Café Soleil

Absolutely delicious. Cozy décor but we sat outside in perfect weather. Had lamb ki whet, yellow peas and spinach and chicken. Perfect.

Very nice place to sit outside and people watch in the Madrona neighborhood. The pasta was wonderful and very affordable; the service was expedient and friendly. However, I thought the Ethiopian dishes were an odd addition to a mostly Italian selection. It sort of diluted the experience in my opinion, but a very minor critique to a memorable and enjoyable overall experience.

Great kept secret in Madrona. Very friendly staff and a hearty breakfast. I got the special and thought it was great. Also ⁵⁄₅ for good coffee

Food was very average. Service was pretty lacking. I ordered simply the granola and a latte and received the granola. My fiancé ordered a scramble with green peppers and mushrooms and received a scramble with mushrooms. It was clearly a lack of attention by the server. Probably won’t be back.

«Quaint brunch spot that draws in the locals.»
Hidden in the small neighborhood of Madrona is a small brunch spot that seems to gather a lot of attention. The place seats about 30 people and the menus and specials are simple and straight forward. Seats immediately filled up and we saw other patrons being turned away. There are specials listed on the walls and our server explained some of the most popular items on the menu. I ordered an Ethiopian press and the basil, tomato, and Parmesan frittata.
Food took about 50 minutes to serve and I noticed there was only one person in the kitchen and 2 servers. The French press arrived before the food. Sadly I was not provided any creamer. The frittata arrived few minutes later. The eggs were perfectly done, the potatoes were well-​seasoned and the serving portion was more than adequate.
There a few things to consider when visiting Café Soleil. I recommend coming early to avoid the huge brunch crowd. At the time of our visit the service and the food was very slow. We had sat down before a couple other groups and was served last. I plan on returning to see if the experience is any different and will update this review accordingly.

Great little café with a very charming and endearing ambience. With fantastic service and food, this is my favorite breakfast and brunch spot in the Madrona & Leschi area. The French press coffee and mimosas with any of their frittatas with crunchy toast and jam is perfect on a sunny morning. The owner of the restaurant is also super personable and makes every attempt to always visit and improve your overall experience. If I’m ever indecisive on where to go to brunch, this place has yet to ever fall short of anything less than a pleasurable experience.

Love this place for brunch! Great value, interesting specials and delicious options. The brunch is very American fare, no Ethiopian influence that I have seen.

We love this place. Great space with exposed brick and warm lighting. The ethiopian food is tastes fresh and not too heavy! Recommend the swiss chard and the eggplant!

If you love Ethiopian, you will like Café Soleil. Our visit here was such a treat — the ambiance and friendly service were worth the visit alone. For dinner, we shared the lentil, spinach garlic, split pea, and spicy chicken dishes. We were a little ambitious, and definitely couldn’t finish it all in one sitting. We’ve had Ethiopian in the past, and unfortunately just aren’t huge fans in general. However, we thought everything at Café Soleil was flavorful and made with care. We especially liked the balance of fresh tomato and yogurt that came with our meal; this was a nice counter to the heaviness that typically comes with Ethiopian food.
I think what made the experience four stars for us was just how cute the restaurant was. The owner was as sweet as could be, and our server was chipper and helpful. Oh, and my goodness, the Ethiopian spicy tea is great. My partner usually hates tea, and he couldn’t stop taking sips of mine; he said he may have to become a «tea convert.»
The crowd was very small for dinner, which breaks my heart a bit. We were alone in the restaurant for most of our meal on a Saturday night. If you’re looking for an endearing place and a good quality meal, please give Café Soleil a try.

I adore this place!
The staff is always fantastic and the food is good. The ambiance is pretty; with tall windows for walls, it brings so much light to the place. I think it’s a great place to take a date, or a couple friends, even your parents if they are visiting. Love!

I’m sad to say that my husband and I did not enjoy our food at Café Soleil. After skipping it often in favor of the other very tempting options in range (St Clouds (!!!) or High Spot) we decided to finally give it a shot and honestly… sort of regretted it.
My chicken sausage frittata was lifeless and bland… slightly charred on the bottom and just really flavorless. My husband’s meal was not much better. For the price, I’d have rather gone anywhere else as it wasn’t at all what I had hoped for.
Will say that the light filled dining room was welcoming and pleasant, the server was attentive and sweet.

Wonderful place for breakfast!
The Ethiopian Tea is my favorite. My 5 year old LOVES the French Toast!
Staff is very friendly–

We dropped in to try this place out. Had a really great experience. Our server Renee was incredibly friendly and the food was delicious. I got a spinach, garlic, and goat cheese omelette. I would get it again and we will definitely return. Yum!

café soleil vs the hi spot…
… is a question my partner and i have often asked each other. after finally choosing hi spot (it’s always so busy, MUST be good, right?) and being severely disappointed, i gave it a second shot when a friend wanted to go. same story as before in food AND service. two strikes, out.
today it was finally café soleil. we had a warm table in the front window, the friendly waitress was quick with water and specials. we each ordered the specials: chicken sausage/​mushroom/​parmesan frittata and French toast to split, tho i swapped the chz for ched and added zuch. swift prep, out quick. potato guy here so i tried those first. the size of the cut was inconsistent which leads to inconsistent cooking so while some were crispy, others had parts that were just this said of undercooked, this was true for both of us. my frittata had a tiny hair on top, accidents happen. the waitress was quick to remove and ask if i’d like something else, knowing i might be grossed out by the whole dish now but i said i’d still like to try it.
this gave me a chance to try the French toast out. same French bread that was served as toast with the entrée, only dipped and while not extraordinary in flavor, it was nevertheless tasty and nice and crispy like it should be. fresh pineapple slices on the side didn’t hurt. if i had noticed the raspberry preserve on the table before the syrup it woulda been all over it! my new plate was out quickly as well, everything was great. i polished it off.
wasn’t till we got home and i was halfway through this review with 4 stars when my partner told me he didn’t want to say anything there but a small hair was on the side of his dish too, not touching anything. he just brushed it off. fallen star.
overall thoughts: someone needs a hairnet to protect the yummy food being served by a really friendly staff ;)

We’re regulars here, and always look forward to it. Out –of-​town guests always enjoy it as well. The service is warm and attentive, and why not when you’re serving such excellent Ethiopian food! My family and I have tried other Ethiopian restaurants in town, but this one stands out.
None of us order off the spicy side of the menu these days, so I can’t attest to that. But the mild Ethiopian dishes are well spiced and varied. The yogurt and tomato condiments added to the injera and entrees are a real pleasure and increase the variety bite by bite. We were comfortable coming here when our kids were babies to now young adults. The atmosphere is casual and sparse in an elegant way. Prices are very reasonable.

We’ve walked past this restaurant a hundred times, and finally stopped in for dinner yesterday. Two adults, one four year old.
The adults enjoyed the Ethiopian food: potatoes, yellow lentils, chicken with spinach and garlic and some insanely delicious lamb. The food was very, very tasty.
Our less adventurous daughter had spaghetti and marinara sauce. I’m so glad that Café Soleil serves kid-​friendly options.
Overall, a great dinner in a friendly, low-​key environment. We”ll be back!

Had a pleasant brunch here. It was a bit slow and I didn’t get the right food, but it was all delicious, and they were fast with the coffee and water, which was welcome. Beautiful space that reminded me of the Mediterranean, breezy and simple. I’d go back just to sit in the sun.

Their garlic & sundried tomato croissant is rather tasty as well as their homemade chai. It was just the 2 ladies working Sat morning (the owner[?] and waitress) so waiting was ok. A neat café next to the High Spot.

Delicious potatoes, tomato basil frittata, good coffee. What a lovely neighborhood spot!

I absolutely love the spare décor here. There’s nothing to distract you from the light coming in the massive southerly windows, and the trees and flowers outside become part of your experience.
I’ve only been here for brunch, and the food was totally unexceptional. It was on the greasy side, and seemed like something I could have made easily enough myself. There are a handful of places within half a mile (or a quick walk) that offer tastier fare. I would give it a shot for dinner, which it sounds like they might do better.
The coffee, roasted in a pan, tastes like what you’d expect at a diner. I understand this is traditional, but in Seattle your coffee needs to actually taste like something.
The wait staff was perfectly courteous, though we kind of wondered if they were stoned. The food came quickly given how swamped they were.

I have nothing but great things to write about the owner of Café Soleil. Kuri was amazing in opening up her restaurant on a Tuesday evening for a work dinner meeting for a group of 20 of us, and boy did she do a fantastic job in serving the food, preparing delicious dishes, and even hosting us until about 9:30 on a night that usually has this placed closed!
We ordered 4 Ethiopian dishes with a starter salad and dessert and everything was really good! The salad was fresh and had a really tasty ginger and lemon vinaigrette which was a perfect start for dinner. The dishes with the injera bread was perfectly spiced. My only gripe was that some of the dishes felt a little heavy, but this could be a gripe with Ethiopian food, in general. I certainly couldn’t each much of it without feeling my lids close and my gut expand while in the middle of our meeting. However, with that came plenty of flavor which I enjoyed.
For dessert, we had a passion fruit tart which was so mouthwatering, I found myself wanting to ask for a second piece. I think the owner said she ordered from a local shop so next time, I’ll have to get that info.
I would certainly come back for brunch!

I’ve only been here for brunch, and haven’t tried their Ethiopian menu yet because, well, it’s hard to beat other Ethiopian places in the area. But the brunch is wonderful!
This place has a very friendly atmosphere; cozy and intimate but not cramped. The servers and chef/​owner were attentive and pleasant; I didn’t experience any of the waits that were alluded to by other reviewers, and the place was about ²⁄₃ full. Fresh flowers adorned the tables. I had a delicious egg-​toast-​potatoes combo, and my partner had a sumptuous veggie sandwich with outstanding bread. Wonderful coffee & mimosas!
Note to people with kids: Like I said, it’s not big; please be respectful of the other diners if you must bring your offspring. The Madison area is a little overrun with the stroller set and even though this place is technically kid-​friendly, it’s nice to enjoy a weekend morning without being abused by misbehaving children. If yours are screamers, please consider staying home or going to McDonalds or whatever. Keep Café Soleil fun for the big kids!

I agree w/​what Chad said — stop your strollers and take a look at the menu b/​c it is MM MM GOOD.
Frittata — DELISH
Potato scramble of sorts — equally as delish
Service — prompt AND friendly
Owner — kick ass — she’s worked there EVERYDAY since she’s owned the place (12 years, I think?), which is awesome to me
We loved every minute of our meal and will definitely be back again!

I’ve passed by here several times in the morning, only to see one or two tables occupied. At the same time, people are crushing each other to get inside the Hi Spott next door.
I can only assume they aren’t hip to the idea of eating Ethiopian food for breakfast. If they could put down their strollers for a moment and take a look at the menu, they’d realize that a tasty scramble or frittata is just seconds away…
Why would you wait an hour for a table when better food can be had right next door?
Try it for breakfast, you’ll like it!

The food was pretty good, but the service was sllloooooowwww…
Perfectly sized portions of mostly egg dishes. Order a fritatta, a scramble… or a fritata and it will probably be delicious. Crusty white toast and seasoned crunchy potatoes make for a good accompaniment, I just wish they had a few less cheese/​egg items to choose from.
Their lunch items looked pretty good (and they’ll serve those all day). Lots of sandwiches and salads to choose from.
Come for the food and the ridiculously reasonable prices… and maybe the cute décor. And while the servers are polite, hardworking folk, service here isn’t the fastest. Just know that you’ll be dining for a (long) while if you decide to eat at this establishment.