Le Petit Cafe

Jess woke me up and reminded me of our brunch date, so I started scouring the internet for somewhere that had cheap breakfast in my favorite part of Brooklyn - Carroll Gardens. I settled on Le Petit Cafe, and I'm so glad I did. We went in and were a tad confused - it was super small and looked like a place that you just order at the counter and then sit down and wait. But then the waitress pointed us to the back...to probably one of the most magical places I had ever seen. It was a huge "backyard" patio, complete with an outdoor fireplace, cobblestone floor, a fountain, a garden, and, of course, gnats (which ended up not being a huge deal).

I was craving my standard brunch - french toast and eggs. I was elated to find that they had both and it was cheap ($5.95 for the french toast, and $3.50 for eggs, home fries, and bacon). The french toast was absolutely delicious - soft melt-in-your-mouth egg-coated thick cut french toast. The eggs and bacon were a little weak, but the home fries were absolutely yummy, made with peppers, onions and a bit of thyme. I was also craving lemonade, which surprisingly they had and I was so excited.

My only complaint was the service. It was terrible. There was no one to direct traffic (you seat yourself) and it was hard to get the wait staff's attention. When you finally did get their attention though, they were pretty nice. To be honest, it might not be worth it unless you have a lot of patience and time on your side, and the food isn't necessarily that fantastic. However, it's really pretty in there, so it might be worth it. And there's apparently a Le Petit Cafe in Soho, but I'm not sure it's the same owners (that one apparently sucks a lot more). - Jennifer

I will most likely return to Le Petit Cafe at some point, and for the following reasons: it is standard breahfast/brunch fair, which honestly is what I want at breakfast/brunch time. Also, as Jennifer pointed out, the setting is so so nice. It's a little like eating in a really fancy green house. And lastly, the food is pretty good and so are the prices. I felt like I should have paid a lot more judging by the surroundings alone, but I only paid $3 for 2 eggs and sausage on a roll. Deal!

The menu included all kinds of egg dishes (sandwiches, benedict, etc), french toast, pancakes, a large variety of paninis, granola, soups, salads, and lots to drink-- smoothies, juices, beers, sodas, etc. I will most likely return when I have a visitor, as anyone could find something to their taste here.

The service was slow and sparse, but I wouldn't go here for table service if you were in a hurry anyway. It's much better to sit and enjoy the covered patio in the back. Isn't brunching about relaxing, anyway? -Laurel



Address: 502 Court St. near 5th St (Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn)

Website: http://nymag.com/listings/restaurant/le-petit-cafe/

Payment: Cash, Cards

Take Out: Yes

Open Late: 10:30 Mon-Sat, earlier Sun

Delivery: No

Large Group Friendly: Yes

Bar/Happy Hour: Some beers and such, no actual bar