I first found out about Matine’s while scrolling on Instagram one day and instantly bookmarked it as a place that I wanted to try with my husband one day. We both love French cafes and knew that if the food was as good as it looked online that it would be a place that would not disappoint. So one day during the summer when it wasn’t hot nor humid outside, we ventured into Chestnut Hill off of Bethlehem Pike to the cafe in an idyllic neighborhood surrounded by trees to try their cafe.
Before I get into our thoughts on everything we had, let me provide a bit of background on the cafe itself.
About Matine’s Cafe
The owners, who describe themselves as “the new French kids on the block” on their website, are Amanda & Arthur de Bruc. Both grew up in Paris and moved to the US in 2014. Before opening this establishment, they owned a restaurant in Georgia, which upon doing some Googling, I found out was named Cafe M.
On their website, they describe their cafe best by stating the following:
“Matines Café is an authentic French café located in the vibrant Chestnut Hill neighborhood. Savor the rich aroma of specialty coffee drinks and delight your taste buds with our innovative selection of baked goods, gourmet breakfast, brunch, and lunch options. Explore our curated selection of imported foods, goods, and artwork while immersing yourself in the essence of France.”
The Ambiance:
We were dining with our daughter, so I didn’t get a chance to go inside, but from what my husband told me, it’s an intimate setting with ample seating, but it fills up fast. After eating there we can certainly see why. The outside, however, reminded me of a lot of dining at some of our favorite French cafes in the area. The chairs are French bistro chairs, patterned in blue and white. The circular tables include marble tabletops and are sectioned off by blue flowers, and rectangular flower pots. To the left of the outdoor dining area are trees from a neighboring building and views of the street that the cafe sits on. The best way that I could describe it is that it felt peaceful.
The Food & The Coffee:
Let’s start with the coffee, which is La Colombe – a Philadelphia-based coffee roastery. My husband ordered a mocha latte and I asked for a decaf iced latte with oat milk and vanilla syrup since I am still nursing and trying to limit my caffeine. It’s La Colombe coffee so it tastes good (even their decaf coffee), but La Colombe can be a bit strong for some palettes so I’d recommend getting something sweet or one of their lattes with syrup in it. You can read more about what we think about La Colombe coffee here.
For our meals, I got the Quiche Lorraine and my husband ordered the Parisian Baguette, which had ham, swiss, bacon, and salted butter on a baguette. Both dishes came with an argula salad on the side that was topped with balsamic glaze. The food was phenomenal. As we were eating, I told my husband a few times that the Quiche Lorraine was probably one of the best I’ve had in a long time. I’ve had quiches before where the crust was pie-like, but kind of cold and dry. However, this crust was buttery and flaky, almost like a croissant. The former type of crust can sometimes take away from the flavor of the rest of the quiche, but the latter, Matine’s way of making a quiche crust, enhances it. I would highly recommend it.
My husband also said that he loved his sandwich, but said that he should’ve finished his sandwich first and his salad last because although still delicious, he wished finished his sandwich while it was still hot. That said, he still said that he was impressed with the food and would gladly eat there again.
Would We Recommend It?
We’d highly recommend you check this place out if you’re in the area. The food was delicious and we will be returning for that quiche the next time I’m in the mood for one. It does get pretty packed after 11 am, so I’d recommend arriving earlier if you’re hoping to get a table or a seat. We left just in time as people began to wake up and get their morning coffee fix.
