The 1 hour and 15 minute drive to Evanston to have tea with my hija-amiga was absolutely worth it…read more Patisserie Corali is a tiny, very popular, and very crowded little gem that serves a beautifully simple high tea in a warm, quaint, country-French setting that instantly puts you at ease. We had a dedicated server who was kind, friendly, and young -- and her slight lack of experience only added to the charm. It felt human, unpolished in the best way, and refreshingly sincere. The classic three-tier stand delivered a joyful tasting journey: savory finger sandwiches, lovely cakes and sweets (including their excellent macarons and madeleines), plus warm buttery scones and tasty mini quiches served separately. It was a cornucopia of small delights; generous, comforting, and clearly made with care. The tea selection is also wonderful and thoughtfully curated. What truly stood out, though, was the lack of pomposity. No stiffness, no theatrics, just good food, good tea, and a feeling that you've been welcomed into someone's home. Easily one of the best high tea experiences in the Chicago area. Lovely, cozy, and full of heart.

This is a darling and precious French cafe on the corner of Davis and Chicago Avenue in Evanston…read more I've been wanting to come to this cafe for ages. It's small and sweetly decorated (Eiffel Towers, rolling pins, Guy de Maupassant quote, stack of macarons tower), with cafe tables along the sidewalk. But it's the bakery cases that draw the eye, of course. A rainbow of macarons, stacks of croissants. Pastries like jewels. I ordered a tomato, basil & mozzarella quiche. They let me know it would take a few minutes to heat up. I also ordered a cafe au lait and almond croissant. The croissant was very large, a little more crispy than I like, and filled with a liquidy almond, not paste. It was very good, although not the best croissant I've had. The quiche was marvelous, soft and delicate, and basil scented with a flaky crust. It was not overly cheesy -- just the right amount. I ordered a slice of salmon quiche to go. I also selected a half-dozen macarons to take away. They were delicate, with a slightly crunchy outer layer and a sweet and flavorful center. I loved the Coralie Coffee flavor as well as the rest.

The owner and his daughter were super welcoming and I had the best nutty vanilla chai!read more

Mr. Cachito is a lively Venezuelan coffee shop tucked right into downtown Evanston, and it is worth…read morea visit. The shop offers an impressive variety of drinks along with both sweet and savory treats. We stopped in after lunch, and I ordered a hot chai latte. It was delicious and exactly what I needed on a cold, wintry day! The space itself is bright, beautifully decorated, and instantly welcoming. The staff are kind, efficient, and add to the overall charm of the visit. I'm already looking forward to going back and trying even more from their menu.

The pastries are exquisite, authentic. The Praline Cauldron is the most wonderfully French bakery -…read moreeven the overall best bakery in Evanston. Pastries and sandwiches (some vegetarian options) can be warmed, correctly in an oven. The "squirrel" pastry is a wonderful combination of chocolate and hazelnuts. The butter shines the in the croissants and brioche. The lemon brioche has a fresh lemon filling. The bread has a good crust and flavor. VIVE LE PRALINE CAULDRON! Bonnie D.

I have a lot of thoughts on this place, and I really hope it is successful in Evanston. There has…read morebeen an influx of new bakeries in town lately and it's led to some tough competition. First, the good. The staff is welcoming and very friendly. I've only been in a couple of times, but have had very positive interactions with the workers each time. The croissants and sandwiches are really very good. The baguettes are crispy on the outside and perfectly soft on the inside. The ham they use is incredible. My family really enjoyed the raspberry croissants as well. The coffees are also solid. Now for the not so good. The presentation is not always the best. I'm mentally comparing this to That Little French Guy in Highland Park where presentation and consistency are top tier. Some pastries look a bit sloppy and the way they are laid out in the case isn't particularly appetizing. The space itself is not terribly well designed and doesn't really welcome you in. I believe this used to be a Chinese food lunch place, and it still very much has the vibe of a place you stop into to grab a quick lunch during the workday. When compared to Patisserie Coralie right down the street, it's not the kind of place you'd want to sit and hang out in. There may be some communication issues with the staff. I ordered two ham and cheese croissants about four separate times, and then they brought out a ham and cheese baguette. I was told there were no ham and cheese croissants today, so I ordered one baguette and one vienesse. When I got home, I found I had two baguettes. The baguettes were truly delicious, but it just wasn't what I ordered. As a very minor negative, the logo is so ugly I have a hard time taking it seriously. I'm not sure the name or the logo paint an accurate picture of what this place is -- a good quality French bakery. You also can't see the name anywhere from the outside so it's a bit confusing. There is definite room to improve, but I really believe this place has a lot of potential. I hope they're able to continue growing and are here for a long time.

10/10, always!! Went for happy hour with my partner, grabbed the G&T's, French 625, Mezze Platter,…read moreOysters, and shared the burger. Service was wonderful and food was better. Only thing we might pass on in the future is the oysters. We love sitting near the bar, it's so beautiful!

This was a lovely meal. Service was excellent and the wine selection was very good (obviously…read moreheavily French). We ordered the cheese plate, which was just okay. The bread was served in a large hunk - it was odd and somewhat difficult to share. The apple jam also did not pair terribly well. The salami was not the best quality. For our main we ordered the cassoulet. This was excellent. This came with chicken instead of the traditional duck, but was still very flavorful. Dessert was a somewhat forgettable ice cream puff. I wouldn't order this again. The ice cream was grainy and the puff pastry was very dry. All in all a good date night spot. Ambience is very intimate and we could hear each other talk - sometimes hard to come by. Food isn't the highest quality, but the entree was great and the wine paired well.

Great place for a nice brunch with friends! Very hide inside with seating options as there are…read morecouches on the side for those that jut wanna place to chill with a coffee and read a book or table tops on the main dining area. Went there this past Saturday with friends and glad that we got there when we did because the line just kept growing lol. I got the Sweet Potato bowl and added some smoked salmon to it and did not regret my choice at all. Flavorful, healthy yet, satisfying. And the pastry display caught my attention (as it always does anywhere I go) so just had to snag their newer item...the Walnut Chocolate Chip Banana bread which was a nice way to end this brunch. This is going to be a nice go-to brunch spot in downtown Evanston for me...and apparently the rest of Evanston from what I saw lol. Popular spot and I see why. Great location, great food and great ambiance.

Sharing Sandwiches, Sharing Burgers, Sharing Recs, Sharing Stories, Sharing Hearts, Sharing Love,…read moreSharing the Rest of our Lives together...... Never Ever Apart Again.......... Don't you EscapeZzzz.....

I go here all the time. Sometimes I like what I buy, sometimes - meh. I'm only adding this review…read moreas I had something that was excellent . I think they called it an Omelleten (?). It looks like a taco. Sponge cake, whip cream and strawberries. That's it. The simplicity and freshness is perfect! They didn't add a fake jam, just fresh strawberries rolled in the most perfect sponge. It was light, great texture, really good flavor. The whip cream was simply whip cream. Not pastry cream or a fake whip cream. Every pastry should be this simple but perfect.

We got some dessert from here and their opera cake(not sure with official name) and it was really…read moregood. I'd stop by again if im in town.

St. Roger Abbey is nestled in Wilmette, having another location out in Birmingham, MI…read more This cute bakery is run by friendly nuns who are trained in the French art of pastry and baking - super impressive! They offer organic French macarons, bread, cookies, jams, various pastries, and even ready-cooked meals that you can order in advance or pick-up in the store. I loved checking out their shelves of jams, pickled veggies, and other nicely packaged boxes that could be great for gifts! We came here for a caffeine fix, and we ordered: +a White Chocolate Mocha - not brewed well; very weak and watered down; no flavor of the white chocolate +a Cafe Latte with almond milk - not brewed well; very weak and watered down +the Leek Delight - seemed a day or so old; it was dry and extremely bland +the Les bugnes d'Albi - this didn't taste like anything - just a fried, unflavored dough, topped with powdered sugar The organic lemon cookies that I purchased to go were actually delicious - I think it's best to just stick with their packaged cookies here. The nuns were nice. They have limited seating inside, and the place seems pretty popular for pastry orders. Plenty of free parking in the front and in the residential area around the block. +organic lemon cookies +friendly nuns +ample parking

Saturday early in the afternoon, stopped for a cup of coffee. Three employees. Line got longer…read moreafter we placed our order. But our order came out pretty quickly. I got blended hazelnut with cold brew large for $5.70. I did not add any flavors or whipping cream. However, it was still sweet with hazelnut flavor. I loved it! I wonder how sweeter it gets with flavor added with whipping cream. Very local coffee shop with many other pastries and chocolate for sale. Good spot for coffee after a meal in the area!

Beautiful pastries/cakes!! They seemed too precious to eat but my sweet tooth tore through the box…read morebefore I could admire it some more(not before I took pictures of them though) I can't remember what the names were of each pastry/cake but I posted some pictures. The cakes were light and not too sweet but felt that it was too pricey. The shop is nestled in a little a mall strip so it's easy to miss. There is no place to sit so come here for great dessert after eating from other great restaurants in the area Staff was not very welcoming and they seemed hesitant to honor the yelp deal which made things very awkward. Overall, not sure I would return.

Do NOT buy Groupons here. The owner/manager was rude, unreliable, and unprofessional. She didn't…read morehonor the Groupons. They were closed for over a week at time and on the day the Groupon expired. The cakes were mediocre. I saw a deal on Groupon and thought it would be a great opportunity because I needed a birthday cake. I bought three $10 Groupons. The week I needed the birthday cake, I went in during their business hours but there was a sign on their door that they were closed for about a week. I was so disappointed. I went back this week during business hours and again, there was a sign on the door that they were closed that day--the day the Groupon expired! The sign said they would honor Groupons for the next three days but unfortunately, that was only partially true. I went back two days later and the owner said I could only use one Groupon. She said I needed to come back two more times because they only honor one Groupon at a time. She also said that she would not honor the full price of the third Groupon. I had to explain that that was my third time there and that they were closed the previous two times during business hours. I asked to speak to the manager and she said she was the manager. I asked to speak to her supervisor and unfortunately, she said she was the owner. After arguing with her and explaining that I would have used all the Groupons before the expiration date had they been opened in the first place, she finally agreed to let me use the Groupons but she only honored two and the cash value for the third one. As the owner, she had the power to honor the Groupons but she just decided not to. That goes to show how much she cares about customer service. Also, I had driven 45 minutes each way just to get to this bakery three times. I spent 4.5 hours in the car! What a waste! It doesn't make sense to get this Groupon, especially if you don't live around Skokie and if you don't have time to make multiple trips. If you do, definitely call ahead to make sure they are open.

I love this place. Consistently amazing bread and pastries. Friendly staff without that creepy…read moreoverly friendly, condescending that you sometimes get. Just nice people who clearly care about other humans and are passionate about the products they sell. It is nice to see small independently owned businesses in my community. The only problem is I overeat on my car ride home. I just ate 1/2 a baguette that was still warm. A tip I learned - baguettes come out after 10am and if you get there around that time you will get a warm baguette. Amazing!

Large variety of bread sandwiches pasties.. they also help teens …read more. Highly recommended!! Clean ,friendly,local.

Please please please bring back the chocolate crinkle cookies or my review will go down. Take this…read moreas a warning. Respectfully ;). Amazing service though.

Great food Lots of choices…read more Friendly helpful staff Convenient neighborhood bakery No doughnuts