la Madeleine French Bakery & Café Alexandria

Location :

500 King St, Alexandria, VA 22314, USA
Added by Jopie, at 04 October 2016

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• Anynomous

  19 April 2018

  They had very good food. I strongly recommend the mozzarella and tomato sandwich. It was the best sandwich I've ever had. Their tomato soup was also very delicious. Perfect for a date, or just a lunch with friends.

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• Anynomous

  15 March 2018

  Big space for breakfast or afternoon bite. Have to order at the counter. Many options, can get confusing to order quickly. Comfortable space to hang out. Nice window seats for people watching.

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• Anynomous

  08 March 2018

  Love this location of the cafeteria-style French cafe, particularly when it's not hosting tour groups. It is a block away from city hall, where tour buses drop-off and pick-up tour groups. La Madeleine is one of the few places nearby that can accommodate large groups. When they do, expect long lines, waits for food, and a bit of a mess after the group leaves. This place does an admirable job of trying to stay on top of the orders and busing the tables, but it can get overwhelming. When it's quiet, however, this place is wonderful -- a great place to relax over coffee and sweets. Also a great place to get some work done, but beware, there are only three outlets accessible to customers, and they are somewhat hidden.

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• Anynomous

  04 March 2018

  Very cute and beautiful place. Fantastic services with great smile. The bakery, however, is interesting. They don't serve the ones in the display cabinet, but a fridge underneath, and they are so cold it's hard like rock

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• Anynomous

  11 December 2017

  I've been a regular here since 2003. Like, really regular. So much so that the nice Ethiopian ladies who've worked here the entire time have more or less adopted me and like to make sure I have enough to eat.
  
  I love this place at night when it's clean, not that crowded and the lights are low. Perfect spot for a nice, unfussy tea-light dinner with unlimited mango iced tea and a good book at one of the cozy tables. Staff is always friendly and if you're a regular they recognize you and say hi, which is nice if you're a transplant from somewhere else in the country (which most DC people are).
  
  I will say that over the last few years the food quality has dropped a bit. The cleanliness of the place and organization of the tables/chairs has also taken a hit. They're often out of silverware, condiments or tea these days, too. There's always napkins and food on the floor, newspapers strewn about on the window bars and the bathrooms are straight up wrecked. This may be due to the legions of crowds that have found out about this place, I guess, and how they just hit it like a hurricane on weekday mornings and weekends.
  
  I think management could do better by hiring a person to just keep the floor, tables and chairs clean and organized and another person to keep the condiment/drinks/plateware stations stocked. Also wouldn't hurt to have an employee near the start of the line to assist people in how to order as it does indeed get quite chaotic there if there's more than a few people in line.

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• Anynomous

  21 October 2017

  We only went to the bakery side. Workers were nice but I think they forgot about my wife's item that was to be heated up. Took we'll over 5 min for them to heat it and then when we got it it was barely warm. It tasted good though.

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• Anynomous

  20 October 2017

  One of the best places to grab a quick lunch in Old Town. It's not fast food, but it is a lot like Panera (but better). The inside is pretty big, so there is usually plenty of seating. The bakery is also ok and you can grab something to go for breakfast which is handy.

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• Anynomous

  19 October 2017

  Staying at the hotel next door and so glad room service didn't answer! I walked in, so cute, nice warm stat for a little while if you can feel. Had a delicious sampler lunch that was filling, healthy, and less than $13 for a 2 salads (strawberry and bacon spinache, plus fruit salad) and a cup of hearty potato soup. So fresh, homemade, and very flavorful. Highly recommended.

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• Anynomous

  27 September 2017

  Always enjoy a stop here when we visit Alexandria. The wait staff is typically not as charming as the food. Orders are placed cafeteria-style, which doesn't speed the food to your table, but I've enjoyed every dish immensely and we love gathering small bite pasties to sample after our meal. Those are marvelous.

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• Anynomous

  01 September 2017

  The food was super amazing the 1st time we went! The fryit was fresh, sweet, juicy and dreamy! The omelette was also delicious! The 2nd time, the fruit wasn't as fresh or sweet. But overall, I'd say it's a great place to eat!

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• Anynomous

  19 July 2017

  Cute, corner French eatery! The spinach and cheese quiche has a crust so buttery and mouthwatering and the vanilla latte is my absolute favorite. I recommend a piece of the coconut cream cake to accompany the vanilla latte.

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• Anynomous

  25 June 2017

  Reasonable food and pastries, great ambiance, and not too pricey. I generally stop by when in the area. Overall, a perfect place to grab a coffee and desert! It seems to have somewhat diminished in quality over the years, but still worth going. The pastries are good, but not quite like being in France. Sometimes it is too crowded and the line is frustrating. Sometimes the tables don't get cleared wiped expediently. It would be nice if some of the staff were French, bringing a more authentic feeling.

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• Anynomous

  16 June 2017

  Food is very tasty. But the place is run terribly. They get orders wrong as often as right. Run out of things like coffee sleeves or clean silverware without restocking. Luckily the staff if very nice and polite, which is good because you have to talk to minimum 3 people to place any order. Why do I have to order my drink, side, and sandwhich each from a different person? Beats me.
  
  Also the music is in French, which is pleasant.

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• Anynomous

  27 May 2017

  In the Washington D.C. area for a convention, I walked by the La Madeleine French Bakery & Café on King Street several times before stopping in for a late evening meal. It was 9:40 at night and the place was empty but for two tables and myself. At first I thought this was a sit-down style restaurant with full service. It took me a few moments to figure out this was a cafeteria style establishment. Not a negative, but a bit deceptive from the outside looking in.
  
  Genet was my cashier/server and I ordered the French Dip sandwich at $8.99 with an upgrade of French Onion soup for an extra buck. I was handed a wooden spoon with number on it and a cup of lukewarm soup. I found a table and had a seat making sure to stand the spoon up straight so my server could locate me once the sandwich was made.
  
  French onion soup was - like I said - lukewarm and had a greasy taste. Sandwich wasn’t any better. Restaurant was clean, colorful and very appropriately set. Service was matter of fact and courteous. A few moments checking out the bakery made me wonder why I didn’t order desert rather than soup and a sandwich.
  
  /s/ William E. Lewis Jr.
  Vero Beach, Florida

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• Anynomous

  13 December 2016

  Always get the salad with chicken and strawberries. I ask them to not place bacon bits but add extra strawberries and fresh tomatoes. Healthy and delicious!

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• Anynomous

  06 December 2016

  I loved the hospitality, enjoyed the fresh mint tea. So soothing on a cold morning. The crusty loaves of bread are my favorite!

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• Anynomous

  14 November 2016

  Although I usually try to avoid chain restaurants, I make an exception for this charming French Cafe. It's a fun place to go with friends and enjoy a nice treat. I also love all their promotions they do throughout the year.

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• Anynomous

  26 October 2016

  Almost everything they serve is too salty said two of us. Coffee is good, the desserts are good, chicken salad sandwich is really good. And their prices are very good compared to anything else in downtown Alexandria

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• Anynomous

  11 October 2016

  Affordable price with a little French country flair. This is a great family restaurant and for tourists that do not know what to eat. Salads are amazing and the desserts even better. Love the food and opening hours are perfect for late dinners

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