Le Pain Quotidien – West 84th St

It really good place to eat and have meeting with friends. Food is perfect, good music and service.

If you avoid one café this (or any) year-​avoid this one. It has the classic New York issue of waiting too long for service (even when there are few people). It has food that comes out cold. It has it all! So enjoy yourself by going somewhere else.

I usually make it a rule not to visit places with less than four stars, but this place being in the neighborhood and my having walked passed it a million times, well I just decided to try this morning.
Everything started off fine. Friendly greeting and a nice looking place. I sat at a table I knew was dirty, but I wanted to sit near a window and figured they were just busy. I didn’t think much of it until I watched others leave and the tables sit there with crumbs and coffee rings until someone else would take a seat. It seems that this is the only way the waiter would clean a table.
The waiter was hardly attentive. He did not bother to offer me water or refill it. I sat with dirty dishes in front of me for about thirty minutes. I also had to waive him down to order (albeit I had been sitting a while enjoying a morning cup of coffee in its entirety until I felt hungry enough to order).
I will say that the other waiter on staff was very friendly and brought me several of their hazelnut and fruit spreads. I loved the jams and the hazelnut praline. He also had the, I’m not sure what to call it, common sense (?) to actually clean the tables after guests had left. Perhaps if he had been my waiter I would have given a higher review.
As far as the foods go, the coffee was delicious and the breads were also satisfying. My soft boiled egg was cooked perfectly.
Overall, Le Pain Quotidien was a solid meh. In the midst of the upper west side’s assortment of wonderful bakeries and coffee houses, it stands out only for its mediocrity. In a small town, I would have given it another star.

The avocado toast makes my toe point it’s so good and the yummy French cream donuts it’s So good! With my almond decafe coffee
How ever the device is a little off. The young kids that work here are wonderful and sweet but I feel they forget to check on there guest and how there doing if there is anything else they would like to order or clearing the table of finished plates rather then letting them sit there empty.
All in all it’s fantastic the food is yummy. Just the customer service needs to be addressed a little.

Love this location. Friendly staff. Good, fresh food. There is outdoor seating which is nice, assuming weather cooperates.

Like all the others– light and airy, nice French pastries.

Great service. I got the cobb salad which was a great meal sized portion and very filling. Price was also good. Also got an espresso and I’d have given 5 stars if not for the coffee which had a funny flavor. Suggest the mint lemonade, instead.

All the products are of good to great quality, and it’s a good atmosphere. As for service — the atmosphere is a mix of Starbucks (good) but with table service (confusing). As a former service industry pro, I can assess that the atmosphere is such that it makes adequate service difficult. Due to many clients being table «campers», sipping coffee and working on a laptop (myself included) servers are not always sure how often to approach the table without being annoying, and as such you can sometimes go a while without seeing a server when you need one. That seems to particular to this location, as I did not get the same feeling the 1 or 2 times I have been to other LPQ’s.

Very nice space and staff at this location of Le Pain Quotidien. The Manager offered me a refill for my tea. Always nice! Space is airy and with lots of natural light.

My wife and I were nearby for a meeting and decided to give this location a go for lunch last Saturday. At first we were a little nervous from some of the reviews, and saw the truth in the ones sharing how busy the restaurant seems to get. On the surface, the servers seemed a bit overwhelmed. Despite this, we were promptly seated and held our hopes high for the best.
I went with the Smoked Salmon Tarting and my wife got the Avocado Toast and a cup of Chicken Soup. The food was outstanding! The salmon was just right and the avocado toast was a unique and delicious dish.
The star of the experience for us, however had to be the service. Many of the servers seemed to be running around and frazzled. As a result, there was a perceivable, general «disorganized» feel. Despite this, our server (his name was Chris) remained calm, efficient, articulate and kind. Everything he did ensured a sharp experience in the face of a busy and unruly crowd.
My wife had several questions about the menu and Chris was on the money with quick and informative answers. He brought us drinks and water right away, and he was very up front about the kitchen being slightly backed up. Even in the mayhem, he made sure we had plates in front of us in a completely reasonable amount of time. Chris is our favorite kind of server, who checks in and is on top of our needs without being overbearing or obnoxious (which we find to be a bit of a rarity in NYC). My water was always topped off, and fresh coffee was always at the ready for my wife. When we were finished he cleared our plates right away and offered us desert. We hadn’t planned on it, but he coaxed us into trying the French Cream Donut. Allow me to coax you to do the same. It is VERY much worth the additional cardio at the gym the next day!
We went in with our guard up and came out with a great experience. We’ll definitely be back and keeping an eye out for Chris every time.

Well, I’ve been to many Le Pains in the city, and this one has to rank as the weakest.
Part of the problem is that it’s a particularly small space. (The servers kept bumping into my chair at the communal table on my last visit.) Service was poor overall. Tables took a long time to be cleared while people waited for seating. When I tried to call over a waiter, he snapped at me and said he would get to me when he could. The soup then came out room temperature and the cappuccino was watery.
Clearly, the staff were overwhelmed. It seems to be part of a sad pattern at the Le Pains where the quest for greater profits is affecting staffing and even their recipes.

The food is always good and consistent at Pain Quoitidian. Our problem today lies with service, Harold A was completely distracted while waiting on us. After our table had been set he tried to bring us additional silverware then he served a side of bread with no jams, even after being asked a second time– we had to track him down to request jam again before it came to the table. He was unapologetic even defiant about his service. The restaurant was not very busy.
Additionally at the end of our meal after we had already paid our cheque and we’re putting on our coats; he brought us someone else’s credit card and bill. I don’t know what was on Harold A’s mind today but I hope that he can refocus on his customers soon, or perhaps find work better suited to his skills.

Excellent baked goods and coffees. If you want a typical egg breakfast this isn’t for you. But great oatmeal, granola, breads and pastry.

This is a talking-​friendly place which means you don’t need to yell at each other and truly enjoy the talks: P PS: Rooibos tea and window seats are good plus.

Ordered hot cider drink it was warm. Food was not too bad. The real show breaker was the service. They were really understaffed and the service could not follow despite the staff willingness. Please align the price with the service.

Truly healthy and delicious food.
The quinoa tabouleh was perfect, and the soup of the day (split pea) was so so so good. It wasn’t too salty and the flavor was spot on.
I was starving, so I also ordered the 6 vegetable quiche. My first vegan quiche ever, and man, it was better than regular quiches. No oiliness and excessive fat, as well as unnecessary eggs in this quiche! Gluten free buckwheat crust and layers of fresh vegetables, make this my go to specialty favorites.
The atmosphere is very relaxing and casual, very european.
So thankful that LPQ has numerous locations in the upper west side. Will be going here a lot!

Perfect outdoor café on a perfect summer day. Vegetable tart was fantastic as was the Mediterranean plate.

I love Le Pain.
I went all the time in NY.
Moved back to LA and was excited to come to this location.
Came 4 times for my organic coffee w almond milk.
2 times wonderful. Lovely, kind women has helped me.
2 times, the service was so horrible it’s unmentionable the behavior of the person helping me. Both times, a manager was aware or saw the behavior. The person is still behaving badly, I can go elsewhere for my coffee and lovely Le pain experience.
So, I still love the company but this location, never again– why would I. I like to give my money for kind courteous service.
Thank goodness Philz has rolled on in.

The food is good, but the desserts are too sweet. All the appetizers and main courses are fresh, imaginative, and delicious.
The service is inattentive, disorganized, and badly managed.
This is my local for this chain. I hope the service improves.
Peggy R

Really really like this place. Not sure how this past weekend was the first time I stopped in considering I’ve been living in NYC for years but that’s besides the point. The food is fresh and there are many organic items on the menu. I had the butternut squash, goat cheese and basil frittata (seasonal) and earl grey tea for breakfast. It was beyond my expectations. Tasted very fresh and flavorful. I can’t wait to go back and try their pastries among other things. Also, even though it was very busy, our waitress was always smiling and attentive. Hope their other locations are just as good!

Ein schöner, sauberer und in der upper west gut gelegener laden, in dem man auch draußen sitzen kann.
Die angebotene teequalität ist 1A. Die preise sind angemessen.
Die bedienungen waren freundlich und auch schnell.
Für eine pause und zum blick schweifen lassen perfekt. Wir werden auf jeden fall wiederkommen und dann vielleicht auch etwas essen.