Cafe Estelle

Because Cafe Estelle is already one of the highest regarded brunch spots in the city, I went there skeptical. It couldn't be that good, right? Even with my skepticism and high standards in tow, I left impressed.

I hit up Estelle with my friend Holly. We rode our bikes down to this spot, which is weirdly tucked under the 444 lofts on north 4th st. Estelle packs a good amount of tables into an open room with some cool wall decorations and modern loft type construction. Even on a Sunday around noon, it didn't have an unreasonable wait. Under twenty minutes, and once we were seated we had great service for our whole meal. Despite the fact that there was steady business, the servers didn't seem to be frazzled or rushing anyone.

The coffee was probably my favorite part of the experience. When you order, the server brings a mug and you're allowed to hit up the coffee bar, which has four different blends from around the globe. All fair trade and organic; you can try them all until you leave. Also, iced coffee is bottomless as well. I can't remember if I've ever had a brunch place offer that. To top it off, they offered us to-go cups for the rest of our drinks as we were leaving. These facts alone are enough to make me like, but not love, Cafe Estelle.

The food was excellent. The menu had a good mix of sweet and savory brunch dishes. I had shirred eggs, soft cooked eggs with truffle oil, mushrooms and spinach while Holly had a great looking omelet. The portions seem to be just right for a nice brunch. All of the food that I saw coming out around me looked really good, especially the french toast. There were easily a few things that I wanted to try when I was looking over the menu. $12 steak and eggs surely tempted me.

Bottom line: I can't exactly place while I liked this place so much. It was a beautiful day out, and the coffee was great, and our server was super cute (call me), but really, Estelle has a good grasp on every single aspect of breakfast making. And when you combine all of them together, Estelle manages to be a excellent spot. I will definitely be making regular stops here, and expect is to have wait times approaching Sabrina's in the near future. Estelle also has a great to-go menu and a buy 10 get one free coffee punch card.

Essentials:
444 N 4th St (4th between Spring Garden and Callowhill)
(215) 925-5080
Avg Ent: 8-12
Cash Only: No
Reservations: No
BOYB: Yes