor. The duck itself was delicious but i felt that the surrounding skin was quite tough, I've had better cooked duck elsewhere but was not terrible by any means. Probably would not get again. Dessert: we got a pear pie with chocolate cinnamon ice cream. The pears were flavorful and the crust at first appeared to be too thick but ended up being light and flakey. A lovely neighborhood spot, will definitely return. read more

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I was in town visiting an old college friend who lives in this area, and we wandered around the downtown area on a busy weekend night trying to find a spot for dinner. The weather was gorgeous and it just so happened that Cafe Alsace had one of its two outdoor tables available. We jumped at the spot! I'm actually glad we did, because the inside is PACKED - like tables very close together and cozy, which pre-COVID was probably delightful, but having the outdoor spot was clutch. We all ordered different dishes -- I got the baked gnocchi with butternut squash. Overall, it was delicious - pasta was perfect, the squash was lovely. The menu said the dish came with kidney beans, but it was definitely lima beans in there. So not exactly what I was looking for on that front, and there was a LOT of cheese on the top. I don't mind the extra cheese, but I could see some folks think it would be overpowering. The fig dessert was lovely for a late summer dish. Overall, we very much enjoyed our visit. It's a pricey spot, but that's what you get for quality. Service was alright and we enjoyed the outdoor seating. read more

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Love this small intimate space. Great ambiance with a cozy atmosphere that perfectly suits the menu. Not a delicate meal, come hungry with a loose waist line. You'll want to enjoy all of the wonderful comfort food like duck, veal, beef stew and lovely pâté. read more

I want to like this restaurant...but. My partner and I both had chicken dishes, and the chicken was extremely dry. The rest of the dishes were so-so. I got Mousse for dessert...not very chocolatey, and very dry. I ate a few bites. The waitress was the owner and frankly rude. read more

The decor alone is absolutely adorable. As a French cafe, their bread and pastries did not disappoint. Baguette was crip yet buttery. The home made pate' was amazing- flavorful, not gamy. Their pretzel bread sandwich with chicken pesto and brie is good. And the desserts were just phenomenal. The upside-down pie was not too sweet, perfectly balanced bitterness, with a buttery layered crust. The chocolate cake was smooth and paired nicely with the raspberry ice cream. Will definitely be back for dinner! read more

Cafe Alsace - Chocolate cake - French Near Me - Decatur, Georgia

I'd forgotten this restaurant, a block or so off Decatur Square. A perfect place for an unhurried lunch: relatively simple fare with a continental twist. Two tables out front for those who prefer al fresco -- unfortunately, it was raining -- and seating inside, somewhat spaced out. Each of the three of us was pleased. Chicken salad was excellent, though there could have been a bit more of it, and a bit less salad. T enjoyed his quiche and onion soup. (I should've gotten the soup instead of the salad!) And our friend's spring mix was filled with goodies: fingerling potatoes, Nicoise olives, haricots verts and hard boiled eggs. One can choose fresh tuna -- I think it's ahi -- and I saw patron eat his seared. It looked delicious. But Linda was perfectly pleased with her order of salmon. They sell French import wine by the bottle or glass. At $44 (no matter which bottle you choose) the price point is a bit high, but how can one have a 'civilized" lunch in a French café without vino?! Cafe Alsace has been around for years, and sustained business during the pandemic. I'll happily return. read more

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Cute french restaurant in Decatur. Came here for dinner one night with friends who highly recommended it. I definitely enjoyed the ambiance. Lots of dim natural lighting. We ordered so much. Cheese board, liver pate, beef Wellington, roasted chicken, wine....etc. My favorite item was definitely the pate. It was super flavorful. I could see myself ordering a pound to take home. Everyone at the table seemed to enjoy their meal. I wouldn't likely order the beef Wellington again. It was undercooked for my preference. I asked for it to be cooked more but it came back with the ends seered and the center still red. Parking was easy but not free. We parked at a $5 (cash only) lot across the street. It was pretty full when we parked so my friend had to opt for a different lot. Overall I would go back but I would have the pate as my meal. read more

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I went here for dinner with my parents when they were visiting atlanta. I live close to Decatur but I've never been in. We were pleasantly surprised. This place is quaint and just off Ponce de Leon street. There's not a lot of seating room and we didn't have a reservation so we were lucky to get in. We each got a glass of wine, they do not have a full bar. We each ordered an entree and shared. They have some seasonal dishes and lots of specials. The trout was stuffed with crab and was very good. I got the sausage, duck, bean, chrisley. It was very French and very filling. My mom got the ratatouille with goat cheese and lamb sausage. It was very tasty. Despite being a French restaurant the prices are very reasonable. We were all pleasantly surprised and full. read more

Cafe Alsace - French Near Me - Decatur, Georgia

We stopped by on a Wednesday night without a reservation at 8 pm and it was packed. The host put us down for 30 minutes and we strolled around the shops on the square while we waited. Table was ready in 15 minutes. The restaurant is small with around 12 tables inside and a couple out. Atmosphere was quaint and definitely brought us back to France, with French decor and pictures of the owners grandfather and bakery in France. Loved the vibe and it seemed to be a regular stop for many. The service was amazing and so was the food. We started with escargot and celery root soup, then had beef wellington(cooked PERFECTLY!), Spaetzel with wild boar, mushrooms and cream sauce, then profiteroles for dessert with a glass of port. Everything was cooked to perfection. Brought some take home pate, baguette, and lemon tart to try in following days. Will definitely be returning. A hidden gem. read more

Food great. Service poor. I cannot rave enough about the chef creations and creativity. Wonderful! My joy was dampened by the looooooong waits for the servers to come by or check in. Disappointing. read more

My daughter wanted to eat here with us before she started a long business trip, and given that it was Saturday night it seemed reservations would be a good idea. To my surprise, only reservations for 2 or 4+ are accepted. Nothing to do but lie. Got a bit of pushback on arrival but we did get seated. For appetizers girls ordered the "tarte flambee", which is actually flatbread pizza, and I had the escargot. Snails were as good as they ever get given that they are only a medium for as much butter and garlic as will stick. The tarte was a bit heavy for my taste, but we took half home, and it served for lunch the next day. I ordered the cassoulet, which is a dish that's hard to find anywhere; and at this restaurant it's only during the winter. Their version is quite good, although the actual assembly of the dish is not traditional in my experience. Large portions all around, and none of us finished theirs. Daughter had stuffed chicken breast, half of which I ate cold the next day, and wife had ratatouille, a dish I don't care for. Shared lemon tarte for dessert. read more

Came here for lunch with friends and this was such a cute little cafe. It is smaller so we did have to make reservations ahead of time for a larger party. They had a nice lunch menu. I ordered the chicken salad sandwich with the French onion soup. Everything came out so delicious. Very cute place, would love the check out their dinner menu! read more

Cafe Alsace - French Near Me - Decatur, Georgia

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There is more hype than what it really offers. It's nicely located and to be fair their creme Brule is delicious. The ambient it welcoming, but feels a little crammed. I was not that driven to visit again, but glad I did. If I go back it would be for the creme brule.. the taste was excellent and sugar nicely crunchy on top. Service was excellent and very courteous. read more

Delightful bistro with legit classic French fare. Homey, unpretentious ambiance, attentive service, with laser focus on the food. Cassoulet and beef Wellington on point. A total gem! read more

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One of the best restaurants here at downtown Decatur! 　The steak was super delicious. read more

Cafe Alsace - French Near Me - Decatur, Georgia

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Go eat here, even if it's only to have a wonderful baguette. The food was very good. I ordered the spaetzle, which was easily enough for two. I was disappointed because I did not have room for dessert. The owner was so nice. She served the food and waited the tables. I would have loved talking to her for hours, but she was too busy. The price was very reasonable and the ambiance is comfortable and quaint. My only issue was finding parking. I highly recommend. read more

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I've gone a few times with my family for dinner and enjoyed the food, but my last experience with customer service has lost me as a customer. I walked up to the restaurant and the door was open, so I walked in and asked to purchase some dessert from the display counter. Despite the door being open I was told by a server I needed to wait 12 minutes. I said ok no problem and asked if since the door was open if I could wait inside with my 2 month old because it's 81 degrees outside. The owner then cut in and told me no. My family supported her small business through COVID and I had no issue waiting until they opened to order. This also isn't the first time the owner has been less than friendly to my family. If you don't want to serve customers keep your door locked until you're ready to open and it's crazy that you would refuse to simply let someone stand in the AC with their baby to make a purchase who was willing to wait until you open for 12 minutes. You've lost me and my family as a customer. I response to the owner's reply to me: Your response was speedy to this poor rating and the reason understandable, but your inability to simply state that to my face with even minimal warmth/friendliness is disappointing. And this isn't the first cold/rude interaction we've had with you. What's more disappointing is you came on here to justify your behavior but didn't make any attempt to make it right any other time we've left it off Yelp and communicated to you directly. You clearly just want to discredit a poor review. Be blessed, it's clear you didn't need our patronage so we will go elsewhere. read more

Cafe Alsace has always been our #1 place to eat. I always order the ham and onion spaetzle. Last night was a big disappointment. It was dry and not as cheesy and flavorful. I'm not sure if that's because of a new chef or the restaurant just cutting back on ingredients. Either way, I would gladly pay more for the reason this restaurant was our #1 place to eat. We will give it one more try, but if the spaetzle is not cheesy and flavorful as the original, we won't recommend or go again. read more

The cassoulet is incredible, and my only complaint is that it is not available year round. Service, food, wine, and atmosphere are fantastic. A definite recommend in Decatur! read more

Cafe Alsace is a popular, classic downtown Decatur French restaurant that has stood the test of time. It's been around since 1997 and it's easy to see why -- the food and service are both great. This is a small, cozy, whimsical place that's great for intimate dates and small group dining. All the servers speak French (and English) and the ambiance is that of an old, charming, quaint French bistro. Metered parking is available along E Ponce De Leon Ave and in the small lot in front of Brick Store Pub (E Court Square). The meters are free every day after 6pm and all day Sunday. Alternatively, you can park in the Town Center Deck which is behind the building across the street. The deck's entrance is at 546 Church St and it costs $2 for every 30 minutes up to a $10 daily max. Metered parking is a better deal ($1 for every 30 minutes) and you can add time to your meter and pay for parking using the Parkmobile app (zone #7801). The restaurant serves lunch, dinner, and Sunday brunch (10am-2:30pm). Three of us visited for dinner on a Saturday night around 8pm. Cafe Alsace doesn't take reservations for parties of less than four unless it's a special occasion like Valentine's Day. Not surprisingly, the restaurant was pretty busy when we showed up and we were told the wait would be as long as 45 minutes. Luckily, our actual wait was no more than 15 minutes. Alsace refers to a small region in northeast France, the majority of which borders Germany. Therefore, Alsatian cuisine has a lot of German influence; for example, spaetzle. The dinner menu features eight appetizers, priced at $3-15 each, including items like tarte flambee (Alsacian flatbread baked with various ingredients, $15; it's similar to pizza) and tarte a l'oignon (Alsatian onion pie, $7); entree-sized salads featuring beef and seafood priced at $17 each; and over a dozen entrees such as ratatouille en croute ($19 vegetarian or $22 with lamb sausage), veal cordon bleu (veal scaloppini; $25), magret de canard (seared duck breast, $25 without or $35 with foie gras), and bouef bourguignon (beef stew, $24). And of course, they serve all sorts of French beer, wine, and champagne. In addition, they have a limited take-home menu with dishes like pate, quiche, bouef bourguignon, spaetzle, soup, and desserts which you can order anytime. Here's what we chose: Apps: * Brie aux pommes ($13) - baked 4 oz. Brie with sauteed rosemary apples, garnish of pumpkin seeds, soft pretzel bread * Escargots ($12) - six escargots baked in a garlic and parsley butter, baguette Plat chauds (dinner entrees): * Spaetzle a l'alsacienne ($19) - the original: ham, onions, cream and cheese * Cassoulet ($26) - Southwest specialty of France - lima beans, duck confit leg, smoked pork sausage * Poulet farci ($23) - chicken breast stuffed with pecans, Brie and spinach with a thyme demi-glaze, potato gratin In general, the food was terrific. Everything was a hit except for the poulet farci (more on that later). The Brie was fantastic. It was buttery, creamy, and rich. The sweet and sour sauteed apples paired perfectly with the mild-tasting cheese and the pumpkin seeds provided a nice, contrasting, crunchy texture. If you like Brie, I recommend it. I loved the escargots. These were some of the best I've had. The snails were plump and meaty with a smooth, appetizing consistency. They tasted "fresh." Important to every escargot dish is the garlic and butter sauce and this one was excellent. It was heavy, but not too heavy, addictive, and packed with flavor. I wanted to sop up every last drop with the pieces of bread. If there was only one dish on Cafe Alsace's menu I would suggest, it would be the spaetzle. It was phenomenal. On the surface, it looks like a pretty simple dish, but it's very, very good. The soft egg noodles were boiled to perfection and the layers of cheese were so good, we couldn't stop eating them. While a little on the heavy side, this is a superbly gratifying dish. Cassoulet is French comfort food. If you're looking for a hearty, filling dish, this is the one to get. The ingredient portion sizes are generous. The pork sausage is savory and flavorful and the duck confit leg is moist, tender, and tasty. This is a "meat and potatoes" type dish. The poulet farci was disappointing. The meat was dry and tough and the stuffing didn't help to make this dish any more appetizing. The accompanying potato gratin, on the other hand, was quite good. It was nicely prepared and delicious. All entrees come with a salad and a slice of French bread with butter. Like most of the food here, even the simple salad, with big, green, crisp leaves of lettuce and sliced cucumber and tomato, was delectable. I had my salad with herbes de Provence dressing (a creamy peppercorn dressing) and it was outstanding. The dressing was money. Despite a busy dinner service, our orders came out fairly quick. The staff was friendly and efficient, from the hostess to our server. read more