Cafe Poetes

We went there today for the first time. As a French, I tend to be super picky about these "French" places that are popping all over Houston. This one is really awesome! The food menu is creative and really tempting, we tried two tartines (prosciutto and avocado) and they were both delicious. Pretty large portions so the price/quantity ratio is good too. We tried the brie quiche and that was special because it reminded me exactly of the taste of home food. The decoration of the place is a bit too French for me hahaha but it is pleasant and my American friend loved it. Service has to be mentioned as well: both waiters and the couple that owns the place were all very attentive and spent time at all tables to make sure everyone was satisfied. Excellent service that reminds me of French hospitality and attention to details. TL;DR: Cool place, good food, go there already.

Cafe Poetes is a quaint, charming Parisian café that has been thoughtfully crafted from the decor, furniture, ambience, and menu. As a French cuisine lover, there's nothing better than a well executed eclair with the perfect flakiness of the choux balanced by the savory filling of mushrooms, ham, and gruyere. We also tried the beet gazpacho which seems a bit too thick to be considered a soup, but the mingling flavors of the beets, tomatoes, balsamic, and goat cheese were classically delicious. One thing I will note is that we went at the end of September and the Spring menu had not been updated so there were multiple things on the menu that were not available like the traditional quiche Lorraine, which was disappointing. Other than that, I can't wait to come back to try their Afternoon Tea!

My new favorite Houston cafe!! The staff was great, the quiche Lorraine was the best thing I’ve ever had, the eclairs are out of this world, and the lavender latte fixed all of my problems. Love this place so much!

Finally Houston has a French cafe that offers delicious dishes with style ! Beautiful inside out and very attentative staff taking care of you all the time. I loved their croissant, quiche and lavender pistachio choux was heavenly ! A must try!

The coffee: The cortado is okay. It's pretty creamy and milky and bland. It has fruity notes which is a nice change of pace since most places kind of pass that point and go right to being too beany. Overall, it just left me wanting since the flavors were not as bold as I would like. They also serve wine and some sweet and savory eclairs. The service: Also a bit average when I was there, but it is a new place. There didn't seem to be good coordination between the person taking orders and the person making the drinks and serving. We were told that we would just be under the same name since we were at the same table. That makes sense. When the server came out with my drink, she picked up our little name card and asked if we were waiting on anything. Our response was yes since we were waiting on the second drink that was supposed to be on the same name. She then said something like no that's under another name, ran over to the register to check, and then said it's coming, and then she just walked off. It wasn't a bad interaction per se, but it could have been handled better in my opinion. It was a very lackluster experience, but, again, this is a pretty new place. They were friendly enough. The shop: It is very cute. It achieved the French vibe it was going for from before you even walk in, with music playing outside and the sort of cafe style outdoor seating. The inside had a very clean, organized clutter kind of feel. There are also lots of books to read and fresh flowers decorating the place. I think the greatest achievement of this place is the atmosphere it creates, which is pretty unique in the Houston coffeeshop scene. There's also parking which is a big plus in this area. The bottom line: It's a great place, especially if you don't want to be bothered with a lot of young people. It has a bit of a more sophisticated feel with decent enough coffee. Being in my twenties, I may wait a while to come back.