Simply French Café

The café itself is perfectly cute. The pastries are decent and the coffee is strong
Where they lose stars is the macaron class. Don’t do it. No groupon is worth it. First, your «hands on» experience is 12 of you crowded around a kitchenaid hoping it is your turn to add the almond meal. Reminded me of elementary school. Second, they don’t really teach you anything you can’t find online or in a recipe book. Last, they didn’t enforce food handling hygeine. They didn’t ask anyone to wash their hands before the class started nor did anyone tie up their hair. I suppose this is left up to the individual? Still, gross! Needless to say, I did not eat my take home macarons that every stranger in the class touched.

Avoid macarons, he has no understanding of what macaron is. And he could not tell me what’s the difference between late and cappuccino and dry cappuccino.

I’m not sure if I can fairly judge this place based on my experience, but I will share some my overall thoughts anyways.
DISCLAIMER: I went to Simply French Café for a Macaron Class.
I really love Macarons, the really chewy kind! So when a socialshopper had come across for an opportunity of a Macaron class last year, I jumped on it.
Let’s cut to the chase: I was disappointed in the class. When it said Macaron CLASS, I thought we would be at our own stations making macarons. However, it ended up being about 12 people gathered around a table with 1 lady showing us how to make the macarons. It was youtube in real life. The little participation we had was to pipe one line of shells each, along with fill one line of macarons. The rest of it was standing and listening/​watching.
The socialshopper also mentioned there would be champagne. While the macarons were baking, we say around a table and had some champagne, orange juice, iced tea, truffles, and some other treats, none including a macaron. The only thing about this was. we spent A LONG time sitting and waiting.
Eventually they were done baking and they placed the macarons on the table, where we packaged together 6 macarons per person. Then we went home.
The best part of it was this experience cost $ 80. Claiming to be an experience worth $ 160 regular value. You’re joking me right?
Oh, they also gave us a piece of paper with a few recipes and a tracing sheet for the sizes of the macarons when baking.
The end result… I wish we took that $ 80 to Thierry to buy $ 50 worth of macarons and spend the rest on $ 30 worth of ingredients along with some quality time in
front of youtube. I wouldn’t go back and I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone unless they had $ 80 and 4 hours to waste.
On the bright side, the café is kind of cute and the people are nice. I’d probably enjoy the sandwiches and treats, but I won’t be going back since it’s out of the way.

Three words: dingy, dirty, and disappointing. I attended a macaron-​making class at Simply French Café and was shocked with the lack of cleanliness at this self-​styled «authentically French» establishment.
The décor is drab and uninspired, and the entire place looked dark and rundown, even during a sunny day. The café is sparsely furnished with cheap-​looking tables and chairs. Faded, tired-​looking prints and grimy, faux «Parisian» street signs (i.e. «Musee d’Orsay» and «Musee du Louvre») tackily hang on the walls. There are a couple of large chandeliers hanging from the high ceilings that were coated in a thick layer of dust and grime. A spider dangling off of a smudged, dusty mirror nearly crawled onto my friend’s shoulder. Ick!
The macaron-​making class itself was a disappointment. First of all, the class I attended was over-​booked by twice the number of ordinary participants. Apparently this was due to a technical glitch with the computer. Interesting, because I believe the classes were booked over the telephone. Anyway, the proprietor (quite frankly) seemed unbothered by the fact that the glass was overbooked. This is just my opinion, but he seemed very insincere and disingenuous about the whole debacle. Anyway, he offered the class participants the choice of a $ 20 gift certificate, $ 50 off an outrageously expensive-​sounding Groupon class, or a chance to re-​take the class a later date (but no guarantee that the subsequent class was overbooked) to make up for the mishap, which I thought was the decent, right thing to do.
As for the actual class, there was very limited hands-​on time. The style of the class is that everyone pitches in to make two batches of macarons, taking turns mixing, piping, and so on. Sarah, the instructor, is the daughter of the owner/​proprietor. She was very nice and led the class well. Everyone gathers to watch around a large wooden table, and with the class being double-​booked, it was often difficult to get a good view of what was going on. As an FYI, a lot of the raw ingredients used both in the class and stored behind the café’s counter appear to have been purchased from Costco (there were a lot of Kirkland brand products).
In any event, what I found the most off-​putting and alarming was the lack of cleanliness. To say it was a «turn-​off» would be a gross understatement. I wanted a glass of water, but the only glass available at the self-​service bar was dusty and grimy; it looked like it hadn’t ever seen the inside of a dishwasher. Disgusting. At one point during the class itself, we were instructed to wash our hands at a sink behind the main counter. The white ceramic sink and the area surrounding it was filthy and looked like it had not had a good wipe-​down in quite some time. There was an empty bus bin sitting in would have been plain view of anyone walking to use the washrooms that was covered with a stomach-​churning layer of dried, old coffee. Cleanliness is subjective, so maybe I am over-​reacting. Or, maybe I’ve missed my calling as a city health inspector. Regardless, all of this left me feeling very uneasy about the level of hygiene practiced at this café and I’m quite sure I wasn’t the only one who felt this way.
For some inexplicable reason, this establishment has received overall positive reviews. Other Unilocalers have described this place as «eclectic» and «authentic». To each their own, so just take my opinion with a grain of salt. For me, though, it is pretty clear that I will not be returning to Simply French Café. Ever.

I would not recommend the groupon deal for the macaron-​making class. It was definitely only a macaron-​making demonstration and was not a «hands-​on macaroon-​making class [that] lets students create their own confections» as advertised on the deal. We did not «create our own batches of six macarons» and the six macarons that we got to take home were touched by many others in the class (which I thought was highly unsanitary). The only part that we did any «hands-​on» work, was piping already made macaron shell mixture onto a sheet of parchment and some already made buttercream to fill the shells. I was extremely disappointed with the class and felt that the price that we paid for the Groupon deal (which they claim to already be 51% off their original price) was definitely not worth it. Even though I received the Groupon as a gift and I didn’t personally pay for it, I still felt that my friend who bought this for me was ripped off. This is my first time writing a review on Unilocal because I feel very strongly that Simply French is false advertising and I felt the need to warn others to think twice before getting their macaron-​making class Groupon deal.

For those buying the Social Shopping Macaron class … I suggest you try his macaron first before purchasing your coupon.
I’m not sure about anything else about this place… I’m just commenting on the Macarons

Based on the reviews, I thought it would be better. The coffee was good, although slightly more expensive than other places. The milk/​cream were not in an insulated pitcher, just sitting out at room temperature in an uncovered ceramic pitcher… seems like a health code violation?
I’m surprised how many folks have said their croissants are reminiscent of the real deal from France. The chocolate croissant I ordered was not flaky. It was more like a dinner roll. The chocolate was good quality though.
Large coffee and chocolate croissant cost $ 6…seems a little high. Won’t be back.

Simply French is quite simply… starting to grow on me.
Although I didn’t care much for the décor (I prefer more modern), after returning for my second visit, I can see myself turning into a regular.
It’s got a fantastic study space. In fact, it seems to be set up for that — lots of tables and chairs, and even some counter space with stools by the front window. With free wifi, you can nurse your beverage of choice while you type away on a paper or bury your nose in a favorite novel.
The food isn’t bad either. I would recommend the caprese (yum!) made with creamy pesto (chunky with pine nuts!), brie and tomato.
The cauliflower and potato soup was really good too… nice and smooth.
Hot chocolate (small) was in a regular-​sized mug. Glad I didn’t get a large as that would have been too much!
I didn’t care for the Provençal panini made with pesto, artichoke hearts, as it was a tad on the salty side. And a note of caution: I’d stay away from their macarons…
The cutest part was that the owner enjoyed pressing the «buttons» on my iPhone:
I used Groupons for both of my visits (I’m on a budget!)…$ 9 for $ 14 worth of food. His eyes lighting up, the owner admitted to me how much he enjoyed redeeming the coupons! I mustn’t disappoint him now — since he enjoys it so much, I shall return!

I almost didn’t want to give this place such a high star rating because this is my main study spot. When the place is quiet, it’s amazing in every way — the music, atmosphere, and food, all blend together to make it an extremely relaxing, while at the same time engaging space.
When it’s crowded, at least the food (especially the soup) is still good.

‘My Favourite Café in Vancouver”
Simply French is the most authentic France-​French café I have been to outside of… well, France! While the husband-​wife owners are Turkish and Irish respectively, you would never know (aside from some of the Turkish goods sold in the gift section).
The sweet (chocolate or almond) and savoury (spinach or ham & cheese) croissants are the most buttery, mouth-​watering, flaky and freshly baked in town. The cookies, biscotti, meringues and other treats are divine and baked fresh as well. It is so nice to enjoy something to eat that’s outside the norm and feel transported to Paris with every bite. The coffees, chai lattes and hot chocolates are to die for too.
The other amazing qualities of Simply French café are the staff (who happen to be the owners’ daughters), the ambiance (classical music, nice fireplace, Euro paintings and rustic décor) and the kid-​friendly elements (special kids’ menu, kid-​sized chairs & tables, colouring station, toys and books).
I HIGHLY recommend this spot for anyone in Vancouver, Westside or otherwise, who want to try a calming and enjoyable French experience you can’t get anywhere else in Van.

* Eclectic café *
This café has an eclectic feel, even from the outside where the sign stating its name has letters which are not lined up (
)
There is a cozy feel to a rather high ceiling room created by the mish mash of furniture (
) and art (
) decorating the room. It somehow all works to give the place some character.
I grabbed a quick «panini,» which had a «healthy» edge to it being on a whole grain seed bread. It was filled with lovely ripe tomatoes, brie, and a fresh tasting pesto. While it wouldn’t conjure up an image of a classic panini, it was basically a nice slightly upscale version of a grilled cheese sandwich with very good taste. Photo:
I would definitely return when in the mood for a nice café vibe outside the mold of the corporate café chains.

I gotta say I love a place where I can get a scrumptious soup and a salad for a good price. Although I also gotta say I don’t remember the price exactly (I think it’s like $ 6) but I know it was a deal considering how good the soup was.
I’m pretty sure Simply French is run by a mother-​daughter duo, who’ve done the place up so it really feels like home. They even have a kids area with toys strewn about for the undoubtedly many Point Grey moms who frequent this café. In step with the feel of the place, they always have CBC radio 2 playing, my favorite of all Vancouver radio stations :)
On a sunny afternoon, stopping in here for a pot of herbal tea will go swimmingly well if there’s space on the back patio, where blackberries grow and fresh unadulterated rays shine down from above. Don’t fret, there are umbrellas to shade your wintered skin from Vancouver’s elusive sun…

If you have a food allergy, don’t count on proper service here as the bright little Spanish/​Philipino lady didn’t seem to know that there were pine nuts in pesto and said something dangerously ignorant like «if it doesn’t say so on the sign then it’s not there.» A double check with one of the owners and I found something I could eat.
The Côte d’Azur sandwich was delicious. I got the beet and feta salad on the side, which was a tad bland. $ 10.50 for a sandwich and salad combo seems a tad extravagant but it was good enough.
I didn’t try their baked goods but they seem to have some decent looking stuff, though it didn’t really look up my alley of types of desserts I’m into.
They have free wifi I believe, as I saw people working away on their computers. It looks like tea there is a cute experience, with the little side tea table and fine china to drink it out of.
The atmosphere was quiet when I went though it looks like they have the potential to get noisy and filled with children as there appears to be an entire child’s play area set up.
They offer filtered water but this is in a machine that doesn’t cool and so it gets warm and tastes funny because of being warm in the (plastic) machine. I asked for tap water instead.
Overall, a cute spot that can be conducive to getting work done. Service is friendlier here than Coco & Olive which was the first thing I thought of when going here (as I refuse to go to Coco & Olive because they were so rude, and this place is the only other French place I thought of at the time). Definitely worth a try!

Quaint and quiet. They have a kids table with books, paper and crayons. Good thinking.
The Provencal panini is very flavourful. I washed it down with a delicious decaf latte which was the perfect temperature.
There is a kid’s menu with a yummy looking hot chocolate, and my young dining companion described it as ‘YUM!!’. See the photo I added.

Excellent place for a coffee and chat with a friend. Croissants are the best outside Paris, France…

I love this café! I only had coffee here, a caffe latte. But it was a delicious coffee. And I love that they sell products from France!
Next time I will come with more room in my tummy for the snacks.

The moment the sweet proprietor asked me if I’d like some warmed up milk in my Americano, I knew a little piece of my heart belonged to this place.
Ambiance rich with round little tables, chandeliers, folky French music, hardwood floors and an appropriately squeaking door. Gastronomically delish with paninis, whipped cream meringue, soups of the day like curried cauliflower and rich, smooth cafes.
Plus free Wi-​Fi and free parking on this part of the street!

I saw this cute café last week as I drove past and nearly got into a car accident because I was so excited!
I made the trek from downtown to spend an afternoon writing here. And it was just as cute inside from outside! It’s super big with plenty of space to have a table to yourself (or sit in the window like I did). Free WIFI, really friendly owners, and, the most important thing, AMAZING croissants!
I love croissants and I think this one is either at the top of my list or number two after the fresh croissants from my favorite bakery in Paris. I believe the owner bakes everything herself and she knows her French baking. Crispy and flaky on the outside, buttery on the inside. AMAZING!!! I sat here for hours and will be back again and again. Next time to try the sandwiches.

One evening… a magical evening, in fact… Simply French called out a beautiful beacon and I was drawn across the street…
As the tale goes, this café/​bistro is not yet open… and just wait until it does. My spidey senses say this place is going to do very very well. Magic surrounds this place. That evening, that magical evening, myself and 2 friends were waved in to this fascinating café (great street appeal) by smiling and welcoming faces. As it turns out, it was a private party prior to opening, and while we were completely crashing this sweet little soirée, we could not have been more welcomed.
The owners, who, if I had been a Vancouverite for longer, would ring a bell (they previously owned another well-​known and loved establishment — I look forward to other Unilocalers filling in this detail). And they are wonderful. She made the most incredible french desserts… at some points I needed a reality check for my taste buds. And the atmosphere was unique and eclectic and… European in feel.
The perfumes, candles, etc. at the back held all three of us captive with their distinct scents. I can’t wait to go back here when it opens. This is the kind of place I will go far out of my way to experience.
With anticipation I wait…