Belle Epicurean

Great breakfast — quiche Lorraine and cappuccino. Small place, but not too busy on a weekday morning. Currently under scaffolding from construction, so a little hard to find.

I just tried this place and was not impressed. It wasn’t bad but was kind of messy and run down. Starbucks would have had better food. The just microwaved a morning sandwich.

Great great great!!! Went for breakfast and wished I could eat everything! Shared the ham and gruyère, the chocolate walnut, and a pecan sticky bun. WOW, all 3 flavors were superb! The staff was friendly and welcoming. I would definitely be a regular here if I lived locally.

There was a bit of a line when I got there and I watched the 2 servers working furiously to make their customers happy. It was amazing to see how quickly they could bake up the breakfast sandwiches and make up the cappuccinos, bus the tables and serve with a smile. Alas, I got ham and cheese quiche as they were out of the feuilettes that I really wanted. But the quiche was very good, buttery and rich. Prices were a touch high. Space is cute and quiet.

I really want to give this place a good review. I really do. The ambiance is very cute, the staff is very friendly, and they offer a wide variety of interesting pastries and other treats. Plus I like supporting local businesses.
However, the consistency is atrocious. I have been getting a vanilla cappuccino there every morning for the last 2 weeks. Sometimes the cappuccino has no foam and is basically a latte while other times the foam is piled above the edge of the cup. Sometimes I’ve had to drink it quickly or else it will be cold, othertimes it has scolded my mouth when I take a sip. At times it has had a burnt and bitter taste and while other times it has been smooth. I’ve seen them pump anywhere from 1 to 3 pumps of syrup into the 12 ounce serving which needless to say makes a big difference.
When they get it just right, the drink is way better than any Starbucks and I’m willing to pay the almost $ 5 that they charge for a 12 oz drink but since that happens only about 1 in 3 times, I’m going to have to find a new place.
I hope the manager reads this review and provides his or her staff with a bit more training and guidance to address this and then maybe I’ll give it another shot.
(Another critique is many of their pasties are just short of burnt. They say it’s because they are twice baked but I’ve had plenty of almond croissants that have not been so crispy and dry. Perhaps this is the style they are going for though?)

Holy cannoli! I had one of the best breakfast sandwiches from here. Run to Belle Epicurean and get the sausage, egg, and cheese sandwich on a rosemary pesto brioche bun. I don’t understand how something so simple could be the best breakfasty thing I’ve ever had!

I love pecan so My favorite is pecan pastry. It taste amazing in mouth.
But I couldn’t eat it severally because it is sold out early. If I go early it was not ready and if I go afternoon they don’t have it. Hmm… I wish they make it some more …

This is a great place to slip in for a quick coffee and a European-​style pastry. The atmosphere is an interesting mix of modern and rustic. Be sure to check out the macarons! Best in the city — and I’ve tried almost all of them!

I’m glad I don’t live around here. This place is trouble! Delicious coffee and pastries. I ordered the Croque Madam for breakfast and it was the best I’ve had. The egg, in my opinion, was totally over hard and overcooked, but it still tasted great. They were out of Almond Croissants so I didn’t get to taste it. Bummer. Maybe next time I’m in Seattle.

I got some of their macaroons at the U District farmer’s market, and they may be the best I’ve had in Seattle so far.
The flavors are great, and the buttery filling is so creamy and delectable. I would love to try more!

Service: friendly and helpful.
Atmos: small, classic, cozy, chic
Almond Croissant: Meh. While the flavor was nice and almondy, the texture was hard and dry. The very crunchy outside was made possible by overcooking it. It leaves a bad feeling in your mouth. I imagine this would be tasty if it wasn’t basically burnt.
Pear Tart: Good! Served room temp (meh), buttery rich crust, soft lemon/​pear center. While it’s not lemon, I think lemon juice must have been squeezed on the pear to prevent too much browning. Con: texture is soggy in the middle n fell off while I was attempted to take a bite.
Coffee: Brand: Fonte. Between Meh and OK. it tastes similar to a standard diner coffee that’s been pre brewed for at least an hour and kept warm. Seemed close to a medium roast, but didn’t have much flavor or wow factor.
Tea: Brand: The Republic of Tea/​Ginger Peach Black Tea. Good! The use a ton of water (for here) to 1 tea round. But it performs well, thanks to the added peach flavoring. It’s smooth, warm and satisfying. Not too sweet. The ginger gives it a Lille pep.

Traditional Lorraine quichen and iced American is bitchin’! Light but full of the goodie.

Ordered Ratatouille Egg and Cheese with Machiatto — $ 13. Food was great with quick service.
Quite handy if working near by. Price is little expensive than usual.

This is right by my office so I have no idea why I normally go to Starbucks instead. As I write this I’m munching down on a Pecan Brioche Bun from Belle and just… wow. So fresh and rich. Definitely stop by here for a treat if you’re in the area. The coffee is good as well, I ordered a doppio espresso, but I neglected to ask who they get their coffee from. Willing to bet it’s local though.
I give 4 stars because it isn’t the best place to hang out or go with a larger group just because it’s super tiny. However, I could have easily also given it 5 stars for the same reason. The ambience is delightful and that of a little European café. If you’re lucky enough to get a seat and you’re alone or with one other person it could be a great place to tuck away and lose yourself in a book.

Their Spanish Latte is quite a treat and very tasty. It is on the sweeter side but I thoroughly enjoyed sipping it while relaxing before my spa appointment.

Two words: Spanish Latte.
«What is a Spanish Latté?»
«It’s whole milk, espresso, dusted with cinnamon and garnished with orange.»
(Skip to the end if you don’t want to read my personal saga of emotions leading up to tasting the latté).
Now, I don’t particularly like or dislike orange. Also, I confidently state that I dislike cinnamon because my sister loves it.(Flashback to when my sister was 2: we find her in the kitchen sitting on the countertop after having devoured ½ a jar of cinnamon. The amazing thing is that she still loves cinnamon).
So when I found myself staring the answer to my seeming less harmless question in the face, and that face is made up of oranges and cinnamon… well…I was somewhat surprised when I heard myself reply, «I’ll try that.»
WHAT!!! I just said I’ll try a Spanish Latté! A latté that boasts two main ingredients I’m not crazy about. One of which (on principle) I maintain an extreme and devout disgust for?! Wow. It must really be 6 am. I must really need coffee… but then as the first sip hit my palate — BLISS.
~~~~The Latté ~~~~
So, the Spanish Latté was unexpectedly pleasant. One of the most enjoyable lattés I’ve ever tried. The cinnamon was only a dusting, so it lent a subtly of flavor without stealing the show. The orange component was a fresh orange slice. (I’m 99% sure there wasn’t any orange syrup in it). Hints of citrus were present throughout the drink, growing stronger toward the bottom of the cup, until delightful bits of orange came with each sip adding a texture and citrus intensity to the flavor.
I learned two things from this experience: 1) trying new things is typically a good idea and 2) I don’t hate cinnamon as much as I thought (just don’t tell my sister).

Belle Epicurean is a French bakery/​café fronting one of the street spaces of the Fairmont Olympic Hotel in downtown Seattle on 4^th Avenue. Compared to other nearby French bakeries like Bakery Nouveau and Le Panier, this spot is more low-​key. You won’t find the long lines at those places here.
The food and pastry offerings here are a bit more upscale in price and the selection is not as great as the aforementioned establishments. The bakery selection here is limited to pastries and small desserts. You won’t find breads or cakes here like at other French bakeries. Rather the focus seems to be on coffee, pastries and café fare like sandwiches, salads and soup.
They do have some unique offerings that you wouldn’t find at other places. I got a croissant ($ 2.95), but also a pastry called anise mousseline ($ 2.95). The croissant was good once I re-​baked it the next morning for that crispy taste. The anise mousseline is essentially a brioche, though the flavors of the anise really come through when you are eating this buttery treat.
While I took my baked goods to go, I feel the ambiance here is a bit dull. It is one of those places to silently enjoy your pastry and coffee at. But it is a bit too quiet for my taste, like a library. The Unilocal listing says there is free Wi-​Fi, though I didn’t confirm this. If they do, this would be a decent place in downtown to study at. Though the space is on the smaller side.
I prefer the selection at other French bakeries in Seattle over Belle Epicurean. However if you are looking for a French coffee and pastry place in downtown Seattle, this would be the spot.

Coffee drinks are delicious, I had a vanilla latte which is good however their pumpkin latte is phenomenal. Breakfast sandwiches are delicious, I inly wish they had a little bit bigger of a menu but it is a coffee shop and for that it’s perfect!

This bakery is one of the best bakeries I’ve come across in a long time. The croissants were light and flaky, and chewy but a little crunchy at the ends like I like. Even better were the morning buns; pecan and cinnamon, mmm.
They featured an apricot croissant which is my favorite type, and they did it as well if not better than the ones of my youth.
Everything we tried was scrumptious; and I went back four times in the week we stayed!
Phenomenal.

Wow this small bakery is amazing for breakfast. I got the ham egg and cheese sand which with the apricot croissant and it was simply perfect. Melt in your mouth good! I will come here every time I am in Seattle for business.

One of the best croque monsieur I have ever had! The staff was initially very apologetic for having run out of the bread they normally use to make croque monsieur but offered to make mine on a sweet potato brioche type of bread. I guess they didn’t realized how much I love sweet potato so I was even more eager to order the croque monsieur. The combination was perfect and the sandwich was not only huge but very filling and decadent. All the pastries looked delicious and now I wished I had tried some. If ever back in Seattle this would be one of the first places I would return to!

Belle is an average Seattle coffee shop, but can’t knock its convenience and location. The pastries taste a bit like the ones served at Starbucks, shrug. Nothing special, but Belle is good for a quick caffeine fix in downtown Seattle.

I went in to get some macarons after I got an email from Unilocal regarding Seattle’s Macaron Mania. But I did not see any macaron. WTH :). I asked and they had only strawberry ones somewhere. I picked a couple not expecting much. Hey but they were not bad. I paid over $ 5 for the two.

The sausage breakfast sandwich was absolutely delicious. So delicious that I came here twice on my 3 day business trip. The egg was perfectly cooked. The sausage was tasty. The main star in this sandwich is the brioche bread. Yes brioche! Not an english muffin, white bread or even a bagel. Nice fluffy brioche bread with herbs and vegetables mixed into the dough. Combining the brioche, sausage and egg was complete deliciousness! Lattes are pretty good here too. If you are in the area and a fan of breakfast sandwiches, you should definitely stop here.

I’ve always seen this place walking back to the W and finally hand a chance to stop in this morning. Fun little café in the fairmont that reminds me of a small french café. Very friendly service and the pastries are delicious starts to your day. Also enjoyed a lovely cappuccino on the run. Overall highly recommend for any stop in Seattle.

Three words. Sausage breakfast sandwich.
Great little spot. Classy atmosphere, friendly staff and the latte was spot on.
Definitely recommended paying them a visit. Would love to try the pastries and crescents another time.

I cannot stress how impressed I was by this little bakery/​café. It’s located right in the heart of downtown and seems like it is enjoyed by both locals and tourists (like me). It was my last day in Seattle, so I wanted to go big which means I start the day with a million calories and then just keep going from there. Eating my way into oblivion and then plopping myself into the late night plane ride home. Bliss.
One Ratatouille, egg, and cheese on your heavenly brioche bun, please.
One pain au chocolate, please.
One coffee, please.
Who was I sharing this with? Nobody.
There are no words to describe the perfection that was this breakfast sandwich. Calling it a breakfast sandwich probably makes some French folks roll in their grave. This is not a McDonalds before 10am type of deal. The bun was so so soft and buttery without being overboard. The egg and cheese were cooked to perfection. The yolk still soft inside. The herbs were strong, but not overpowering.
Chocolate croissant? Just as amazing. Flaky, but soft and kind of creamy inside with just enough chocolate chips.
I was so fortunate to enjoy three completely sunny days with clear views of Mt. Rainier and fell in love with Seattle a little. The Belle Epicurean just made it that much better.

Their macaroons are amazing but I’m disappointed in how limited their selections are with macaroon so. I work a block away and went there 3 times already and each time around 1:30ish and they would always just have one flavor left ‘pistachio’ — how is that possible? They open till 5pm — and are out of other flavors with nearly 3.5 hours left each and every time I’m there seems like poor planning.

The almond croissants are all sorts of amazing in this joint. I was never a big croissant fan until I moved to Seattle and experienced all the Old World bakery awesomeness this city has to offer. The base of this croissant is pretty much like flaky, magical unicorn dust, but the real magic is in its filling. These croissants are filled with the perfect mixture of fragrant almond flavor and eggy custard. I lack the patisserie knowledge to describe such pastry filling sorcery, but it was most definitely #onfleek. The rest of the pastries looked straight out of a Parisian bakery and I spotted a few rustic baguettes for $ 3 a piece.
Love!

Came here again to try some other items for lunch. I enjoy how relax it is inside, a good place to have a coffee or a lunch.
I tried their roast turkey & cheese baguette sandwich. Very tasty! A good schmear of butter, they have this delicious onion jam spread inside of it, tasted like they made it with cherries… it made the sandwich that much better! Also I got a small pear tart for dessert, not overly sweet and quite good.
Staff was friendly and fast!

I’ve been back twice since my original review and have changed my feelings.
I dropped by for breakfast sometime last week and then for lunch today. I learned that so far, I’m not too impressed with anything but the macarons and the service I received the day I wrote my original review.
So I’m giving it 3.5 stars.
I’ve had the Walla Walla onion and bacon feuillette and the croque madame. Very flavorful, but nothing I would seriously die for. They served my croque madame with an over hard egg, which made me a bit sad. I still liked it, though, especially the crusty, burned cheese parts. Service seemed tired, and enthusiasm seemed forced, even though I tipped more than 20% and still got my own silverware and stuff.
I’ll still be back for more macarons.

I’d heard positive things about this spot. Since I’ve been mostly eating healthy for the last couple weeks, I decided I’d pop in for a little Friday sweet treat in the form of a French macaron (or two). The fellow that was working said his favorite was the salted caramel, so I went with that and the pistachio. Sorry, just not feeling adventurous enough for the rose water macaron. Unfortunately, I wasn’t a huge fan. Granted, I still ate both of them as any respectable fat kid should, but they didn’t blow my mind. The pistachio macaron tasted a little stale. And the salted caramel, which I preferred out of the two for the texture alone, was a bit too heavy handed with the salt.
Unfortunately they were out of the mushroom soup which I had also wanted to try — sounded good on a rainy day. So I decided to peruse their deli case instead. Note to vegetarians, pescatarians, and other friends of Wilbur: there is bacon is just about everything here. While I took note of the bacon in the menu items such as the quiche and the house salad, I thought ordering the kale and white bean salad in the case would be safe. Nope, bacon in there, too! So the moral is, if you like piggies, and like them not in your belly, always ask first. No salad is safe!
It was $ 12 for my side salad and 2 macarons. Happy to pay that for something I love, but for me this was just so-​so, and I probably won’t make it a regular pit stop (for which I’m sure my pants thank me).