Pastries with coffee are indeed among the best things in life. But pair them with cool Parisian vibes and a whimsical aesthetic that’s just a little weird, and you have something truly magical. Welcome to Amélie’s French Bakery.
Born in Charlotte, North Carolina, Amélie’s is a cafe and bakery unlike any you’ve seen before. The picture frames are slightly off kilter. You might see a chandelier made of pots and pans. And the Mona Lisa could easily be wearing sunglasses.
Meanwhile, the rows of rainbow-hued macarons and elaborate petits gâteaux (that’s “little cakes” in French) are enough to make any sweet-lover swoon.
You’ll be drawn in by the odd decor, but it’s the food and coffee that makes you come back. Fortunately, though they first opened in 2008 with one location, they now have five, including one in Rock Hill, South Carolina.
What To Eat at Amélie’s French Bakery
A pastry shop in the French tradition, Amélie’s offers eclairs, tarts, macarons, and more to tantalize your taste buds. They also serve a range of drinks and savory eats to round out your meal with fast and friendly service.
Each cup of joe is made with North Carolina’s own Pure Intentions roasted coffee. If you’re having trouble deciding, opt for a café crème, which tempers rich espresso with steamed milk. Or if you’re feeling super fancy, choose the café marcotter, an Amélie’s signature drink with vanilla bean syrup, caramel, sea salt and probably magic.
The baguette and croissant sandwiches are a decent size, so a half portion is usually plenty. And the tartines are standouts — think French pizza, but replace the crust with buttered toast and the toppings with clever combos like Gruyère and duxelles. It’s even better dipped in soup.
Amélie’s Quirky-Cool Decor
Now, for the backdrop. Decorated with bright colors, salvaged art, and a sort of French-themed kitsch, the cafe is Instagrammable to the last degree. And the decor sets the tone for your visit: upbeat, funky, eclectic.
They have board games stacked on a shelf if you can talk your friends into a bout of Cranium. Or feel free to bring a laptop to plug in and work away on your project of choice. Plenty of people do.
The same designer does the interiors for all their locations, so although each one is different, you’ll see similar themes throughout. For example, all their cafes have the signature pastel blue pinstripes, which set the appropriate dreamy tone for the kind of place where you can dig your fork gently into made-from-scratch mille-feuille filled with the airiest of creams. It’s heavenly.
A Picture-Perfect Cafe
As suits a cafe, prices are fairly affordable. You can have lunch for around $10, and a pastry for even less.
Choosing just one pastry, though, is nearly impossible and, honestly, I wouldn’t advise it. They’re tiny works of art — almost too pretty to eat — but you’ll get through it somehow. Bring a friend so you can sample a few together, or pick out some favorites to take home.
Either way, you should plan to come back soon. This is truly one of the best cafes I’ve been to (including several cafes in France), and you’ll want to return again — and again.
