Review: Vanille Patisserie (Lakeview and Lincoln Park locations)
Hello friends!
Today's review is a combination of an older experience and a recent one as well.
Enjoy!
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I'll be up front here and say that I am heavily biased; Vanille has my heart in its sweet French pastry grasp and I have no desire to be let go.
My first trip to Vanille was actually at the Lincoln Park location in 2014; since, I've been back two other times and I've also visited their location in Lakeview several times now as well. It's become my go-to place in Chicago for the best macarons and grande desserts. If I have macarons at one of my parties, you can bet your brand it's from Vanille.
Vanille Patisserie, Lakeview-
The Lakeview location is the easiest for me to get to personally, it's just a short walk off of Belmont down Broadway. It's a tad on the small side but no less sophisticated than its sister location in Lincoln Park.
Unfortunately there's no room for a reserved tea party here, but there are several booth style tables and single tables for you to dine in, all are two seaters.
They offer custom Vanille ice cream cones, macarons, small desserts, cakes and cookies to name a few. There is also a drink menu with coffee, lates, and a lovely selection of custom blend Benjamin loose leaf teas. I believe these blends are also available for purchase as well.
For fine pastries the price range is fair and average, with macarons being some several dollars a piece and a box of 12 for $27. They also offer custom stamping options on these macarons as well, which they also offer premade to match the seasons. (IE Jack-O-Lantern faces for Halloween, flowers for spring, etc.) Some pastries are also gluten free, just ask which ones as sometimes it's not always indicated on the card.
My partner and I visited on November 1st to grab some Halloween macarons for my belated Halloween tea party on the 3rd; unfortunately this location was sold out of their Halloween selection, so we went with spooky colors instead. I am sad to report their cassis berry macarons have been discontinued, I am disheartened.
After the macarons were selected, we decided to sit in with some dessert and warm drinks because it was so cold outside. I picked a Manjari, while my partner enjoyed a Sophia. Both were rich and decadent, with mine having a dense dark chocolate flavor, and the Sophia being light, milky and had a hint of hazelnut. Both were simply divine.
My Manjari dessert.
My partner's Sophia.
I decided to try a custom blend of tea, the dark chocolate, and my partner had a simple cup of coffee with some heavy whipping cream and a bit of sugar. He reported that it was a very rich flavor without being too strong, and it complimented his Sophia dessert very well; it was clean and refreshing. My tea was an interesting experience; by itself it tastes of black tea with a bit of a hazelnut edge, but the aftertaste after swallowing, along with the aroma, smells and tastes lightly of chocolate. I'd say it's a close second to the Bigelow limited edition Girl Scouts Thin Mint tea.
As always the cashier was incredibly sweet to talk to and work with; she complimented my very pink casual coord with Milky-chan the Fawn as well! Every time I've visited Vanille I've always worn lolita fashion, and never once have I run into rudeness or harsh judgement as a result. It is a very jfashion friendly place.
A selfie I took in Vanille.
My coord for the day; my cardigan is BtssB and has embroidered macarons on it!
There was no rush for us to leave as we enjoyed our sweets and I finished my individual pot of tea. It was quiet and relaxing, with soft ivory lighting and nice dinnerware to eat with. Creamer is behind the counter, but other fixings such as sugar packets are available at the end.
Vanille Patisserie, Lincoln Park-
Lincoln Park is the location to go for Chicago dwellers when you need to host a tea party. Their reseration room is referred to as the Vanille Salon, and requires a minimum of 6 guests to reserve, but can only serve up to a maximum of 10.
The Salon is a separate room separated by a wall with glass partitions from the rest of the establishment; I've attended teas there twice (one of which I hosted) and even though you're sitting by a glass wall with a glass window looking out onto the street behind you, there's a relaxed feeling of intimacy and privacy that still makes you feel comfortable. I've never had customers take photos of me or barge in unannounced to ask what the deal is here. It could be luck, or the general customer base of Vanille, I'm not certain.
The Afternoon Tea service is one course with all savories and sweets brought out at the same time, lasting one and a half hours. Each guest receives their own personal pot of tea and a proper cup and saucer. The full menu can be found on their website at http://www.vanillepatisserie.com/Afternoon-Tea.html It is important to note they are also open to accepting dietary restrictions and this should be discussed during the initial reservation over the phone so they can properly accommodate you and your guests.
I can happily confirm it's absolutely delicious! And afterwards you're always welcome to peruse the desserts available to take home when you're ready to go.
It is a bit difficult to take full coord photos inside of the Vanille Salon, and I've found the best place for photos is in the patisserie proper, in front of the glass windows (like the display case, or the partition window that divides it from the Salon.)
Overall I adore Vanille Patisserie and they've made a permanent customer out of me for the past five years; I highly encourage anyone who can to please go pay them and their wonderful staff a visit!
TLDR:
-Best. Macarons. Ever.
-Great tea and tea service.
-Kind and respectful staff.
-Amazing desserts.
-Refined and delicate interior great for coord shots at Lincoln Park location.
Thank you for reading my review, and I'll catch y'all on the next one.