On a lovely Spring Saturday, my amazing friend and I decided to take a road trip down to the bustling city of San Francisco. The goal: To meet up with some of the gals and introduce them to the magical world of French teatime. In the states, everyone is always in such a hurry. Making the time for high tea, teatime, or sometimes even brunch is a rare occasion. Quite a few of us are only familiar with the concept of "teatime" through television shows such as Bridgerton and Downton Abbey. And when we do get to experience it, it is a definite treat and a special occasion. High tea was a novelty that was once a branch of high-end luxury hotel restaurants, out of reach to middle-class citizens like me. But gradually over the last five years, that idea began to change.
With the export of BBC and the British culture, these teatime cafes have started popping up in some of the more populous cities in the United States. Number one, making them more accessible to the open population; And number two, being slightly more affordable to our wallets. Maison Danel is one of these cafes, which opened it's doors to San Francisco in 2019. Located just a few blocks away from Japantown, the establishment is an elegant addition to an otherwise sketchy neighborhood.
It was our first time visiting Maison Danel. And to be honest, while making our way across the street from the parking garage, we were a little concerned and not sure what to expect because the area really was questionable. I had heard from some of my Bay area buddies that the city's crime and homeless rate went up significantly during the pandemic. And that the city was no longer the family friendly neighborhood it once was, two years prior. The streets of business-district San Francisco feels like a ghost town during weekends. I highly recommend walking with a friend if you come on a weekend, so that you are not alone by yourself.
When we arrived at Maison Danel's, its exterior is industry elegant. Entering its doors, we were immediately greeted by the grandest crystal chandelier imaginable, with patterned ceilings, a combination of painted white walls framed by crown molding, with exposed brick. It felt really cozy. The building blocked out the sound from the city, enveloping you into a different world. The interior of the cafe did a wonderful job of transporting you from a wild city, to a friendly, quiet, and elegant space. Maison Danel's setting provides a warm welcome to all its patrons.
Shortly after arriving, my friend and I were greeted and shown to a table. We had called in for a morning reservation a few days prior. And while the cafe doesn't stay busy the whole day, its most bustling hours is before noon. There are no bad seats in the cafe, as we sat at our table with a wide window to the whole city. Our friends joined us shortly after.
Maison Danel's staff really made our ordering experience easy. Aside from checking in on us frequently, they did a really thorough job of walking us through their menu, which is much appreciated. Although it was not noon yet, the staff did not have a problem with us ordering a LE CLASSIQUE. It is their signature tea service, with a variety of small sandwiches, small snacks, and mignardises. Included are two pots of tea (they actually gave us an extra pot because we had more people sharing it). The fare is an "afternoon tea" (after 12pm) option, but the Maison Danel team was very helpful and accommodated us at 10:30 am.
Our entire order included:
1 x LE CLASSIQUE with 3 pots of tea (English breakfast, leechi, and genmaicha)
1 x Cappuccino
1 x French onion soup
1 x Charcuterie board
1 x Cheese board
2 x French pastries on the side
For four girls, we ordered too much food. There was quite a bit of food leftover after we were done about 2 hours later. The portions served here are much bigger and more bountiful than what the promo photos show on their website. The cup of cappuccino was the biggest cup of cappuccino ever seen. The French onion soup can be shared between 2 people. The LE CLASSIQUE may have been listed as portions for 2 people, but was more than enough for a group of 4.
Maison Danel also provides a wide selection of French pastries to choose from at the front counter of the cafe. Available are a variety of different croissants, chocolate pastries, fruit tarts, cream puffs, crème brûlée, and much more. The entire establishment had the scent of a sweet fresh bakery. The patrons were welcomed to order more at the counter, and bring them back to their seats. The staff will plate the pastries for you.
The croissant with salmon sandwich is to die for. The taste was flavorful but not over powering, which made it very enjoyable with the buttery and flaky croissant. My friend absolutely adored the cucumber and egg sandwich. It had a subtle and simple flavor, that paired perfectly with tea.
When the wait staff brought out our cheese and charcuterie boards, they took the time to talk about every piece on the plate. I love this because I immediately found out what I was allergic to and should stay away from.
Overall, the experience of having teatime at Maison Danel was more than wonderful, and was worth the trek through the sketchy neighborhood to dine there. I loved how informative the team is, and how flexible they are. There was always someone who came back every 10 minute to fill our teapots with hot water again. Aside from the delicious food, the team at the establishment really made the memory of having tea there exceptionally wonderful.
I highly recommend calling for a reservation before going, although it is not required. I'm going to leave you with photos of the delicious tea fare we had. Thank you to the team at Maison Danel for making our teatime so awesome.
Maison Danel 1030 Polk St, San Francisco, CA 94109 (415) 685-5900
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