Description: We went to la Madeleine for Sunday brunch and waited about 10 min in line, then a few more for our food to be brought to the table. The French bakery offers a range of pastries to salads to full breakfast options - suitable for a large group or a few friends with differing tastes & hunger levels!
la Madeleine gives the air of a French bakery, though the long line when we entered was very American. Each person gets a spoon when they order, and you first come to the coffee/capuccino station. You can choose one of these later, also. A friendly hostess took the brunch orders in line if you wanted a full meal and no a la carte, so our wait mainly consisted of waiting to get to the register. We saw the yummy pastries and options along our way there, but were excited to eat a real breakfast.
They had a nice outdoor patio, full of trees and plants to create a natural mood despite its location near a busy street, and the trees provided shade in the hot Texas sun. I chose the egg crepe champignon, containing scrambled eggs, Swiss cheese, sautéed mushrooms and parsley, in an herb crêpe topped with creamy mushroom sauce. Outcome - delicious! It was just enough to not feel heavy, but full of tasty ingredients for a satisfying breakfast. The creamy mushroom sauce gave it a sweet taste and the eggs didn't overpower as they sometimes can in these type dishes.
One friend chose the breakfast croissant, filled with scrambled eggs on a fresh-baked croissant with ripe tomato slices, cheddar cheese and two bacon strips. She got a cup of fruit on the side, which was a waste of money as it contained about 4 bites of fruit and was about $4. However, she enjoyed her croissant.
My other friend chose the French Country Breakfast, with scrambled eggs, a Potato Galette and a fresh-baked croissant with bacon. She loved the flaky croissant and the potato galette was big enough for all of us to share.
We were surrounded by groups of girls - young and old, obviously friends coming together over great French fare to munch and chat. There were a few couples, and there was a nice back room that looked a bit more romantic than our outdoor patio.
Overall, a lovely brunch experience with good tasting food. I've been to the la Madeleine in DC, and this was more spacious and a more relaxed feel. Would go back if it was close by and convenient, but wouldn't return all the time with all the other great restaurants in Austin to try! Our meals were just under $10 by themselves, a reasonable price for the setting.
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