lunch on thursday, may 18 around 11:30am until about 12:45pm. there were three of us (+ three babies, of course) and two strollers.
review by allison.
1. Are aisles wide enough for strollers?
Most main aisles (getting up to the counter, to the table areas, and in/out the door) are *just*wide enough for a stroller, though you've gotta take a few sharp turns in some areas. The area between the front door and the order counter can be cramped if there's a long line of people waiting to place orders or browsing along the glass display of cakes, tarts, pastries, breads,and (did I mention?) cakes.
2. Highchairs available?
two
3. General ambient noise:
Outdoors, the noise level can be whatever your kids want it to be. Indoors, the noise is mostly cafe- style chatting.
4. Outdoor seating:
Amandine has about four round tables in front on the sidewalk along Wilshire. There, you are about six feet from the street (curbside parking during off-peak hours, a bus lane during peak hours). There is also a patio in the back, right next to the parking lot (not a great view). A few tables are right up against a parking spot (so you're sitting out on the blacktop - watch those bumpers!), but there is a small section of about five or six tables that are separated from the blacktop by a few large potted plants. In that section, there's some room to get your strollers in and out of the patio between the plant beds, which is awesome for a small group of mamas who need access in and out between the tables/chairs.
5. Spacing between tables:
The back patio is probably the best bet for strollers, since there's a lot of foot traffic indoors. The outdoor seating out front would probably be the next best bet, though there is traffic on Wilshire. When I went with a couple of mamas in the past for lunch (arriving at 11:30 AM), we were able to get the entire patio section. We pulled some tables together and had room for two (maybe three) strollers next to us. And it still left room for other customers at the cafe as the lunch hour picked up.
6. General service/attitude from staff:
This is cafe-style service --you order up front, someone brings your food to you, but utensils/water/napkins, etc. are all self-serve. Generally, attitudes seemed welcoming.
7. Tolerance/attitude of other diners:
During lunch hour, the cafe attracts some business clientele from the Wilshire business offices nearby. Generally, people seemed okay (but I have to admit, I didn't really notice 'cause I had my hands full).
8. Separate rooms available:
There is a small indoor dining area in the front of the store that gets a lot of foot traffic (not good if your kids are easily distracted from their food), also a small indoor dining room in the back (with about four tables, but not much room for strollers). There's the back patio mentioned above.
9. Changing table in the restroom:
Nope. But the restroom is just large enough to wheel your stroller in if you need to.
10. Parking/transit availability:
A small (free!) parking lot in the back with about 8-10 spaces, and transit along Wilshire (Blue Bus 2, Metro 20/720) and Bundy (Blue Bus 14).
11. Breastfeeding?
Can't speak to that, sorry, but my friend managed just fine.
AMANDINE PATISSIERE
12225 Wilshire Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90025-1105
310-979-3211
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2 comments:
here's my two cents on the food...
I ordered the egg salad sandwich and soup. The soup was a sardine tomato soup...which sounds weird, I know, but it worked. The fishy oiliness of the sardines was cut by the acidity of the tomato and it ended up begin really lovely. There were also capers in this soup and it had a touch of the tart. Mmm. The egg salad was okay. It was difficult to eat and I ended up having to take the sandwich apart. The egg mixture was bland and didn't have enough moisture. While I'm not a big mayo fan, it could have used a bit more to bind the sandwich together. The bread on the other hand was delicious. It was Japanese style with a firm crust with moist and soft inside.
I also bought a melon pan to take home. That was my first clue that it was a Japanese bakery when I walked in to make my order and I knew I had to try it out. The melon pan was a bit more "refined" version. I could really taste the butter in the bread. It was nice, but maybe a bit too "refined" for me. It didn't have the habotai that I like in my melon pan.
Oh, and I was the said friend who breastfed. It wasn't too bad because we were out on the patio with not too many others. It was my first time breastfeeding out in the open and I was nervous,but it went smoothly because I was able to take over an empty table to do it. Once I get smoother at the whole public breastfeeding thing I think I can give a better say on all this.
as long as we're talking about the food ...
i had the leak & potato soup and a turkey and avocado sandwich.
the sandwich was on the yummy bread that almostdr.j talked about. turkey was dry; totally could have done without it (as in, just a plain ol' avocado sandwich would've been better).
(as a side note, i think the chicken sandwich at the top of the menu is pretty good. it's on a different bread, which is also delicious.)
i never cared for the pasta salad that all sandwiches come with. the green salad is better.
the soup was good, but nothing to write home about. i like my soup super-duper hot, which this wasn't, but it was hot enough and probably safer because i had maya on my lap.
i bought some breads and pastries to take home. i really liked the strawberry pastry (i forget what it's called). it's strawberries and custard on a flaky pate brisee. the chocolate croissant was pretty good, too. didn't care too much for the pan au lait; it was a little dry.
the downside to amandine is that it's pricey, at least on my budget. the sandwich and side of soup was close to $15. service is okay: i asked for water and never got it, but they didn't complain that we took up a few tables on the patio.
one of these days i'd like to try the cakes ... i hear the cheesecake is quite good.
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