Rue Lafayette

It has come to this my attention, that my beloved coffee shop and café, Rue Lafayette’s has closed. While there is rumor that it may survive in some form at some point in the future, I felt it necessary to post a brief note about this beloved café.
For those who don’t know. Rue Lafayette was an amazing and unique place here in St. Louis. A French Quarter style coffee house, where you could sip delicious coffee and eat the most amazing croissants baked fresh every morning. Yet even with the top notch coffee and pastries, this dog appreciated the café’s mascot. A Boston Terrier named Bella. She was there every morning greeting customers, and if you were one of the lucky one’s you could have your morning latte with her. Yes, she got a latte each and every morning. Watching her lapping up that latte and then looking up at you with steamed milk over her face was a priceless sight.
There were postcards, pearls, and hairpieces for sale, all approved and created for and by Bella.
Let us hope that one day Rue Lafayette will reopen.
With love from shatasdogbowl to yours… happy eating.

This is my favorite coffee place and its truly the best in St.Louis. Interior is beautiful, owner has a good taste. Its connected with Antique shop– you can browse for some nice gift while you are there. They have jazz on the weekends, and concerts occasionally.
Coffee is very good, and desserts are to die for.
And you can bring your dog inside! Its very pets friendly! You can see owner’s dog Bella run around– very cute.
I love whole atmosphere there– ambiance, customers, staff… and its right across the Lafayette Park. During summer you can sit outside with nice view.
This is truly the BEST CAFE in St. Louis with European quality. We Europeans know our coffee and Rue Lafayette meet my expectation.

2^nd attempt: Made a second attempt and did so on a cold day with the theory they wouldn’t be as busy. Theory panned out. Live music ended just as I walked in at 1pm. They style of music wasn’t my taste, but I support opportunities for local musicians to play so yeah! for the band. Tried the savory quiche which was good, not amazing, not fresh (texture hinted of microwave), but good flavor. Cappuccino was fine, not the best, but not entirely unsatisfactory either. Overall I’d say this is the kind of place to go to if you live in the neighborhood and can walk over, or if you want to support small local businesses in St. Louis, and/​or if you want to support the need for small venues for local (and seriously underpaid) musicians. Your food and drink will be fine (when you can get it). Still, Rue Lafayette is not my go to place for a *café* experience alone.
1^st attempt: Live music lovely patio European interior but waited 25 minutes in line with only 6 people ahead of me and still standing with 5 people ahead of me. Overheard they are out of most everything. Finally left for somewhere else. Seems they need more staff or faster staff and more food.

Went in on some antique hunting… Again not impressed.
Decent selection but no prices marked and SUPER pricey.

I went here after hearing that they fly their croissant dough in from France from a friend who has family there. My first visit, I bought a regular croissant, a chocolate croissant, and a hot chocolate. This was Winter, and they touted their hot cocoa as being the best. I thought it was ok. Maybe too rich to be something that I’d want to drink a whole cup of. I thought the croissant was great though, and the chocolate croissant was to DIE for. And I’m not a huge fan of sweet pastries.
So I returned to have lunch with my mother in law a few months later. We both ordered a salad whose name I forget. It was huge, and had a LOT of nuts (walnuts, pecans, even macadamia) and fruits (apples, cranberries. maybe something else). The dressing was good and it paired perfectly with a croissant. I also had a chai latte, which was very delicious.
The place is really cute, small and a little haphazard in its layout. I got friendly service both times. The dog running around underfoot confused me though — I didn’t know they were allowed in restaurants! It was running around like crazy. I’m a dog person though, so I didn’t care. It wasn’t jumping up or begging or anything.
I wish the menu was bigger, especially for a non-​quiche-​eating vegetarian, it is limited. They do have a veggie sandwich but both times I’ve been there it hasn’t appealed to me.
Overall, I’d definitely go here for a hot beverage and a treat. if only I weren’t on a diet! A croissant would be a major splurge!

I was super, super pumped to try this place (mostly from the website and the hype on here). What I have come to is A-​OK.
I came in early today because I woke up unbelievably early. I ordered a cappuccino and a chocolate croissant which the worker (friendly, but a little distracted – but, can’t blame – they open at 6:30 in the AM) told me had just come out of the oven (that’s an irresistible statement right there). My order was $ 5 something but I almost got a quiche which would have set me back roughly $ 10…that’s a little steep in my eyes, but maybe I’m just used to finding delicious treats at low prices.
I sat down to do early morning work and she brought my cappuccino over while my croissant came in a little basket (cute!) She wasn’t kidding – right out of the oven, my croissant was still warm and the layers pulled and flaked away. Chocolate oozed out of the sweet shell and it was pretty good, but I wasn’t sold. My cappuccino was average for an Americano and I wish I’d gotten the Chai Latte (or maybe done my capp. with soy because I’m not used to milk anymore!)
The character of the place is what gives it four stars though, it’s got a lot of pizzaz, in a ritzy, miniature chandeliers and vintage France kind of way. The shop connected is absolutely precious. Antique shop at its finest it has quirky cards, vintage hats, signs, knick knacks and jewlery that I really enjoyed browsing through. I can definitely see myself coming back here for some cute décor when I move to my new place (and maybe try out a quiche if I can manage shelling out the cash!)

This darling place is delicious, delectable and delightful.
~That is the drinks are delicious – from coffee and hot chocolate to the Spicy Bloody Mary.
~The food is detectible – from a croissant or yogurt parfait to the weekends only brunch (limited menu).
~The décor is delightful – in a shabby chic, 1920’s French kind of way. The best part is if you fall in love with something on the walls, you can probably buy it.
This is a sweet little café and it sometimes takes it’s sweet little time to get you served. Just remember, this isn’t Starbucks. Everything is made to order so sit down, enjoy the atmosphere and relax.
Notes: Doggy friendly. Live music on weekends.
My favorite is the band with female lead which plays songs from 1920−30s. Love. :)

Mon dieu! Il y’a un restaurante en St. Louis que vraiment make-​a zee very bonne croissants. Presque authentique! La café etais ausi bonne et les muffins. Ooh-​la-​la les muffins! Almost zo good comme les muffins chez moi!

Do not get all the hub-​bub. The food was not good and the coffee was just so-​so.
The staff was what I can only believe as intentionally lackadaisical with a patron who was clearly in a rush. Yes she was being bitchy, but if you are going to stand up to rude customers just confront them, don’t putz around being passive aggressive.
Absolutely want to love this place but the clutter alone makes me uncomfortable. Sit outside for sure.
They have live music/​performers from time to time so look for that!

This is a pretty cute place. The Parisian corner café theme is perfect in Lafayette Square.
Kitschy, but charming to boot, Rue Lafayette also offers up some pretty delicious food. It does come at a steep price. I ordered a smoothie (comes in one size) and a quiche (which are fairly small) and my total came to over $ 14. They were very delicious, but at that price, not something I will go out of my way to come back for.
They have a nice little patio, a sweet and spoiled French bulldog wandering around, and last night they extended their hours to 9pm as they had a live swing band performing (and patrons in the audience showing off their lindy hop skills), which was a very enjoyable time.
If I was in the neighborhood, I would definitely drop by for a cup of coffee. I think this would be a great destination for date, especially during the warmer months, to enjoy their patio and the lovely vibe of the Lafayette Square neighborhood.

I definitely like this place and wanted to give it a better rating but I can’t. Given that I know Crystal really enjoys it here I know it must be better than this experience. The girl behind the counter herself deserves 5 stars for being so cool and nice but …
On a day like it was today (perfect weather) I have a hard time focusing on work and while downtown I though I’ll go by Park Avenue and take it easy but no open parking spots … so I wandered around thinking I’ll find a place the sells donuts and went by John Donut Co, closed (this was about 1pm), sooooo, I did another search and Rue Lafayette came up (keyword donuts) so I headed back to Lafayette Square and since I had in mind to go here a long time ago, it was a good place to visit.
No donuts but they did have chocolate croissants right up front so I ordered one of those. Had I stopped there it would have been a better experience because that was really good. Then I decided to get the quiche Lorraine and a cup of milk (no argument with the milk for sure) but the quiche was far from any quiche I’ve had and unfortunately, was partially burnt. I was first trying to cut into it with my fork (something that should always be easy with quiche) and ended up having to bare down on it with my hand but then turning it over to cut from the bottom so I could see what it was doing … reminded me of when I had some half frozen mud pie at the Atomic Cowboy … then the crumbs go all over the place. I kept eating it thinking it had to get better and taste like quiche but it never did. And, it certainly looked overdone when it arrived too so the girl definitely passed on that.
I may try them again but I’ll stay away from the quiche. Very different kind of place. Cool enough to check out.

We went to Rue Lafayette yesterday to use a groupon. It was about 11 on a Saturday and packed; to be expected, I suppose. We had a bit of difficulty finding a table.
We ordered the spinach and goat cheese quiche, a croissant with eggs, veggies, and cheese, a mocha, a cappuccino, and chocolate croissant to share. It came out to $ 13 after our $ 12 groupon.
Clutching our chocolate croissant, we crouched at our battle-​won table and listed to the jazz band playing up front. They were great by the way, especially the saxophonist and the clarinetist. Though admittedly, I am a sucker for jazz clarinet.
Our coffees came out pretty quickly. It was the fluffiest, most deliciously foamy cappuccino I’ve had. The mocha was delicious as well, the perfect amount of chocolate. The food came out not to long afterwards. The spinach and goat cheese quiche. OMG. THE SPINACH AND GOAT CHEESE QUICHE. Incredible. It was fluffy, creamy, tangy from the cheese, and the crust was all the right amounts of buttery, flaky, and tender. The egg and veggie croissant came with this amazing hot pepper jelly. I appropriated half of it for my quiche, and that really took it to the next level. The croissant itself was a big hit as well. The right combination of seasonings, fresh veggies, and crispy/​soft croissant. It came out piping hot as well, which isn’t always the case with a scramble. The chocolate croissant was delicious as well; I didn’t want it to end.
The portion sizes here are smaller than at other breakfast/​brunch spots around, but the food is incredibly rich. A lovely mid-​morning decadence. The place indeed has a European vibe that makes you smile and want to read the paper at an outdoor table with your impeccably groomed dog. But I don’t have a dog, and it’s January, so I’ll just stay inside and listen to that clarinetist.

Rue Lafayette gets mad props for being a unique business. Not only that, it’s located in Lafayette Square, and fits in the Lafayette Square atmosphere perfectly. I stopped by because I had heard that the breakfast food was delish, so I wanted to pick some up for my coworkers.
I went in the boutique shop first. Thematically, it was perfect. The stuff they have is not what I would decorate my home with, but it fits the French theme perfectly. It’s a great blend of unique, kitschy, old, and refurnished, and everything is very artfully laid out. I ended my tour in the café and ordered chocolate croissants and bread puddings to go. The owner was wonderful in packing up everything very carefully and talking with me about her breakfast specials. It was really laid back. Both the croissants and the bread puddings were really sinfully awesome. I will definitely be back to try breakfast. maybe before or after hitting Soulard one weekend.

Politicians and pundits often say that small businesses drive America. I think of Rue Lafayette as that quintessential small business. I’m sure there’s some official definition of a «small business,» but let me break it down as applied to Rue Lafayette:
It’s a group of people with common passions and talents working toward a singular goal: making sure you get awesome food and personal service. It’s the idea that those people be accessible to the customer, instead of segregated from him: here you can look straight back into the kitchen and ask the chef what he recommends. It’s the notion that you can meld concepts in uncommon mashup: the Café shares space with a Boutique full of random yet classy ornaments for your bohemian abode. Finally, it’s the requirement that you be integrated with your community rather than superimposed on top of it: in both architecture and overall experience, Rue Lafayette pulls this off seamlessly.
Do America a favor and give this place a try.

I love this little spot. I do not love the shop connected to it, only because of the «old person smelling» and/​or extremely dusty smell (?) when you walk over to that side of the store. There is a collection of older items, crafts, antique items in that area. The cans of tea (Republic) were covered with an inch of dust. Which grossed me out… a total sneeze-​fest. A nice airing out, dusting and an air cleaner would fix this, I think, but lets go back to the other side of the store… where the half wall protects the other side where you eat from the dust bowl.
*walks 3 feet to the other side…*
With the door opening right there near your table the fresh air & the fan/​exhaust circulation from the kitchen makes it a very pleasant place to sit as you eat. If it was warmer I would have sat outside to look at the beautiful park.
Location: This café has wonderful outdoor seating that looks over the lovely Lafayette park. Just a wonderful idea and so relaxing!
Food: The food was wonderful! I never thought I would enjoy potato salad so much! I even feel sillier then usual for even saying it. But I have to because it is so tasty!
There were many yummy looking desserts but I was too full to try any so we had croissants to go. The croissants are so very good! I was told they were directly from France. They tasted good enough for that to be true.
Our sandwiches came on a fantastic bread that was delicious!
Service: Great smiles and friendly faces! It was a very pleasant experience.
TLDR: This informal café in beautiful surroundings serves superior food and awesome outdoor seating really makes it a great spot to stop at before/​after a walk/​bike ride in the park. This should be on your list to try!

I was feeling like a leisurely bite to eat this morning following my run and Rue Lafayette came to mind. They’re in the neighborhood, a quick ride on the bike with a beautiful location fronting Lafayette Park. Business looked brisk when I’d run past earlier in the morning.
Alas, they have no bike rack, or at least none that I saw. Food is fresh and on display, no menu as such, you just point to what you want. I went for a quiche — ham and cheese — and a black coffee. The lady told me she’d bring me my food, so I made a point to let her know that I would be sitting outside.
Coffee options are light roast and dark roast. The light roast was empty. Fair enough, it might have been the last customer who emptied it. I let the chef know it was out and stepped out the door to have a seat. Began reading … pages later, I’m wondering, «Where is my quiche?» Forgotten. But there were only a handful of other clients… The clerk was apologetic. Someone, I think perhaps the owner, insisted that I take a croissant. This was a nice gesture [I ate it this evening and it was tasty] but I didn’t want or need the croissant. I just needed the coffee and the quiche to be available/​ready in a timely manner.
In fairness, the quiche was absolutely delicious. So why three stars? I was in here three or four months ago and my experience was much the same: sloppy. For breakfast/​lunch options in close proximity to my house and the park I plan to visit again, but another inattentive encounter will alienate this customer.

Well… this whole time I just assumed that I had already written a review for Rue Lafayette… but I guess I just need to pay more attention.
This place is such a gem to find and in a beautiful neighborhood that’s a lot of fun to explore. They are located directly across the street from Lafayette Square Park where there is a beautiful lake with swans.
The food on the menu changes a lot according to what is fresh and what their Chef Felix creates for that week.
I normally come in for their quiche and croissants… but there are many other dishes on the menu.
During the summer months that are open until 10pm since they have concerts in the park.
I also know that they have swing bands come in to play some evenings.
This Café is a must see!!!

There was nothing bad about my experience at Rue Lafayette, but it was not what I was expecting. The boutique side is much larger than the café side. Menu choices, as another reviewer noted, are extremely limited. Seating also not plentiful. Beautiful chandeliers and tin ceilings, but I felt like the ambiance and décor were the focus, and then they threw a little coffee shop in the corner as an after-​thought; I would rather have the food and drink be the focus. Would like to see croque monsieur on the menu, for example.
At present, Rue does not offer enough to keep me coming back. But if I lived within walking distance I might feel differently.

This is a cute little shop! We came in on a Saturday morning, and it really wasn’t too crowded. It has a very quaint feel, with no menu, the owner just explained some of their specialties, and there’s a glass case filled with sweet treats!
Seating inside is limited, but they do have some leather seats in the corner that would be a nice place to come hang out on a slow day. There is also a nice patio out front.
We tried a frittata, bread pudding, and a chocolate croissant. All were excellent! Afterward, we walked through the antique shop which had some interesting items, I’m still thinking about a chandelier I saw in there.

I stopped in at Rue Lafayette Café on this rainy fall day and it was a perfect fit. Rue Lafayette sits directly across from the Lafayette Square park house on Lafayette. Great view.
Quiche Lorraine just came out of the oven and it was perfectly flaky, fresh, and flavorful. They have free wi-​fi and a gift shop that I didn’t have enough time to check out. They specialize in coffees and croissants. They had additional pastries and cookies in the glass case.
The quiche was so good that I will be back to try more. I only wish they offered more lunch options like sandwiches. I was told that they may start offering homemade soups, which is a draw. But, overall, they offer a very limited selection of food, which will ultimately limit the frequency of my visits.

You really can’t ignore the awesome atmosphere here. The fact that they import macaroons and croissant dough is a bit much, in my opinion. I’m not sure if I enjoy Bonne Bouchee more because it tastes better or simply because THEY make everything from scratch.
Regardless, the atmosphere is pretty great to have a conversation with anyone.
Oh, they charge a buck for coffee refills. That’s pretty lame.