Cafe Selmarie

Came here on a Sunday afternoon for brunch and was able to be seated very quickly. I ordered the corn beef hash with poached eggs. The corn beef was cooked perfectly and the poached eggs weren’t runny, bur a little more solid which I liked. My sister got the smoked salmon club and said it was very fresh and the salmon had a lot of flavor. This place is also known for their desserts but we did not get any!! I would def recommend this place for a quaint and delish brunch.

Chicken salad was very tasty with fresh cranberries! Very nice presentation too! The egg and bacon on croissant was nicely peppered but we both preferred the chicken salad for taste, texture, plentifulness. The bakery items make it a nice complement too! Really like this place!

I was in love with this place since I ate a chocolate cake some 21 yrs ago. Walking through the bakery to be seated , My hubby and I pick dessert before our dinner/breakfast/lunch. Food is great and service is awesome.

This European bakery and cafe once was a favorite of mine; but based on today's experience I have no desire to return. I arrived an hour ago and expected outside or inside seating but the hostess advised me that due to bad weather it was strictly inside seating with a 30 minute wait. Once I arrived on time I took note that only three tables for a single person were available and naturally I gravitate towards the window view but the hostess/owner lead me to an isolated table facing the kitchen area and toilet I asked for the nicer tiny table by the window but she said it was instead reserved for a much larger party coming in later and that they wanted to sit side by side. I took the lousy table ordered a mocha cake to celebrate part of my birthday and was presented with an extremely small portion. In the past the cake portions were so generous you would be unable to finish it but in this instance it was very tiny and obviously I wasn't thrilled. My server was decent but kept disappearing and once I finished my meal I absolutely couldn't wait to leave. During the pandemic I was loyal and ate outside but there seems to be a radical difference in the way they treat guests. I went to complain to the front counter and she was unapologetic that I had been lied to because only two people sat at the window table that I had wanted and I arrived 20 minutes before they did. It was a couple and they were treated with kindness and I was treated pretty awful. I took down my prior 5 star review from years ago because the quality of food and service no longer reflects 5 stars.

Omg, this place is very simple, but charming. I was there for dinner and brunch as well - both were great. Nothing extra special, but it’s very, very good. The people who work here are super nice and their desserts are just beyond fantastic! The location is really nice - if you get to sit outside, it’s very relaxing. Highly recommended!

What a great dining experience. We got there in time to have breakfast for lunch so i had the corned beef hash & it was great. My mother in law had the crab cake special & couldn't say enough about how tasty it was. Staff provided outstanding service. And that pastry case...can't wait to try everything in it.

This place is such a gem. The staff is lovely and the food is always good. But my main reason for posting is because of their Florentines. If you've ever had the "spa bars" from the Peninsula Spa, these are just as good. I had to try one and was not disappointed.

Throughout the past five years, I've eaten here over two dozen times and I can honestly say that I've never had a bad meal, and my limited experience with their bakery goods also falls in line with everything being fresh and tasty. Only complaints are the limited seating inside which has gotten worse over the years and getting less for what you pay for, but that last one is more a sign of the times, and if that's what it takes for them to stay in business, it's all good.

I came here for the first time and I am not disappointed! I tried their almond cake with a latte and it’s is amazing! The inside is super soft and the outside is crunchy and crumbly. Plus there’s a little surprise: it has a thin layer of jam. Amazing slice of cake! I am very excited to come back and try more items from their menu!

Cafe Selmarie is probably the best brunch spot in Lincoln Square. I go with the Pesto & Eggs 80% of the time but I've tried the smoked Salmon Breakfast, Selmarie Benedict, Corned Beef Hash and recently the Tomato Bisque, and I have always been very happy. First of all, Cafe Selmarie is a brunch restaurant that switches to a dinner restaurant midday, but it is also a walk-in cafe and a delicious confectionary bakery. They have a great breakfast/lunch and dinner menu, but if you just want a canoli, a slice of cake, a chocolate chip cookie or a cappucino - they got you covered, baby! Second, though Selmarie is a fantastic spot to visit any time of year, in the warmer months you can enjoy their large and beautiful patio which sits right on Lincoln Square's Giddings Plaza and has a great view of the fountain and all of the community activity that goes on here. The service is always spot on. I've been very annoying and sat at this restaurant for two and a half hours ordering mimosas one at a time and the servers were always very friendly about it, never trying to push my party to settle up and go so that they could flip the table. The prices are not cheap but the food is not cheap either, so you get what you pay for. The coffee tends to be a little bit on the sour side for my tastes but still among some of the better coffee in the neighborhood. They have an assortment of condoments, however only tabasco and cholula as hot sauce picks, and I wish they had a Frenk's type Louisiana style hot sauce as a third option. If you want a table, you have to go in, there are no phone reservations. If capacity is full, they will ask for your number, put you on a list, and you get a link texted to you where you can see your position on the waitlist. At this point you can walk around and check in. They'll text you when your table is ready and you will have ten minutes to return with your whole party and be seated. I've never waited longer than 30 minutes even though they have quoted me 45 at times. I can't say enough about this location. Inside or out, brunch or dinner, as a carry out bakery and coffee shop, summer or winter, I have always had a great experience here, and I think you will too.