I feel so fortunate I had the opportunity to enjoy this welcoming, charming and visually beautiful French Cafe and Patisserie in the center of downtown Evanston. I feel the staff here was welcoming and everyone here was a highly skilled barista. The spicy chai here was so rich and delicious with oat milk I had to order 2 glasses! I started out with two delicious macarons with chai and found the sandwiches behind the glass cases to be too tempting to pass up. I chose the roast beef with garlic spread heated up and definitely savored every decadent bite of meat and toasty baguette. You can purchase chocolates here and other unique French candies. The decor here is elaborate and cozy with tables and couches so that you can relax quietly with your laptop or slouch down into a comfy couch. I couldn't imagine a better place to savor a light lunch, coffee or pastry. If I lived in Evanston I'd be here every day!
Judith Sayad
Great place. Wonderful pastries. Nice and bright. Very adult but welcoming to children. So glad to have you in tge neoghborbood
Jeremy L.
The cafe reached out to us and was sincere in making up for what happened.
Jeremy Leib
The atmosphere and food is great! Unfortunately, we experienced a serious problem with the service when we were there in mid-May 2019. We ordered our food, and everything was ready in a reasonable amount of time except for one item. I asked about it. The workers apologized that they had overlooked it and said they would get started on it right away. Over the next hour, I went up every 15 minutes to ask about the item and had to explain the whole situation over again. Each time the worker apologized and said they would start on it immediately. Finally we got it an hour later. No compensation for their oversight was offered.
Fred Anzevino
Comfortable environment-pleasant staff-nice variety of pastries- croissants and hot and cold drinks
Younsoo F.
My all time favorite french cafe in Chicago!! Try their croissants - regular one is great but their almond chocolate one is too die for!!! I love the elegant ambience too.
Jack F.
Classy, peaceful, unique, atmospheric and delicious. THE best cafe in Chicago except it's not in Chicago (technically). Don't be fooled by the hipness of the greatly inferior competition. The coffee and baked goods here are as good as it gets.
Linda R.
This was a good location to meet my friend, and having been to their first location which is ok (generally overrated, but ok) we decided to go there for coffee and small bites. We selected 1 savory to share and 1 sweet to share. We went to take a seat on the comfortable couches in the window but were told those seats were reserved. We sat at a less comfortable high top. The coffee was fine, which is the reason they get even 1 star. We were served the sweet but the clerk had completely forgotten the savory which she had popped into the microwave, I had to go seek it out. It was rather dry and not terribly tasty, the sweet croissant was tasty (I guess maybe another star might be merited for that). In the 45 or so minutes that we were there no one came in to sit at the supposedly reserved seats. I think they are "reserved" for larger parties and we were just 2 people. Honestly, being the civilized folks that we are, if I larger party had come in we'd have given up our seats to them. I don't see the harm in us sitting there considering there was plenty of other seating. Possibly signage on the table stating, "please consider this seating for larger groups" would solve the problem. So, 1 star redacted for that...back to the 1 star rating. I hope they resolve the issues that I mentioned so that the Howard Street corridor continues to be successful.
Trisha A.
A cute shop stumbled upon in Evanston. I enjoyed the French décor and macarons but some things were lacking. I ordered the pistachio and chocolate macarons. They were a good size for the price and were tasty. My friend ordered a latte. It came in a glass, which was odd, but did come with a sleeve. My friend said it wasn't too hot, which in this case isn't good because it could've been gulped down in a few minutes. A mug would have been more fitting. The layout of the café was pretty and had potential. Although there wasn't enough seating for bigger groups unless you were by the front. We also sat in a love seat which was hard to talk to each other side by side. The alternative was sitting across e/o but the space between each love seat and the table in the middle was far too much to have a good conversation.
James B.
I received an email from Travelzoo stating "Celebrate Mother's Day with tea and pastries....". I called Cafe Coralie to see if they had availability and that I would be using the travelzoo voucher I'd be purchasing once they confirmed they had a reservation available. Cafe Coralie told me they did at 3pm on Mother's Day so I immediately purchased the voucher. Today someone from the cafe called to tell me the voucher was not good for Mother's Day. I said the ad specifically stated "Celebrate Mother's Day...." and this misleading approach did not reflect well on the cafe. The person blamed the mixup on travelzoo! I pointed out that I'd have to imagine a company would review a travelzoo ad for accuracy before approving. The conversation went nowhere so I asked for a refund. The person said I would have to go through travelzoo. Unbelievable! Where has the concept of service gone in this world?! High tea = highly treated in a snobbish manner. This coming from me, a guy from England! I'd rather spend $100 on PG Tips and a sleeve of McVitie's disgestables. May be why no one ever equates high tea and French dining.
It is a lovely cafe . I enjoyed myself very much. Every season they have a special $1 . I haven't had them, but I'm going to go because they look beautiful. The pastries that I've gotten from there has been 5 stars. I hope you go check it out.
Zack R.
Love Cafe Coralie so much -- I recently read an article that listed the best croissants in Chicago and was shocked when this place wasn't on the list, maybe because "technically" it's Evanston? Regardless, it's in a super quiet location on Howard Street right on the cusp of "Chicago proper." It's a super excellent place to sit and write (as I am now) or work if that's your vibe. Constant stream of people on the weekends but never overly busy like some of the cafes in the city. Super clean, very Parisian and cute. Smells so good and you can actually see the bakers baking croissants and pastries when you order. Croissants are on another level, so good and flaky in the best way. Drinks are super good and cheap as well - $8 for a latte (french style) and a croissant/danish? Quiche is super good too, probably the best I've has.SOLD. Lastly, there are imported French goods so that's fun and the macarons are some of the best I've had. Staff is lovely!
MICHAEL JAMES SCHRAM
From Cafe Coralie on Howard Street, a most pleasant experience. Try at least once a week to visit with a dear friend. The owner, customer associates and coffee and treats make for a great 'experience in Paris' .
Madison O.
A cute French bakery on Howard Street?! Why yes, Cafe Coralie, the French bakery I've seen so many times in downtown Evanston also has a shop on Howard. Walking in at 10:30am on a Sunday there were a few groups of ladies chatting over coffee. I ordered a chocolate almond croissant and coffee, connected to their free WiFi and got some work done. I loved that they had macaroons to sample at the register and offered free coffee refills! It's a good place to get work done and I look forward to returning to try more of their bakery items!
Amy H.
I didn't expect to find such a cute, pretty, clean cafe in this not-the-best neighborhood in Chicago (across a Popeyes). I walked in on a Sunday morning, and I had a very pleasant time catching up with a friend and also got some work done. The drip coffee was great, with free refills. I was craving a savory croissant, and the ham and cheese croissant was delicious. They also have other dessert and food items, such as savory or sweet croissants, macarons, muffins, quiches, etc. that are made by a French chef. They have coffee beans and french goods (chocolate powder, cookies, truffles...) for purchase on the side. There is plenty of seating and cute cookware-inspired decorations on the wall. I would definitely come back here for a relaxing, productive, croissant-filled morning!
I feel so fortunate I had the opportunity to enjoy this welcoming, charming and visually beautiful French Cafe and Patisserie in the center of downtown Evanston. I feel the staff here was welcoming and everyone here was a highly skilled barista. The spicy chai here was so rich and delicious with oat milk I had to order 2 glasses! I started out with two delicious macarons with chai and found the sandwiches behind the glass cases to be too tempting to pass up. I chose the roast beef with garlic spread heated up and definitely savored every decadent bite of meat and toasty baguette. You can purchase chocolates here and other unique French candies. The decor here is elaborate and cozy with tables and couches so that you can relax quietly with your laptop or slouch down into a comfy couch. I couldn't imagine a better place to savor a light lunch, coffee or pastry. If I lived in Evanston I'd be here every day!
Great place. Wonderful pastries. Nice and bright. Very adult but welcoming to children. So glad to have you in tge neoghborbood
The cafe reached out to us and was sincere in making up for what happened.
The atmosphere and food is great! Unfortunately, we experienced a serious problem with the service when we were there in mid-May 2019. We ordered our food, and everything was ready in a reasonable amount of time except for one item. I asked about it. The workers apologized that they had overlooked it and said they would get started on it right away. Over the next hour, I went up every 15 minutes to ask about the item and had to explain the whole situation over again. Each time the worker apologized and said they would start on it immediately. Finally we got it an hour later. No compensation for their oversight was offered.
Comfortable environment-pleasant staff-nice variety of pastries- croissants and hot and cold drinks
My all time favorite french cafe in Chicago!! Try their croissants - regular one is great but their almond chocolate one is too die for!!! I love the elegant ambience too.
Classy, peaceful, unique, atmospheric and delicious. THE best cafe in Chicago except it's not in Chicago (technically). Don't be fooled by the hipness of the greatly inferior competition. The coffee and baked goods here are as good as it gets.
This was a good location to meet my friend, and having been to their first location which is ok (generally overrated, but ok) we decided to go there for coffee and small bites. We selected 1 savory to share and 1 sweet to share. We went to take a seat on the comfortable couches in the window but were told those seats were reserved. We sat at a less comfortable high top. The coffee was fine, which is the reason they get even 1 star. We were served the sweet but the clerk had completely forgotten the savory which she had popped into the microwave, I had to go seek it out. It was rather dry and not terribly tasty, the sweet croissant was tasty (I guess maybe another star might be merited for that). In the 45 or so minutes that we were there no one came in to sit at the supposedly reserved seats. I think they are "reserved" for larger parties and we were just 2 people. Honestly, being the civilized folks that we are, if I larger party had come in we'd have given up our seats to them. I don't see the harm in us sitting there considering there was plenty of other seating. Possibly signage on the table stating, "please consider this seating for larger groups" would solve the problem. So, 1 star redacted for that...back to the 1 star rating. I hope they resolve the issues that I mentioned so that the Howard Street corridor continues to be successful.
A cute shop stumbled upon in Evanston. I enjoyed the French décor and macarons but some things were lacking. I ordered the pistachio and chocolate macarons. They were a good size for the price and were tasty. My friend ordered a latte. It came in a glass, which was odd, but did come with a sleeve. My friend said it wasn't too hot, which in this case isn't good because it could've been gulped down in a few minutes. A mug would have been more fitting. The layout of the café was pretty and had potential. Although there wasn't enough seating for bigger groups unless you were by the front. We also sat in a love seat which was hard to talk to each other side by side. The alternative was sitting across e/o but the space between each love seat and the table in the middle was far too much to have a good conversation.
I received an email from Travelzoo stating "Celebrate Mother's Day with tea and pastries....". I called Cafe Coralie to see if they had availability and that I would be using the travelzoo voucher I'd be purchasing once they confirmed they had a reservation available. Cafe Coralie told me they did at 3pm on Mother's Day so I immediately purchased the voucher. Today someone from the cafe called to tell me the voucher was not good for Mother's Day. I said the ad specifically stated "Celebrate Mother's Day...." and this misleading approach did not reflect well on the cafe. The person blamed the mixup on travelzoo! I pointed out that I'd have to imagine a company would review a travelzoo ad for accuracy before approving. The conversation went nowhere so I asked for a refund. The person said I would have to go through travelzoo. Unbelievable! Where has the concept of service gone in this world?! High tea = highly treated in a snobbish manner. This coming from me, a guy from England! I'd rather spend $100 on PG Tips and a sleeve of McVitie's disgestables. May be why no one ever equates high tea and French dining.
Restaurantji Recommends
It is a lovely cafe . I enjoyed myself very much. Every season they have a special $1 . I haven't had them, but I'm going to go because they look beautiful. The pastries that I've gotten from there has been 5 stars. I hope you go check it out.
Love Cafe Coralie so much -- I recently read an article that listed the best croissants in Chicago and was shocked when this place wasn't on the list, maybe because "technically" it's Evanston? Regardless, it's in a super quiet location on Howard Street right on the cusp of "Chicago proper." It's a super excellent place to sit and write (as I am now) or work if that's your vibe. Constant stream of people on the weekends but never overly busy like some of the cafes in the city. Super clean, very Parisian and cute. Smells so good and you can actually see the bakers baking croissants and pastries when you order. Croissants are on another level, so good and flaky in the best way. Drinks are super good and cheap as well - $8 for a latte (french style) and a croissant/danish? Quiche is super good too, probably the best I've has.SOLD. Lastly, there are imported French goods so that's fun and the macarons are some of the best I've had. Staff is lovely!
From Cafe Coralie on Howard Street, a most pleasant experience. Try at least once a week to visit with a dear friend. The owner, customer associates and coffee and treats make for a great 'experience in Paris' .
A cute French bakery on Howard Street?! Why yes, Cafe Coralie, the French bakery I've seen so many times in downtown Evanston also has a shop on Howard. Walking in at 10:30am on a Sunday there were a few groups of ladies chatting over coffee. I ordered a chocolate almond croissant and coffee, connected to their free WiFi and got some work done. I loved that they had macaroons to sample at the register and offered free coffee refills! It's a good place to get work done and I look forward to returning to try more of their bakery items!
I didn't expect to find such a cute, pretty, clean cafe in this not-the-best neighborhood in Chicago (across a Popeyes). I walked in on a Sunday morning, and I had a very pleasant time catching up with a friend and also got some work done. The drip coffee was great, with free refills. I was craving a savory croissant, and the ham and cheese croissant was delicious. They also have other dessert and food items, such as savory or sweet croissants, macarons, muffins, quiches, etc. that are made by a French chef. They have coffee beans and french goods (chocolate powder, cookies, truffles...) for purchase on the side. There is plenty of seating and cute cookware-inspired decorations on the wall. I would definitely come back here for a relaxing, productive, croissant-filled morning!