Café de Lion

This place is so cute. My favorite thing was the rose matcha, followed by the green tea/​earl grey tea mousse pastry. The prices are a little high, but the quality is certainly there. Great place for a little tea and snack. I would totally go back.

I want to go back…
for their royal tea, and their cakes and their cakes, and their cakes (heart).
Their cakes are leaning a bit towards to asian side, but has enough of the western dessert flavor, that you get the best of both worlds. The uniquness, flavors, and ingredients used in an asian dessert, with it still being a sugary, chocolatey dessert. Ok i don’t know if that made any sense at all. but i do urge everyone to go try :)
Pricier than the average cake shop, I think its wonderful pick me upper, especially if you’re on that side of town, on a sunny lovely day. Or a romantic rainy day in typical Seattle.
Service was top notch, and über friendly.
Can’t wait to return :)

YUMMIIINENSSSSSSSS…
The two desserts I tried here were amazing, and the Japanese owner was very friendly. Apparently, it’s his wife who makes all the desserts and he’s the one who sells them :)
Definitely worth stopping by. Not for big groups though…

I just went to café de lion today with a friend of mine but our intentions was to just buy some chocolates at chocopolis. While walking to our destination, we saw the café and had to go in. The café was very cute and elegant. It was extremely hard to decide which pastry we wanted to enjoy because they all looked aesthetically beautiful. We ended up getting the today’s special which I’m not quite sure what it was but it was DELICIOUS. It wasn’t too sweet and was pleasingly light. it was so good I had to give my compliments to the chef. I am very happy I stopped by!

Lovely ambience and super friendly service here! The macarons here are delicious. Tried the salted caramel and loved every bite! It has a semi-​chewy texture and the salted caramel flavor is out of this world. Not too salty and you really can taste the caramelized sugar.
We also ordered a slice of the caramel apple cake. The apple on top was sweet & tasty but you couldn’t taste much caramel in the cake. The cake is light & airy which I’m not a fan of but it is very popular here. Beautiful presentation and well put together.
We wanted to try other cake flavors but when we arrived there were only 2 slices left. The owner recommended us to call in next time to reserve cake slices. When you look in the pastry case, he leaves aside a handful of cakes that people phoned in to reserve.

I know I must have passed by this little café numerous times without giving it a second glance, I blush as I write this, until recently.
I met up with a fellow Unilocaler friend to share in some of the beautifully merged Japanese-​French pastries and it was divine!
Café de Lion seems to have more of an ‘insider’ crowd, the regulars which adds to the atmosphere and that these people have an appreciation for a heavenly made macaron! I happily partook in sampling a salted caramel, matcha green tea, and early grey macaron and let me tell you, crispy moist perfection! Each of the flavors were well brought out and yet delicate, and not overtly sweet like most Japanese confections.
The shop inside is very small and intimate with dark walls and plushy seating, that would make for one sweet date.

They have the best macroons in Seattle! I’ve been there twice and both times the macroons were delicious. I didn’t get to try any of the other things they offered tho.

I love their pastries as well as lunch menu!
They don’t have extensive lunch menu because they focus on pastries/​desserts, but they still have good lobster bisque and now serve tasty beef curry with brown rice!
I ordered one of their Christmas cakes this year (Bûche de Noël). It was covered with light chocolate cream with beautiful decorations. Inside was moist sponge with chestnut cream. It was about $ 45, which was worth for a special occasion.
It’s very small café with nice atmosphere. They sometime close earlier when they run out of their pasties. Again, it’s not big pastry shop, so I recommend you to call in a head if you want certain cakes for sure. They can hold cakes for you.

Great Soup, awesome bread and an amazing twice baked croissant. Coffee is from Olympia Roasting the taste was on the sour side. could be something up with the temp of the beautiful gb5 or the timing of the shots.

I love desserts. I love Japan. I love desserts that incorporate a fusion of French techniques and Japanese flavors. Café de Lion is certainly a novelty in its own right located in Queen Anne.
The shop is eloquently decorated with antique-​esque Parisian furniture and a quiet flare of sophistication and grace.
My brother and I ventured upon this place a couple hours after noon and the selection of desserts were few and due to demands, reserved by request. Nevertheless, it didn’t deter us from ordering a treat.
I had a dessert called Hoji, which is a chocolate mousse with a roasted matcha center, dusted with cocoa powder; underneath: a tart cookie. The petite dessert had a quality of decadence, finely crafted to convey the masterful techniques honed to complete the well-​rounded flavors and ethereal presentation.
My brother ordered an Americano as well as the Matcha Pudding, which was served in a quaint little jar. The dessert was refreshing especially on a hot day, and the Americano was perfectly crafted.
One thing I would like to point out is their excellent service and proper etiquette, providing customers with hot towels before serving the desserts, a custom that ubiquitous in Japanese culture.
Quiet, quaint, with all the quintessential aspects of a Parisian café, Café de Lion is worth a second visit, plus many more. Whether you’re in the area or not, make an excuse for a visit because you’re not going to regret it, I promise.

Here I am, in the small minority giving this place 4 stars. My friend and I came here for lunch/​dessert during a weekday.
As soon as I walked in, I noticed how cute this place is! It’s Paris-​themed all the way down to the napkins!
The lunch menu isn’t too big but I realize that their thing is desserts. I ordered the croque tuna and my friend ordered the lobster bisque. So all meals come with a salad and just to warn vegetarians/​pescatarians, it comes with bacon bits! Luckily, he made mine first so I gave it to my friend and had him make me a new one without bacon bits so nothing was wasted. We got a free cup of lobster bisque and it was delicious and led to my friend ordering it. Her lobster bisque came with a piece of real lobster, caviar and a baguette she described as «amazing.» My sandwich also came with caviar and the sandwich and salad were a nice light lunch. I like these little gourmet touches they put on it.
For dessert, I had an apple-​apricot pastry in a log shape (Can’t remember the name) and my friend had the mille feuilles. I liked my pastry and my friend said hers was really good.
I’ll def have to come back and try the special walnut dessert.
I liked this place. It’s very cute and the owner was nice. The prices were a little high. The hours are a little inconvenient since they close as soon as they sell out which is usually around 3 or 4pm. I’d come back for dessert or a snack.

Best kept secret café in Seattle! Aside from the gorgeous designer pastries and stellar coffee, try the lobster bisque with caviar & fresh dill. Dreamy.

Service is great. The pastry is French with Japanese influence. Their macarons are not like the Parisian kind with crispy shells that crack like an egg shell. However, the other fusion cakes are decent. The place is somewhat pricey.

Every single thing I’ve had from Café de Lion has been super. Cakes, confections, and things I don’t have words for. Like a raspberry meringue sandwich with coated Crème brûlée filling. What do you call that? It’s OK if you don’t know what to call it, just point and pay and it’s yours.
Prices are not low, and the worker/​proprietor seems oddly standoffish, but these are minor quibbles when compared to the quality, taste and presentation of the food here.
Beware: closed Monday and Tuesday!

This place is absolutely fabulous! They make about 5 or 6 different kinds of dessert a day in small quantities (like 4 of each kind) so once they are sold out they go ahead and close their doors! So make sure you get your order in as soon as they post the picture menu for the day on Facebook (usually around 11:30 AM).
They also take orders over the phone so you can reserve your sweets ;)
Their desserts are beautifully presented and full of details. You can tell that time and effort was put into each one of them and they all were made with love.
When you take a bite of their dessert you experience a balance of all the ingredients and no flavor overpowers the others. Oh lord, I love this place…
Boyfriend is not a big fan of sweets in general but he goes BANANAS over their French macaroons.
Give Café de Lion a shot!

We popped in here for dessert after dinner last night, and I am so glad that we did! Walking in, it is a Francophile’s dream. Paris everywhere in the small, two-​table + bar space. It is charming and unpretentious, and they routinely run out of pastries (it’s a husband and wife operation) so definitely check their Facebook page for up-​to-​the-​moment updates.
The Japanese-​French combination of flavors in the pastries is wonderful — last night was our first encounter but I am sure we’ll be back many times — there are so many tempting things to try! Upon walking in, the owner let us know that there were four pastries left — two slices of rare mango cheesecake, a pistachio confection and a tiramisu. My friend and I are both suckers for tiramisu, so we snapped that up as well as the pistachio pastry. Settling in at the bar, we ordered two decaf mochas and just took a moment to soak in our surroundings. Lovely!
I am generally more about the taste than the presentation, but the two desserts were both not only beautifully turned out but delicious as well. Our mochas arrived with a gorgeous chocolate-​detailed design on top and were perfectly yummy. To top it off, we had a nice chat with the owner and it was a perfect finish to our evening.
I’ll be back soon!

Let me first just list out the non-​food-​related Pro’s, because when I get to talking about the pastries and sweets here, it’s OVER.
+ They give you warm hand towels. So Japanese, so legit.
+ French jazz pop ragtime oldtimey tunes in the background.
+ Owner Daïs is a pleasant friendly and welcoming fella.
+ Lovely seating space
+ Doesn’t apply to me, but they give little kids free chocolate milk.
Alright you ready to talk about the sweets now?
No, wait, I need to talk about the coffee.
They have all kinds of pour over methods here, using silver filters made by the one and only and local Kaffeologie.
Japanese cold brew method, too, with a big fancy tower.
OK, now, these sweets, let me tell you, for someone who does not normally love or crave sweet things, their level of sweet is hitting that Brix* (see footnote) spot on.
The Mont Blanc is probably what they’re best known for. They sell out fast. People pre-​order them or come here early in the morning. I don’t live around here, and don’t like getting up early, so I thought there’s no way I’d ever score one of these magical unicorn-​like-​elusive sweet cornucopia.
That changed today. Someone had cancelled on their order, or their order got messed up, or who the blanc cares. I’m eating this leftover singular Mont Blanc.
This version has: sweet potato, chocolate, Okinawan sugar (which is the main sweetener they use for most), cinnamon and spices on the outside, fresh cream filling with a raspberry (singular).
Their macaroons are to die for, as well. As are all the other sweets here I’ve tried.
Word of caution:
When you sit on the chair right in front of the cashier, be careful when you’re getting up not to hit the lion head mounted on the wall right above you.
—
*Brix is a level of sweetness. Aw heck, i’ll let Wikipedia explain it. «Degrees Brix (symbol °Bx) is the sugar content of an aqueous solution.
One degree Brix is 1 gram of sucrose in 100 grams of solution and represents the strength of the solution as percentage by weight»
It is monitored by the International Commission for Uniform Methods of Sugar Analysis, or ICUMSA.
Yes, you heard that right.

D-​E-​L-​I-​C-​I-​O-​U-​S!
–Dessert: Mt. Blanc
–Dessert: Mousse Cake
–Drinks: Blue Mt and Ice Coffee
–Tips: Call @ 11AM to reserve your cakes!
Overall, a nice little place with 2 tables. The chef will also come out to talk to you if it is not too busy. I like the personal touch alot.

I think I’ve just discovered THE BEST pastry boutique in Seattle. Hands down. Your search ends here. Stop going anywhere else because you’ve found your number one lunch and brunch destination.
I first visited on a brisk Sunday morning in the fall. Clear skies and autumn leaves made for the perfect backdrop to this tiny shop located on the main street of Queen Anne. The owners of this place are Japanese so you’ll find a fusion of distinctly Japanese tastes and French technique.
Side note: the owners named this place after their son Leon. Leon’s Café = Café de Lion — close enough.
We explicitly came in for the Mont Blanc pasty which apparently sells out within an hour each day. I saw they had like 10 on reserve by people who called in. The pastry itself was relatively cheap ~ $ 6ish. The process for making a Mont Blanc requires a chestnut that takes a year to reach a precise taste. I like rarity so it became a must-​have. Very worth it. Absolutely delicious.
As for their general pastry selection, it changes daily. You’ll always be in for a pleasant surprise.
Some other things my group ordered: Pomegranate White Tea ($ 2.5), Croque Portobello ($ 8), Croque Tuna ($ 8), Lobster Tomato Bisque Soup ($ 11). Everything was amazing, and all food came garnished with a teaspoon of caviar. Classy.
Any croque item refers to a twist on the classic croque monsieur, a French ham & cheese sandwich layered with béchamel sauce. In particular, the CROQUE PORTOBELLO is a must-​order. Mushroom slices laced with raspberry: who’d a thunk it?
Overall, the prices were very fair; the locally-​owned, small biz feel was very cozy; and the ambiance was like a Parisian salon reminiscent of Ladurée Paris for those who’ve been. The result is a resounding five stars for Café de Lion.

Their sign, which says «luxury pastry boutique» caught my eye. I wondered what luxury pastries were… Café De Lion has fancy looking individual sized cakes, homemade luxury jams, macarons, madeleines, cannelles, muffins, quiche, coffee, and tea. The inside looks like a Parisian café with a fancy coffee/​tea bar and a macaron tree. Some of the pastries have some Japanese influence (e.g., green tea Madeleine). They don’t have much in terms of quantity (but that’s consistent with a luxury boutique). Expect the selection to vary from day to day.
* Strawberry macaron: quite sweet, chewy macaron, creamy filling, not much strawberry flavor
* Cannelle: very creamy, custardy and moist inside; firm, caramelized exterior, delicious
* Green tea madeleine: moist, firm, plump, but the green tea madeleine didn’t have much green tea flavor
I was surprised they didn’t have luxury shopping bags… but maybe they do now. It’s a must for a luxury pastry boutique.

I had anxiously been waiting to try this place since they opened and, after two failed attempts (stopping by when they were closed), I finally made it and it was well worth the wait. I’ve always been a fan of French/​Japanese bakeries and this one is definitely one of the better ones. For those not familiar with this type of bakery, the key is that the desserts are much lighter, a little less sweet than typical French style bakeries. This by no means that the desserts here are «diet» because there’s nothing low-​cal about these things … they just don’t feel as heavy as typical French baked goods.
What really makes me love this place, though, is that the coffee is amazing. My wife, who normally drinks her coffee with plenty of sugar and cream, tried the coffee here black and she found it to be quite good. More than the quality of beans, they brew their coffee here the old fashioned way … for all those into the slow-​foods movement, you should try the slow-​coffee movement 8-)

Excellent cake and marvellous espresso. Would give them 5 stars if they had coffee selections for a bit more reasonable prices.
[UPDATE] I’ve decided to give them a full 5 stars after rying their Ange and Excellent yesterday. They were truly extraordinary. Sophisticated and adequately sweet, their mousse is something we could only have dreamed of in this area before Café de Lion opened!
I’ve also learned that they are reducing the prices of some of their great coffee lineups. Dreams come true, really.