Le Pain Quotidien – Alexandria

It’s a great concept with a very poor cook management. First time asked for a tartine with avocado, it came smashed, meaning to ripe to be in slices. Second time waffles not fresh? Really? At a Belgian bakery? Third try, a cup of berries, where twice the blackberries are rotten, and the creamer is all dirty.
I tried a different one, then, the one on The Mosaic center. The mug is cracked, tea pot all stained.
I mean, I really wanted to give this place try, but after all this, it’s not worth it.

Delicious food as always — I had been to a Le Pain Quotien before in NYC and the food is just as good. However, the service here was lacking. We walked up to the counter to be rudely told to sit down if we wanted to dine in. We sat down at the communal table. Everyone ignored us for a good 10 minutes before someone came by and handed us menus as we discussed leaving to go elsewhere. Once our waiter came by, he was very nice but everything just took forever. Drinks, food… the only thing that resolved quickly was handling the check. Nice place but just wasn’t expecting to burn over an hour on a very late Sunday afternoon brunch when the place was only half full.

First time here and My mistake because I took the items to go. I didn’t like the snicker doodle, it was too soft, mushy and didn’t have that bit of cream of tartar it needs: (. The hazelnut fancier was flavorful and satisfying. I may give it another go.

Stopped for a late lunch and sat at the communal table. My husband and I ordered the minestrone soup but it was more like a stew and had too much barley in it. Tasty. I got the warm goat cheese salad which was very good. My favorite part of the meal was tasting this spread which tasted like cinnamon graham crackers. So much so we purchased several jars to share with friends. It was called Speculoos.

I LOVE this place! I’ve walked by many different locations before of this place and always though of it like a Panera Bread or something like that but it’s 180 degrees different! First, fresh ingredients. Their breads and pastries… to die for! I had their chocolate croissant which had the perfect amount of flakiness, with a touch of buttery goodness! Those are the best kind of croissants in my opinion. After walking around Alexandria for a little bit my mom and I found ourselves back at Le Pain once again. This time, for lunch! We ended up splitting the ham and cheese sandwich. For some reason I was expecting it to be nothing special. However, when it came out the presentation was nice and the bread they used for the sandwich looked so great and after my first bite, my thoughts were validated! For drinks I got the pomegranate lemon sparkler and my mom got the hot lemon honey and ginger tea. Both were mind blowing and I highly suggest ordering them both. Le pain is a cute spot to stop for a yummy treat or to sit down and have a meal! I definitely plan to come back to this location or others around the DMV area.

The first time we tried the many baked dessert goodies at the Georgetown location, we were absolutely blown away. So, when we came across this store, we fully expected the same. The verdict? …
Their Belgian chocolate brownie -$ 4.10– was just as we remembered — soft, chewy, rich, and that full dose of chocolate all the way through. Their pain aux raisin -$ 3.00-, however, was a dry, stale disaster that I regrettably had paid the full price for.
Here’s what I believe; that they should have not put it up for sale at all, or discounted it, although I’d much prefer the first. I’m afraid I have to deduct a star for quality control here, because I know they can be amazing, like at the other location I mentioned earlier.

Awesome for take-​out, with reasonable prices given the environs. We loved the cheese & charcuterie board and the smoked salmon tartine. Desserts and bakery items looked phenomenal as well.

Based on prior reviews, I was really looking forward to a great meal here. After a painfully frustrating wait to have our order taken, most of the food was really lacking.
A random Wednesday morning in Old Town around 9:30 am and LPQ wasn’t even busy. We found a table, got menus quickly, but sat there waiting for over 10 minutes while the server took orders and delivered food to the two tables next to us.
To their credit, the Paris ham and Gruyère omelette was outstanding. My wife’s brown rice pudding, however, came in a dixie cup size portion and was really bland. She also ordered an apple turnover which we found out after my food came was currently unavailable. Our server suggested she go up to the counter to look for a replacement herself only to return a few moments later with an almond apricot pastry that was less than appealing. For the prices you pay for the meal, you’d think more options would be available and the service would be a little friendlier.
When I’m back in Old Town in the future I’d consider coming back for the omelette alone, but would really be cautious based on my last experience.

So happy I discovered this place. Very charming and I had a great quinoa and baby kale salad with goat cheese and a perfect latte.
Just moved back to the area and needed a good healthy warm meal. Love the table service too!

Walk in the door at 6:30 on a Tuesday, during the holiday season, and the first thing you notice is that it’s empty. Even the staff is no where to be seen. One has to call out to get someone out from the back. No wonder their empty. I should of walked out then, but I order a large coffee with cream and some nugget. The price tag on the nugget says $ 2.95. The guy ringing it up, first can’t find it in the system, then says its $ 10.00!!! No way. And, the coffee was lukewarm and very weak. Starbucks is so much better. Lesson learned.

I like the vegan options and labeling. They make an excellent, healthy salad (your choice of kale, arugula, or mesclun greens) for $ 6.40. It’s very reasonably priced and a nice environment. Great customer service as well!

Have you ever done somewhere to get some Hot Chocolate and be disappointed by the overbearing sweetness, the faux chocolate flavoring or the thickness? This won’t happen here!
We stopped in to get my girl a coffee and I decided to grab a hot chocolate. The friendly guy behind the counter said that the drink wasn’t overly sweet and that they use dark chocolate for flavor… I was getting interested…
He then said I could have it with Skim «milk» (YUK!) or Whole Milk (aka — milk!). I was joking and asked if I could have it made with the cream he offered my girl for her coffee — he surprisingly said yes, so I immediately ordered a half milk half cream hot chocolate.
It was deliciously flavored, not too sweet, and wonderfully thick!
If you want a quick hot chocolate, I suggest you stop in and have it made your favorite way!

2.5 stars realistically.
The fare was fine. The service was pretty terrible. The location is great. The ladies room upstairs was on the fritz.
We visited after a yoga session and this was an easy choice due to proximity. The prices are a bit high for what you get, but the food is a-​okay. I was just a little disappointed. I was almost finished with my $ 4 no-​frills coffee before the food ever arrived.
The place seemed pretty popular, but I would be hard-​pressed to return. What really kind of killed it for me was the super slow and rather inattentive service. We had to ask for a lot of items that should have been brought along with the items we ordered. Cream for coffee… spreads for bread… you get the idea.
I just expect a little better for a pricey, and rather humble meal. Seriously, $ 10+ for avocado toast. It just didn’t sit well with me at all. Don’t get me wrong — the food was fine, but it gets better elsewhere.

Very delicious place to have either for breakfast or lunch, at least for me since those are the only times I’ve ever gone. It’s such a cute place. I’ve gone here many time with friends and the food just seems to get better and better. My regular order… «Imma have me some waffles!» Haha with a side of Chia Seed Pudding. I mainly love this place because it’s all organic!

Chicken biscuit and yogurt were great.
Fiction, Faith & Foodies Blog
Dora and Ernie Hiers

Amazing waffle, and solid omelette. My boyfriend and I came here for brunch, and although the prices were a bit on the steep side, I think it was worth the money. We ordered smoked salmon omelette, mushroom & goat cheese omelette, and Belgian waffle. The waffle wasn’t so visually appealing, but believe me, it tasted 10 times better than it looked. The omelettes were excellent as well! I am so glad that Le Pain Quotidien is a chain! Since we were just visiting Alexandria, may be we will find a location closer to where we live, and hopefully it will be just as good!

Walk in to an abundance of pastry beauty. Golden croissants, cheddar corn quinoa muffins, and even an awesome looking fig tart. And then… no acknowledgment of existence. It’s sort of a small space and servers were all around and back and forth and still… nothing. No hello, no someone will be right with you, nothing. Finally, what appeared to be a manager asked if he could help us. We ordered a cheese danish and left. The Danish was pretty good but not super impressive. This is my first visit and I will try them again to see if they are worth my hard earned dollars.

This place is like a French bakery. When you walk in everyone is calm and relaxed. There is no
Problem in the world.
To be honest Each time I eat here, I take many of their recipes to my home. The food is simplistic yet loaded with flavor. Because of the simplicity you really taste each ingredient in the dish.
A tip I have is… Order bread and utilize their complementary hazelnut spread and jams to eat with the bread. Their bread is so delicious, and their house hazelnut spread and jams elevate the bread to a tasty starter. Yes, I start with sweets and I don’t care! (It’s okay if you judge me) but if you are like myself and don’t mind starting off with delicious sweets before eating your meal, order their breads!
The Belgian waffle is a great way to end your meal. I do have to say their waffles do not come out piping warm. It seems like they have their waffles ready made and ready to serve. So don’t expect a warm waffle. Another tip, use their delicious house hazelnut spread to a compliment your Belgian waffles… It’s a match made in heaven!
Yes, start your meal with sweet jams and spreads on a bread. Then transition into their healthy salads and soups. Then end your meal with a sweet waffle. It’s a perfect meal, if you ask me.
Last thing I want to mention is that I noticed a small eyelash on the plate after I finished my meal. I mean I didn’t feel the need to tell anyone so I just threw it off my plate. But, it was still a bit off putting.

A calm and beautiful place to come to and enjoy some delicious food. Right when you walk into the bakery you can see a case full of cute and delicious desserts stacked across the countertop.
You can order at the front for take out, or you have the option of sitting and ordering food and desserts at the place. I ordered a avocado toast with a arugula salad with corn. The avocado toast was perfection. It was sprinkled with a citrus cumin salt and had chia seeds on it. Their arugula salad had loads of sweet corn and pieces of spicy jalapeños in it. So nutritious and simply made food– so in love with this place.
I also shared a Belgium waffle with jam, fresh cream, and berries. The waffle was not warm, but it was still very tasty. It was crunchy on the outside and was perfectly sweet. When you added the jam, fresh cream, fruits, and hazelnut butter (don’t forget to ask for their hazelnut butter) it made the perfect waffle bite. I do wish that the waffle was warm though.
A charming and calm place to come and enjoy a restful afternoon.

If i had my own house, it would look something like la pain quotidien .its rustic, laid back and charming.
Healthy clean food is a bonus. had breakfast here once and would def come back again and again.
Oh btw their jams and esp their german white chocolate spread is to die for !