Maison Marcel

It's hard to ignore this spot, hard as I try primarily because the food items are just soso. It is however to beautiful to behold. Outside and especially inside. That alone is worth the visit(see pics).There is however one thing that is heavenly in this place and that is the Lavender Coffee. Also the crew parle Francais as a Francophile what more can you ask for? Did I mention it's pretty as a postcard? It's also dog friendly.

Pure mediocrity.This restaurant has a very pleasant and comfortable interior with couches (you order at the counter and they bring you your food and drinks) as well as a small seating area outside. The service is friendly and pleasant.But it seems as if they put only the minimal effort possible into the food.Like at too many other places in Chicago, the "croissants" are fake croissants, really nothing more than white bread in a crescent shape. They aren't flaky, like real croissants; they don't have a buttery flavor; and the inside isn't stretchy yet soft like a real croissant. So disappointing.Their baguette sandwiches are pretty good, but they're always sold out right in the middle of the lunch rush. It's baffling to me that they can't make enough to last until 1:00 p.m. or so, or make more on request. The quiche is slightly dry and completely unmemorable. And the French onion soup is terrible. It lacks the bold, satisfying flavor of real French onion soup, and seems to be made with Swiss cheese instead of the classic Gruyère, so the cheese lacks the classic stretchy, chewy texture and deep, rich flavor that Gruyère brings to the dish.It's only a casual spot, so I'm not expecting fine French dining. But even a casual French restaurant should be a lot better than this.

Let me just start with saying this place's service is very french. Every time we came here with our kiddos, we would awkwardly stand at the front counter for like 5 mins. there are usually one or two staff there who would give a quick look at us with the corner of his eye and then no one would say a single word to us. no "morning" (I'm not even asking the "good" part, just a "morning"), no "how can I help you", not even a hello. we start ordering food and the staff just look like they have better places to go than serving customers. I have never had a welcoming feeling at this place the times I came here. So not sure if that's just the service style they provide to all their customers or they just dislike people coming in with kids....the pastries and food here are decent, and that's the only reason I would considering coming back.

Loved this little cafe! The lattes were perfect and hot and the croissants were sooo yummy!! The brussel sprouts bruschetta had a few too many brussel sprouts but would always rather have more than less! Avocado toast and Quiche were also so plentiful. Was a perfect Sunday morning vibe during the pride parade! Waiters were friendly and offered advice on the menu :)

This restaurant is stunning! I've been meaning to come by and visit for a while now but haven't been able to since they close at 4 but I'm so glad I got to try it! We got the kale salad (with two extra eggs) as well as a ratatouille split between three of us and it was chef's kiss. The food was delicious and fresh, we basically cleared out our plates. Our server was attentive and we got seated very quickly despite it being a full house and no reservation. The restaurant is lively and the vibes do remind me of when I visited Paris. Love love love!

Perfect poached egg . Perfect baguette. Lovely jam. A menu with much to try and beautiful baked goods.Sweet place with good service worthy of return visits.

This is the first time we went here and it was wonderful! You sit where you want and order at the counter. While waiting, the ambiance has such a dreamy and summery vibe. We loved sitting here as a group, the only issue was that the food all arrived at different times. So it made it a bit doffing to eat together.The only negative was that the restroom was not well kept. The entire restroom floor was soaking wet.I'd love to return, but the next time I hope the restroom is cleaner!

This is such a cute little cafe in lake view. The ambience is very Parisian, with lots of old style seating, bird cages, flowers and plants.The service is a bit slow. I've noticed that the servers are French and don't speak English very well so it makes it a bit difficult to communicate with them as well. The food on the other hand, is delicious! Their avocado toast, roasted vegetable sandwich and burrata are so scrumptious! Their coffee is great too! They have water stations around in the cafe as well. Overall a very cute cafe to stop by for work or get brunch. A must visit!

Oh my gosh! What a dreamy spot. I've often past by Maison Marcel, but this was my first time dining here. The French/Parisian vibes are cultivated throughout the entire restaurant, from the welcoming decor to the thoughtful menu. I visited on a busy Saturday afternoon, and despite the brunch rush was able to be seated right away on the outdoor patio! We actually sat along the side of the building, which was shady and avoided the foot traffic of the patio along the front. I started with a lemonade to sip on and my friend and I ordered the almond chocolate croissant as a sweet treat. HEAVENLY! The exterior was crispy and flaky, but the inside had delicious chocolate filling that perfectly accompanied the shredded almonds on top. For lunch, I went with the avocado toast. It's served on a large slice of organic country bread with mashed avocado and two poached eggs. I noticed mine also had pickled cauliflower on it. Kind of random, but I really liked the crunch it gave! This was also served with a side salad. I also got a side of turkey bacon, which was really delicious! Overall, everything tasted really delicious. With that said, prices as steep. $8 for a side of bacon, and $17 for avocado toast hurts a little bit. I do think ingredients are thoughtfully sourced, so it's nice to know that you're consuming really good quality ingredients, but it is on rather pricey, especially compared to other breakfast spots around town.

Great location, food is good and fresh. They also have a bakery which is limited selection when I get there. Cute inside!