Cafe Attila

This adventure started with an article in the paper recommending Café Attila. The article spoke of how this artful Café was built on the quintessential love story, where the founders both worked in the food industry and shared a passion for cuisine. They fell in love and combined their talents to make this little Jewel in San Ramon. How could I not stop by?
A friend of mine who I’d been meaning to connect with for years agreed to meet for lunch. Fingers crossed, I hoped this place would live up to the hype, since it was my first time and I wanted to make up for lost time.
And YES! The food hit the mark as well as the atmosphere. Lunch during the week was busy enough to enjoy the crowd, without having to wait for seating. I had the salmon and my friend ordered the chicken.
Artful is the word that keeps coming to mind when I think of Café Attila. Our meals were carefully plated in a beautiful presentation. It was lightly seasoned, just the way I like it. The assortment of baked goods on display at the front of the restaurant is extremely dangerous if you’re trying to control your weight. You have been warned!
I need to go back a few more times to quench my curiosity though. I have yet to meet the owners and put faces to the love story that originally attracted me to this place.
Check it out! You’ll be pleasantly surprised.

Café Atilla is a wonderful place to go for morning goodies, the bakery items are delicious; the lunches delish, but the secret is that Atilla’s is a great restaurant to go to and enjoy a lovely dinner. The menu is creative and everything is amazing, my husband’s fav is the trout. You can enjoy small plates or a beautiful entrée. The desserts are to die for (they are a bakery too, after all). It is a charming place to enjoy any meal and to top it off, the wines offered are carefully selected for your palate. Yum!

We often go to Café Attila for dinner with friends and every time we bring someone that has not been here before, they all enjoy their experience so much that they become regulars, as well. They’re relatively new for dinners but they are quickly building a reputation for fine food beyond what I used to think of them as a «neighborhood hidden gem.»
This last Thursday, I hosted a group of 20 for dinner and it was an outstanding success. I do a dinner on a monthly basis for the members of my SIR chapter and have been doing it for over 12+ years. This was the best event, yet. All of the other 18 guests gave us a hug or heart-​felt handshake thanking us for bringing them here! The funny thing is I had to do a little ‘arm-​twisting’ to get us in because the owner, Lynne was concerned that they couldn’t do their normally good service for that big a group. I convinced her when I told her that I had the group well trained and that we would not expect them to serve everyone in the proper and prompt order. I instructed them to immediately serve whatever orders came up in the kitchen so they would be delivered hot and fresh to the guests. It all worked out just fine and everyone was truly happy and thrilled with the total experience. They all said they would be coming back — no exceptions!
I had the Rack of Lamb and it is one of the best that I have had in the U.S. I’ve had better but only in Australia and New Zealand. My wife had the Hanger Steak (small plate) and she was happy as a clam! She commented that it had more flavor than other small steaks she has tried. And my dessert, the Soleil, came out of the pastry case and it was to die for — white chocolate outer shell, pistachio cookie base and tart lemon meringue insides!
Lynne is the pastry chef and her husband, Attila is the chef. She runs the dining room and he takes care of the kitchen. They started as a cake and pastry shop and added breakfast and dinner and, finally, fine dining dinners. Don’t miss the fancy cakes and pastries in the display case. You can have any of those for dessert or order from the menu when you come for dinner.
The fact that they offer $ 3 house wine on Tuesday through Thursday doesn’t hurt at all. The wine is very good wine. The menu is very sophisticated and the prices are very reasonable for the high quality of the food and presentation. It is obvious that it is prepared with great love and care.
Jim

This place remains my favorite restaurant in San Ramon.
The food is always spot on and delicious, but the cakes really are the star. Although I’ve now been here over a half dozen times, upon my second visit, the owner recognized me from seeing me once before. It’s a great community establishment with great service, food, and prices. Their breakfast corned beef hash is probably my favorite of all their dishes.
If you want a cake, make sure to come early in the day or reserve it when you arrive!

This is a review for breakfast. Had their pancakes and they were very, very good. Light, tasty and just the right size. Coffee excellent, very pleasant upscale environment and attentive service. Tried the andouille sausage but not my cup of tea as I’d prefer traditional sausage links. All in all, another local gem!

It was hard to locate this place at first, but since our first visit, It became our go-​to place for cakes in the area. We have ordered three custom cakes in the past, and probably tried a dozen of already made cakes. They have yet to let us down! We just wish we had more occasions for their cakes.
We have not tried any in-​store meals, but reading these reviews we will definitely try next time we are at the shop!!!

Saturday morning and it’s time for some brunch after a good workout — destination café Attila :-)
After placing our order and getting our number we sat at the table. It wasn’t very crowded.
The place has nice décor and it’s really quaint.
Piping hot large cups of medium roast coffee arrived promptly… Mmmmm so good!
The wife had the frittata with the andouille sausage and I had the breakfast sandwich with bacon. Both were great. The frittata was served with a biscuit and that biscuit was great!
The service was a little slow but apart from that the food and the ambiance was great.
We will be back for sure.

I really enjoyed my lunch today at Café Attila. I had salmon, which was prepared perfectly. It takes skill to get it cooked but not dry. It was excellent. It was served with broccolini. I am not a fan of broccoli, but this was way better than broccoli, and not overcooked.
I only have one criticism, and that is regarding dessert. Everyone in my party would have ordered dessert, but the server said we would have to go up to the front and order it. We opted not to order any. I mean really… is it that hard to take an order? She said that one of us could go up there and see what they have, come back and tell the rest of us, then go up to the front again and order it. So why can’t a waitress do that? What would Gorden Ramsay say?
I would go back again, but I will skip dessert [again].

I had their corn beef and hash this morning. It’s presentation is different but the taste was wonderful. The corned beef was very tender, topped with an easy over egg and melts in your mouth. It came with a biscuit and the biscuit was just right. Lightly crispy, flakey and just right on the inside.
It was so good, I forgot to take a picture of it.

What a hidden gem this café was! Tucked away in a modest local shopping plaza. Do not let short,
simple brunch & dinner menu turn you away. Basically I’ve thoroughly enjoyed lots of dishes there. The granola, pasta and even hash for brunch was more than delicious. I literally ate too many pancakes here that I even forgot the counting because I never taste that tastier pan cakes with aromatic inside and crispiness on outside in whole San Ramon.
Dinner atmosphere is cozy and intimate. The mussels are quite delicious with astonishing cream sauce. I enjoyed my braised short rib more than all other dishes but that does not mean that other dishes were not tasty but what I meant was that as it was the signature so it should have had to be that tasty and it was. I have also tried few desserts such as Choco-​Ras individual cake — chocolate ganache in center of that cake, with tart and fresh raspberry mousse leave me desiring for more. I also tried intricate Opera cake, with many layers of hazelnut, chocolate and numerous other goodness. I have also brought lots of friends here for Holiday brunch and they were contented as I showed them that place.

I’m saddened to write this review but the way I was treated today… wow! This one tops the list of the crappiest, most unprofessional customer service I have ever experienced.
I’ve ordered custom birthday cakes here for my son 3 years in a row (All turned out beautifully and one was even featured on their FB page!). I was looking forward to another great cake this year but then this happened:
So it started the same as the last 3 years, I started with an email to Lynne (as previously instructed to do so by her staff, and if you check out their website, it lists her email under the «Contact» section) and the long wait for a response starts. This year, I decided to call the next day to follow up rather than wait aimlessly with my fingers crossed hoping to get a timely response. A woman with a raspy voice answered and was rude from the very first syllable of «Atilla!» I could tell she wasn’t having a good day so I made it a point to be extra polite hoping that would calm her down… NO! As I proceeded to tell her that I was following up on my email to Lynne, she cuts me off after the word «email» and rudely asked why I sent her an email. I calmly told her that’s what I’ve been instructed to do by the staff and that I’ve been doing this initiation step every time I order a cake. She then let out a loud sigh and asked me in a condescending tone if I already have an order in for the cake. No, I don’t have an order in, that’s what I’m calling to find out about! She then started to get some info from me, stops and tells me that they no longer do custom cakes. I asked why and she told me they were too busy with the restaurant portion of their business, which I understand.
And now comes the worst part of the conversation… She then starts to tell me that I can bake my own cake! I was speechless! Did she just tell a customer to go bake her own cake??? «It’s not that hard!» (In a patronizing tone and speaking a mile a minute) «It’s EASY, you just bake it and put your own decorations on like (she starts naming a bunch of things)…or ROCKS.» (Yes, she said ROCKS!) Then she tells me there are other bakeries that can bake cakes. «We’re not the only ones who make cakes, you know!» Unbelievable!
Maybe a better way to help (and keep) a repeat customer is to OFFER to make one of their «signature cakes» or a plain cake so that I can add my own cake topper? I would’ve been OK with that, but then again why would I spend more money here knowing my patronage means absolutely nothing to them?

Many reviews tell you how great the food is. This food is so good it must be experienced in person. My wife and I have known the family personally for years. Our kids grew up together. Every time We come here, we’re amazed at how good this food is. Whether it’s dinner or deserts the food is amazing!
This is not friendly rhetoric. This place is awesome. The only problem is now that I’ve let the secret out, it will be even more busy. Please come here and you will be amazed too.
If there was more than 5 stars my score would be higher.

Really nice spot for breakfast or brunch. They also have a lot of yummy desserts. Will definitely return to try out more items on the brunch menu.

Picked up some sweets for my girl bae today, and they were deeeeeeelish! Ok, maybe I got an order of chicken gougeres for myself, too. The cookies are amazing, the cakes are even better.

The dishes on the restaurant menu are amazing! *hats off to the chefs*
What a gem this café is! Tucked away in an unassuming local shopping plaza.
Don’t let the short, simple brunch and dinner menu turn you away. I have thoroughly enjoyed many dishes here. The pasta, hash and even granola for brunch was delicious. I LOVE the pancakes here. I don’t think I’ve ever cared for pancakes anywhere and the pancakes here are delicious with crispiness on the outside and aromatic inside. I’ve brought friends here for Holiday brunch and they were glad I showed them this place — that says something about this delicious café.
The dinner atmosphere is intimate and cozy. The mussels are delicious with amazing cream sauce. I enjoyed my braised short rib very much and my husbands gnocchi was very tasty.
Dessert:
1) «choco-​ras» individual cake — the chocolate ganache in the center of this cake, with fresh and tart raspberry mousse leave me wanting more.
2) intricate Opera cake, with multiple layers of chocolate, hazelnut and other goodness. They put a lot of thought into this Opera cake because I’ve had Opera cakes at other places, and some bakery would only put three obvious layers.
3) lemon meringue tart was a bit on the sweet side for me, but very nice buttery crust.
Very lucky to have such wonderful place here in San Ramon. So far, I’ve been there for 3+ times and I intent to return many many more.

For some reason, when I saw café in the name, I thought it would be a cute little shop with some small plates and coffee drinks. Little did I know, it turned out to be pretty fancy; great for a date or a nice night out. So here I am, sitting alone in this fancy place…
Anyway, I got the gnocchi and it came with oxtail and a poached egg. It was braised in a red wine reduction which I thought was actually pretty good. The oxtail was very flavorful and tender. On the other hand, I realized that I didn’t care for gnocchi (not that it wasn’t good). I don’t see the appeal of the starchy taste but I did like the chewy, al dente consistency.
I got a hot chocolate to go and let’s just say I haven’t finished it yet. All I really taste is milk and I’m pretty sure it’s made from powder. Final say: come for just the food.

This review is for the lunch menu. I recall having their cakes a while back and really enjoyed them. But it’s been 3 years so it’ll have to be in an updated review.
so i came here for lunch with my friend. Mostly b/​c of the reviews. My friend had their half chicken and I had their pork loin.
Presentation wise, they really knock it out of the park. Both plates look great. In terms of taste, I felt that the pork loin was a little plain. It needed a little more seasoning. I asked my friend how the chicken tasted, she said it was good but not great.
I’m sure i’ll come back to Café Attila, 228+ can’t be wrong. I’ll probably have their cakes again but lunch I’m not too sure.

We only came here once for a coffee, cause we were on the way to somewhere else and needed to stop. In the end we also ordered a dessert — Chocolate Pyramid.
The coffee was good (or so says the husband), but the Chocolate Pyramid was nothing special (it could be bigger for the price). We were sorry that we didn’t try some other cakes they had on display. They looked nice, but none were gluten and dairy free, so if you have allergies and want to come over here for dessert, I’d say try some other place, because they do not specialize in that. Despite that, the staff was extremely friendly and helpful.
The place is big enough to accommodate quite a lot of people (and there were quite some on a Saturday early afternoon). You can also order breakfast/​lunch, judging by the menu, but I’ll save that for some other time if we happen to be nearby again.

Review is for lunch. I drive by Café Atilla daily but never bothered to try their lunch menu. I’ve been there once before and knew they were famous for amazing desserts. Note you order from their menu and then its self seating.
Roast Chicken looked amazing and had good mix of veggies like potatoes, carrots, and one of the bitter greens (kale or collard). Chicken unfortunately was a bit under-​seasoned and overcooked. White meat definitely dry and you really have to eat it with the pan sauce. All the juices went to the veggies which were superb. 3 stars
Chicken Gougere was a nice chicken salad with cranberries and pecans in a little puff pastry shell. Excellent dish — I liked how the gougere was lighter and fluffy, so you don’t get the sense of eating a heavy sandwich. The chicken had elements of sweet and savory, but wasn’t overly rich or heavy. 4 stars.
We shared a mango cake for dessert — nice layered of mango, cake, and some coconut sprinkled along the perimeter. Very moist! 5 stars.
Will definitely come back for lunch or maybe even dinner to try their other menu items. Also look forward to sampling more of their dessert menu!

It’s criminal that this place wasn’t packed on a Friday night!
We had the trout, cauliflower fritters, hangar steak, mussels and bread pudding for dessert. Everything was just phenomenal.
Flavors are so strong and wonderful — there were no weak points in the meal at all. I can’t even pick a standout because everything was so fantastic. Cauliflower was juicy, tender and crisp. Hangar steak was an explosion of flavor — great notes of acid and cooked perfectly. Mussels were in a cream sauce, so you can’t go wrong there. Trout was crispy and moist, with a fluffy piece of cornbread. The bread pudding was just such a beautiful way to end the meal. I just loved the raspberry sauce it was served in.
The atmosphere, something I don’t usually pay any attention to, was intimate and adorable. Service was attentive and convivial. Lynn, the owner, is so very sweet and easy to talk to.
I started writing this review before I left the restaurant — a first for me. I was totally blown away by Café Atilla. Definitely will be back and this place definitely deserves more attention!