Cafe Etoile
Cafe Etoile
If you haven’t tried Cafe Etoile yet, you should! Cafe Etoile is one of Berkeley’s cutest, most charming cafes. It’s a great place to eat, work, relax, or socialize. The food and coffee here are incredible! It’s a place I like to frequent.
Instead of being your typical coffee shop/cafe, this small business takes its own fascinating spin on Korean/French fusion cuisine, making it a true hidden gem. Open from 8:00 am to 3:00 pm daily, this is the ideal breakfast/brunch stop if you’re in Berkeley.
Like many cafes, it offers a full espresso menu, along with a variety of pastry options and a menu for sit-down meals. It’s the kind of place where you pick from some carefully curated menu options and order and pay at the counter, usually paying less than $20 a person for a meal.
The entrees are served fresh and hot. You can literally see the elaborate dishes being prepared to order in the small kitchen behind the counter. You see the staff rushing around the kitchen and delicately plating each dish, and you hear the sizzling of the bacon and the deep fryer. It looks very complicated, but the entrees come out delicious and beautiful each time.
The coffee at Café Etoile is excellent. They have hot and iced brewed options, mochas, lattes, and even affogatos with a choice of different flavored syrups. In my opinion, their lattes and mochas have a very desirable amount of milk and sweetness, and the bitterness of the coffee cuts the sweetness of the flavoring perfectly. Like the entrees, the cups of coffee are expertly crafted. Every last bit of flavor, texture, appearance, and temperature has been considered in every cup.
The pastries at Cafe Etoile are fantastic! They are reasonably priced and make wonderful small snacks, side dishes, and/or desserts. They have lovely croissants, muffins, and scones, but their best pastry remains their croffle: a cross between a croissant and a waffle, which was invented as Korean street food. The croffle is a croissant that was prepared in a waffle iron; it has a sugary exterior and a buttery interior. I’ve been known to venture all the way into the cafe just to pick up a croffle for the road on many occasions. They’re addictive.
And the best part is that they also have croffles as part of several of their entrees. They have a cream and berries croffle, if you are in the mood for something sweet. It’s delightful and decadent—causing joy in every bite. They also have a bacon and egg croffle, which is a more savory way to start your day. It still has the sweetness of a croffle, but it also has the maturity of an egg and bacon breakfast. But my all-time favorite remains their chicken and croffle. It is a must-try that should bring you to Cafe Etoile! The crispy and salty fried chicken on top of the sweet and buttery croffle harmonizes wonderfully with the spicy sauce to make a perfect symphony of flavor. It’s a dish that no one in Berkeley does better!
They also have sandwiches and salads for those who are on a healthier, more savory, and a more substantial diet. Cafe Etoile also has a wide selection of sandwiches—breakfast sandwiches and more typical lunch-like sandwiches. The bugolgi stands out with its delicious Korean marinated beef, but it’s worth experimenting with some of the other options. Their salads are complex, filling, and sophisticated (not just your typical bed of greens). Their goodness salad is a crowd-pleaser.
I strongly recommend this restaurant. It’s a place where everything is made carefully with lots of forethought and pride. The eating area is a pleasant place to stay a while, and the food is very affordable. I know I won’t be able to resist coming back for more! Those croffles are calling my name...
Cafe Etoile
8:00 am to 3:00 pm every day
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