Clifton Cafe

I’ve always loved Clifton Café but have finally gotten around to reviewing it. When I’m in the mood for a sweet treat I get Doris’ Danish Crêpe (my mouth is watering just thinking of it). If I want something filling I get the Mediterranean Salad, which is better than most salads I’ve had at really any other restaurant. It’s located in cute and cozy historic Clifton and has an awesome interior vibe. The almond milk lattes are great too. I would give it 5 stars but it’s a tad bit pricey so I don’t eat there much and you can expect a crowd and long wait weekend mornings. Other than that, Clifton Café is wonderful.

Clifton Café is a cozy coffee shop/​restaurant in old Clifton. My girlfriend and I came here on a Sunday afternoon to do a little reading and drink coffee, but we were prompted with a dinner menu and waitress. We thought it would be more of a coffee/​tea shop, but I guess I should’ve looked into their menu a little more. Not a problem though. We both had lattes that were great and ordered their charcuterie plate, which was fairly priced with the amount of cheese and cured meat that was given. Our server was very attentive and allowed us to read like we wanted. We’ll have to come back for dinner or afternoon tea sometime. Recommend if you haven’t been!

This is a cute little contemporary café and the ambience was very friendly. The menu ranges from sweet and savory crepes to alcoholic beverages. I came here he day after the snowstorm and it was open, so there was no wait. I want to try the high teas next time but it says that I need to make an appointment beforehand. The crepes and lattes are a must if you are going to try one or two things here!

It’s hard to decide on a star-​rating for Clifton Café because I’m so torn! While I like aspects such as the location and service, I really didn’t think the food was all that great (was a little disappointed since I’d read the many rave reviews before going in). I’ll try and break it down a bit:
Pros — As aforementioned, the location is nice (in the heart of old town Clifton!), the service has been friendly the times I’ve gone, the drinks are pretty good and their presentation tends to be on point (cute little designs with the foam and what not!), it’s a nice atmosphere (I especially like sitting outside in their patio area when the weather is nice), and they have a pretty neat selection of drinks and crepes (and it’s always nice when there are both sweet and savory options).
Cons — I’ve tried the crepes on a few occasions now, and still haven’t found them to be that good (I’ve had much better elsewhere). Moreover, they — and the drinks too — seem quite overpriced for what they are. If I’m going to be paying an above-​average price, I’d like the quality/​taste of food to be above average as well.
That said, I’m sure I’ll be open to going back and giving them another try if I’m in the area with company, but it just wouldn’t be my first choice.

Absolutely love this little cozy place. It’s a bit too loud due to walls but lovely. Good is amazing.

Definitely one of my favorite brunch spot near Fairfax. I love their settings. Also I love going to Clifton just because it reminds me of my old days living in a small town in the middle of nowhere. My friend and I came here once a month and we love their food and waitresses who served us were really nice and sweet. Thumbs up!

Best crêpe in town. Also I was impressed with their coffee… The server, Ms. Whitney was so courteous and friendly. I would definitely come back here again.

Came here with my friend and it was amazing. The atmosphere is nice and the French toast crêpe and the classic nutella crêpe were so delicious and filling. I will definitely be back!

Wonderful little find! Warm, contemporary café interior with friendly service. They have an all day brunch menu. Today we had a couple of breakfast crepes that were wonderful, I had the hungry Canadian, not sure what my husband ordered as I was too busy enjoying every bite!
My little boy had a pb and j that came shaped as a heart. We took a look at their much menu and it too looked great — I saw a sign for «make your own bloody Mary’s» on the weekend… can’t wait to check that out!

Love the place and the ambience. But I wouldn’t say the crepes are at its best have tried better ones. Bt overall good experience. Would definitely come back to try more.

The Samoa latte is fantastic. My favorite place to go for a weekend treat. I love how the specials change– always fun to see what the newest delicious combination of flavors is!

Came here with H.
I’m not all that familiar with Clifton, Va and this was my first time in the area. It’s a super cute place and I’m so glad H suggested we meet up here. The drive to Clifton was beautiful.
There is some parking in the back of this café. At first it may be a bit difficult to spot the lot since it’s a bit hidden and the entrance way is tight. Indoor and outdoor seating is available. Upon entering, it looked like all the employees were occupied so I seated myself. It took some time for an employee to come over to the table. However, once some time passed our server was very friendly and attentive. She made sure we enjoyed everything. Restrooms are located to your left, upon entering.
Their lattes and crepes are delicious. The Pumpkin Pie Latte is full of flavor, sooo good! If you like coconut, the Samoa Latte is definitely a must try. Their crepes are light, flavorful, and have a nice chew. Quality ingredients are used in their fillings. I appreciate that everything is made fresh to order.
Perfect place to meet a friend and enjoy good food and great conversation.

Crepes, crepes, crepes! I love myself a good crêpe, and Clifton Café has them in spades! Savory or sweet, you pick your preference and just enjoy. This place has a great vibe and really friendly staff. Their lattes are also amazing — I got a cinnamon bun latte and it was awesome — and their foam art is pretty impressive!
I got the Italian Mob crêpe, which was hearty and delicious, and my friend got one with dates, chicken, and goat cheese, which rocked my world. She also got the pumpkin bisque and it was delicious (I’m a food sharer, what can I say?).
My only grievance is that the prices are a little bit higher than you might want to spend for lunch on the reg. I’m not saying it’s not worth it, because everything tasted great, I’m just warning you that you should be prepared to spend more than $ 15-​$ 20/​pp on your lunch if you come dine here.

First impressions mean a lot to me and this café made a great one. The ambiance is quite cozy. Like stepping into your French grandma’s kitchen while she whips you up a nice hot cup of coffee and a savory crêpe (I’m Filipino-​American I’m just guessing that’s a thing). The employees were warm and friendly and catered very well to their customers. I ordered a crème brûlée latte and I have to say, one of the best I’ve ever had. I like my coffee hot and they made it at a very perfect temperature. It was sweet with that nice subtle hint of bitterness to keep you sipping for more. I highly recommend this café for those who are in the area. This is definitely not the last time I’ll be here.

Went here for brunch on a Saturday and had a great time. Cute location in Historic Clifton– great place for brunch with a date, girlfriends, or family. I will definitely be back, especially to sit outside!
C R E P E S
My friend and I both got crepes off their specials; she got the crab one (may be out of season now) and I got the pulled pork. We liked both, but agreed that the crab one was better. Both had substantial amount of crab/​pork filling; I ended up taking half of pork crêpe home.
L A T T E S
I am a big coffee drinker. I can’t bring myself to spend money on regular Starbucks, but love to treat myself to lattes at restaurants, so I was really looking forward to this place. I wanted something not-​too-​sweet, so the waiter suggested something mocha. It wasn’t that great, but didn’t ruin my experience.

I was looking forward to going to Clifton Café based on all the great reviews but I have to be honest — it was a very disappointing experience.
Location-​wise it’s ideal, right off the main drag in downtown Clifton where you can sit outside and bring your dog. The service is what spoiled the trip.
Our party of four were seated outside and we waited 10 minutes (meanwhile two servers and the hostess passed by) before we gave up and went back up to the line to request a set of menus. All our coffee orders took nearly 20 minutes to arrive and we waited for our food for over an hour. On top of that, we were informed that one of the crepes had something added that wasn’t supposed to be so they needed to re-​make it. That was another 15 minutes. As a side note: out of the crepes that came out first, one arrived cold and another was missing an ingredient. You may think we should have sent those orders back but frankly, we didn’t have anymore time to waste.
Despite the long wait, the lattes and cappuccino drinks were very good and I would come back just to order those again but the crepes were nothing noteworthy. In the end, we ended up going across the street and getting a pizza.

Very happy to find this local café! The crepes and lattes are delicious and I love the quotes they have all over the place! The place is like a haven to relax, chill, and enjoy.
Service was friendly. I did not have the same experience as some other reviewers that complained about it.
Loved the Crêpe Marnier! Highly recommend (as long as you are 21+). I thought they’d just put a little flavoring of it but they actually give you a shot glass! Careful with pouring it on the crêpe though because it can get soggy fast!
Chai Latte was decent nothing bad or special.
Crème Brûlée latte was almost perfect. Loved that it wasn’t unbearably sweet like other places it was a good balance… but then near the end when finishing it I guess the sugars congregated at the bottom and it became sickly sweet… guess it wasn’t mixed well?
Ana Nutty Banana-​Berry was yummy and crispy except in the middle (was soggy from the fruits and crème).
Parking was a little weird for me at first. Wasn’t familiar with this part of Clifton and didn’t know where to park. Good to know there is actually parking spots behind! I also got confused and walked into the jewelry store first before the café! I read the sign on top of the building but didn’t see the arrow pointing to the actual location at first… but hey I found it in the end! :)

My go to place for desserts and coffee. Great friendly service. Breakfast all day. Quaint and homey interiors. Space is quite limited so I guess the place fills up easily if they are busy.
Would def return.

This is such a picturesque place! Exactly what I envision a small town coffee shop to be. The place is small, but so cozy. I got some tea and all of us ordered crepes to try. Every bite I tried was delicious. My crêpe had oats and pumpkin inside which reminded me of oatmeal. The boyfriend had some mixed berries in his. I don’t think you can go wrong with what to order here. The level of detail in the coffee even shows in the intricate designs they have on the top with coffee and milk. All the people that worked here are super nice. They had a table cleared out for us in no time for us to enjoy the place and I really would not have minded waiting longer. My only complaint of the place is that the seating is a little cramped, but they’re letting as much people to enjoy the place at once. The perfect small town getaway to check out!

The location is a very cute, quaint type of town. Although they only have crepes for food (only reason why I wouldn’t give a 5 rating), the coffee/​drink options are great. Whatever you decide to get, you won’t be disappointed.
I highly recommend going on a weekday or a non-​busy weekend morning (if that’s possible). Sitting outside is wonderful, even if it’s sunny! Parking is never a problem and the staff is friendly.
Sit, chill, relax and enjoy!