Lea

Great little bakery perfect for an easy breakfast and coffee. We were staying nearby and stopped in one day for an easy breakfast and some coffee. The latte was great and the croissant breakfast sandwich was delish. We liked it so much we went back the next day! Service was good, you order at an iPad and wait for your name to be called. Simple and easy. The place is busy so it's tough to find seats but it's a really cute little spot.

Ok I now owe a big thanks to my fellow yelpers. I was downtown and wanted a quick bite for lunch. Lea was the first place that came up on my yelp search. Place looks new. It's on Lake between Michigan and Wabash. Not a lot of tables. Assume most the business is carry out. I had a delicious Le Saint German sandwich on a fresh and crusty baguette. Ingredients were fresh and a perfect combination. Sandwich came with a bag of chips. Which I'll have another day. I'm looking forward to returning. Maybe try soup, pastries, or another sandwich. Final note. Prices, especially for the loop, were extremely reasonable. Again thanks to the many yelpers who rated this place as amazing. You were so correct

Only a handful of selection - but amazing taste. Ambience is cafe vibes. Only negative thing is - sitting is circular tables for two. Bigger party will have tough time finding place to sit. Perfect to carry out.Great coffee. Sandwiches are good value for money. Croissant and baguettes were freshly baked. Yum!

My sandwich was delicious - the bread was amazing. Orders are placed at a kiosk which makes service efficient and maximizes the small space. Counter staff is friendly and helpful. They are officially the keeper of the keys: the restroom keys.I love that the bottled water comes reusable aluminum bottles.

They are consistent and I've only had one issue here but it was rectified. I do suggest ordering online because the wait time can be long. My go to is one of the croissant sandwiches because I think the baguette can be a little hard sometimes. Prices are reasonable for downtown.

Lea is a French cafe on Lake Street just west of Michigan Avenue. My lovely wife and I stopped in at Lea recently for a snack. You place your order and pay at a kiosk with a card (they are a cashless establishment). Someone calls out your name and hands you your order once it is ready. We snagged a table in the colorfully cozy cafe, as well as cups of ice water. My love and I split a pain au chocolat, and it was hard to divide into two as it was deliciously flaky without being too sweet.

We stopped in to share a pastry at Lea, and I felt the space was so cozy. Definitely not a lot of seating, but on a late-morning Saturday, nobody had an issue getting a seat. The pasty was buttery and flaky, with a bit of chocolate inside for a sweet twist. Worth noting - they do not accept cash, and ordering is done at a kiosk. Perhaps they have had a pickpocketing issue, as there are several signs posted to warn of this. Given the layout of the place, (long, narrow with one door), I also wondered if the signs were posted just out of an abundance of caution. The decor is very charming and vintage-inspired. Our server was upbeat when handing over our order at the counter. I would definitely come back, but I'd also have a plan B in place in case of it being crowded.

In an effort to try out a couple more breakfast/brunch spots during our stay in Chicago, we decided to swing by Lea, which is a French-style cafe just a block or so from the riverfront. Ordering is straightforward and completely through a kiosk - we opted for a Le Parisien (lightly smoked ham, swiss, salted butter), pain au chocolat, and coffee. Was pretty intrigued by the croque madame but wanted something easier to eat on the go.At first bite, the sandwich was cold, and I realized I didn't order one of the toasted options. But, the baguette had a great texture, chewy on the inside and somehow crunchy on the exterior despite not being heated up. I think this is the first sandwich I've had where the simplicity of the filling really puts the spotlight on the bread - definitely made me want to visit France and see how this place compares.

Had business in the neighborhood and stopped in for lunch and was glad that I did. Had a croque madame and a salad, and the bread is delicious. I also really liked the Dijon vinaigrette that came with the salad. It's a fast casual order on the screen type of place, but I thought it was great for a reasonable quick lunch.

I had to go to Millennium Station to catch a train and had a 2 hour wait time so looked up close coffee shops. I was very curious since this was a Parisian Sandwich shop and I have never been to one! The ordering process was easy enough just order from an ipad and customize however you want! I got a BLT croissant sandwich but added chicken. It was seriously the flakiest croissant i have ever had. The added chicken was cooked just right not dry at all and the bacon was a decent thickness. The Cafe Au Laut was the best I have ever had. (Usually it just takes like boiled milk) You could actually taste the coffee flavor! And that Apple Tartlet tasted as beautiful as it looked! It was also super clean and the restrooms were roomy and super clean too! I will be stopping by every time now! My order for the 3 items was under $19. What a steal!