The ambiance at Cafe Lily matches their terrific menu and excellent service. Great place for meeting up with friends or colleagues. I highly recommend to anyone who loves delicious fresh food and a stress free environment. Cafe Lily is high on my list!
Piper
We visited Café Lily for a special Father's Day lunch and unfortunately, the experience was a major letdown. While the food itself was good, the service completely ruined the occasion. Our reservation was confirmed for 2:45 PM via OpenTable, which makes no sense considering they shut down the kitchen and bar at 3:00. Why even offer a reservation time you can't honor full service properly? As soon as we arrived, the staff rushed us to order, creating an uncomfortable and pressured atmosphere. We tried to order more drinks, only to be told the bartender was already gone and wouldn't return until 5:00. That's beyond frustrating for any restaurant. If the kitchen and bar shut down at 3:00 PM, the last reservation should be no later than 1:00 PM—period. The staff's attitude was dismissive and unprofessional, making it clear they were ready to clock out and not interested in creating a positive guest experience. Bottom line: the food was solid, but the service was so poorly managed that we won't be back. One-time experience—unfortunately.
Kortney
Always, always a pleasure dining here. My family and friends have been frequenting this establishment for 20 years and every milestone celebration, every holiday, every let's-catch-up dinner has been more than enjoyable. I can count on Cafe Lily to never disappoint. Thanks for making Father's Day/birthday recognition brunch 2025 amazing—and also working with our party of 8 to be seated indoors instead of outdoors. As an aside, thanks for also providing GF options as well as having staff knowledgeable enough to know to inquire if I had Celiac/allergy or if just a preference. It was additionally refreshing to see staff knowledgeable enough to know what options were GF or not.
Pat
Cafe Lily does not disappoint. The food and service are excellent. The staff makes sure everything is satisfactory. Reasonable prices and many menu choices. We have been dining at Cafe Lily for many years both brunch and dinner. Located in the heart of Decatur.
Janice
We were headed to a show at Eddie's Attic and decided to grab dinner here first. It was absolutely delicious and the service was great too. We'll definitely be doing this again in the future.
Julie
It hurts my heart to give Cafe Lily less than 5 stars. This has been a favorite place for our family for special occasions for years. (I remember when their location was a jewelry store...) While other members of my family have varied their culinary experiences, I always (and I mean ALWAYS) order the Pinchitos. This dish is (has been) a melt-in-your-mouth combination of lamb, potatoes, and green beans. So, I was so looking forward to our night out with friends -- we were the ones to suggest going to Cafe Lily. I suppose that partly because my expectations were so high, I was so very disappointed. The manager came out to apologize and comped the table dessert. However, I know it will be quite some time before I try Cafe Lily again :-(
Anne
Great dinner in a lively atmosphere! Every dish was delicious and presented by staff who care about the food and service, and they made sure we had everything we needed. Katie, one of the Lily owners, came by to talk with us and check on our table. We had gambas, falafel, pinchitos and salmon. All were terrific!
Leslie
Cafe Lily is a consistently dependable restaurant offering deliciously prepared food, with a quiet and beautiful ambiance and great friendly service every time. This will always be one of our favorite Decatur restaurants.
Jane
Cafe Lily is consistently a great choice for nice dining experience. We were having a small family get-together and were seated in a little alcove-type, and thus quieter, area where we could easily enjoy good conversation. Everyone enjoyed their various selections — steak tartar, chicken piccata, scallops & risotto, lamb burger, pasta dish, etc. Very good service. Highly recommend!
Christine
Overall, pretty good. We went on a Sunday morning. So, the flowers were the "Saturday night flowers" - definitely not fresh - and the china & tablecloth are getting pretty worn out. Those contributed to my feeling that the "ambiance" was "eh." HOWEVER, our hard-pressed waitress was excellent, and my two guests enjoyed their salmon & jerk chicken. My own Salad Nicoise was fair. The biscuits were delicious, but on the cold side. The lemon dessert was excellent, but the cheesecake was only fair (not truly "Basque" or "Cajun").
It's always a great dining experience at Café Lily. From the unique menu to the exceptional service and the dynamic atmosphere, customers are always pleased.
Tony
My girlfriend and I had an underwhelming experience at Cafe Lily's brunch. I ordered an amaretto sour and I kid you not, it was 80% cube of ice, 10% froth, and 10% actual liquid. $14 for a block of ice and foam essentially. The mimosa my girlfriend ordered wasn't very good either. It tasted like a beer. We've had better at other brunch places. The lamb wrap was simply ok; it was something that I saw making myself at home. The crab cake benedict was very good though! The potatoes that came with both meals were good as well. I enjoyed how quiet it was! It was a great weather day and we sat outside. Some of the tables looked like they hadn't been wiped down because there was debris and pollen on some of the tables. It costed $75, and I believe it would've been money better spent elsewhere.
Oded
One of the best restaurants in Decatur. The food is excellent, the service very attentive, and the atmosphere is very relaxed. We will be back👍
Jeri
Axel our waitstaff was wonderful Very knowledgeable about the menu Gave us great suggestions
Susan
We know you will be very pleased with your visit to Cafe Lily in Decatur. The restaurant is lovely, the food is delicious and the service is top notch. You can't go wrong here!
The ambiance at Cafe Lily matches their terrific menu and excellent service. Great place for meeting up with friends or colleagues. I highly recommend to anyone who loves delicious fresh food and a stress free environment. Cafe Lily is high on my list!
We visited Café Lily for a special Father's Day lunch and unfortunately, the experience was a major letdown. While the food itself was good, the service completely ruined the occasion. Our reservation was confirmed for 2:45 PM via OpenTable, which makes no sense considering they shut down the kitchen and bar at 3:00. Why even offer a reservation time you can't honor full service properly? As soon as we arrived, the staff rushed us to order, creating an uncomfortable and pressured atmosphere. We tried to order more drinks, only to be told the bartender was already gone and wouldn't return until 5:00. That's beyond frustrating for any restaurant. If the kitchen and bar shut down at 3:00 PM, the last reservation should be no later than 1:00 PM—period. The staff's attitude was dismissive and unprofessional, making it clear they were ready to clock out and not interested in creating a positive guest experience. Bottom line: the food was solid, but the service was so poorly managed that we won't be back. One-time experience—unfortunately.
Always, always a pleasure dining here. My family and friends have been frequenting this establishment for 20 years and every milestone celebration, every holiday, every let's-catch-up dinner has been more than enjoyable. I can count on Cafe Lily to never disappoint. Thanks for making Father's Day/birthday recognition brunch 2025 amazing—and also working with our party of 8 to be seated indoors instead of outdoors. As an aside, thanks for also providing GF options as well as having staff knowledgeable enough to know to inquire if I had Celiac/allergy or if just a preference. It was additionally refreshing to see staff knowledgeable enough to know what options were GF or not.
Cafe Lily does not disappoint. The food and service are excellent. The staff makes sure everything is satisfactory. Reasonable prices and many menu choices. We have been dining at Cafe Lily for many years both brunch and dinner. Located in the heart of Decatur.
We were headed to a show at Eddie's Attic and decided to grab dinner here first. It was absolutely delicious and the service was great too. We'll definitely be doing this again in the future.
It hurts my heart to give Cafe Lily less than 5 stars. This has been a favorite place for our family for special occasions for years. (I remember when their location was a jewelry store...) While other members of my family have varied their culinary experiences, I always (and I mean ALWAYS) order the Pinchitos. This dish is (has been) a melt-in-your-mouth combination of lamb, potatoes, and green beans. So, I was so looking forward to our night out with friends -- we were the ones to suggest going to Cafe Lily. I suppose that partly because my expectations were so high, I was so very disappointed. The manager came out to apologize and comped the table dessert. However, I know it will be quite some time before I try Cafe Lily again :-(
Great dinner in a lively atmosphere! Every dish was delicious and presented by staff who care about the food and service, and they made sure we had everything we needed. Katie, one of the Lily owners, came by to talk with us and check on our table. We had gambas, falafel, pinchitos and salmon. All were terrific!
Cafe Lily is a consistently dependable restaurant offering deliciously prepared food, with a quiet and beautiful ambiance and great friendly service every time. This will always be one of our favorite Decatur restaurants.
Cafe Lily is consistently a great choice for nice dining experience. We were having a small family get-together and were seated in a little alcove-type, and thus quieter, area where we could easily enjoy good conversation. Everyone enjoyed their various selections — steak tartar, chicken piccata, scallops & risotto, lamb burger, pasta dish, etc. Very good service. Highly recommend!
Overall, pretty good. We went on a Sunday morning. So, the flowers were the "Saturday night flowers" - definitely not fresh - and the china & tablecloth are getting pretty worn out. Those contributed to my feeling that the "ambiance" was "eh." HOWEVER, our hard-pressed waitress was excellent, and my two guests enjoyed their salmon & jerk chicken. My own Salad Nicoise was fair. The biscuits were delicious, but on the cold side. The lemon dessert was excellent, but the cheesecake was only fair (not truly "Basque" or "Cajun").
Restaurantji Recommends
It's always a great dining experience at Café Lily. From the unique menu to the exceptional service and the dynamic atmosphere, customers are always pleased.
My girlfriend and I had an underwhelming experience at Cafe Lily's brunch. I ordered an amaretto sour and I kid you not, it was 80% cube of ice, 10% froth, and 10% actual liquid. $14 for a block of ice and foam essentially. The mimosa my girlfriend ordered wasn't very good either. It tasted like a beer. We've had better at other brunch places. The lamb wrap was simply ok; it was something that I saw making myself at home. The crab cake benedict was very good though! The potatoes that came with both meals were good as well. I enjoyed how quiet it was! It was a great weather day and we sat outside. Some of the tables looked like they hadn't been wiped down because there was debris and pollen on some of the tables. It costed $75, and I believe it would've been money better spent elsewhere.
One of the best restaurants in Decatur. The food is excellent, the service very attentive, and the atmosphere is very relaxed. We will be back👍
Axel our waitstaff was wonderful Very knowledgeable about the menu Gave us great suggestions
We know you will be very pleased with your visit to Cafe Lily in Decatur. The restaurant is lovely, the food is delicious and the service is top notch. You can't go wrong here!
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