maman

Even the takeout coffee cups are beautiful at maman, a French bakery and café with an enchanting blue-and-white vintage pattern elegantly displayed throughout the cafe’s decor, wallpaper, furniture, and ceramic ware. The food is equally enticing offering sweet Nutella beignets, flaky croissants, and cookies that remind you of cozy home bakes. What began with a single cafe in Soho has become a network of outposts in NYC and beyond, now boasting more than 50 locations including Old Town. The Alexandria location is right on King Street, housed in a soaring, two-level space decorated with greenery, toile and vintage plates.

Need a morning (or afternoon) pick-me-up? Espresso drinks are taken to a whole new level at maman, with options like chamomile rose tea lattes, salted tahini honeycomb matcha latte and the cafe’s signature fleur de sel caramel latte. The kitchen is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. for everything from pastries like pear and cardamom turnovers to hearty breakfasts like omelettes, croissant waffles and eggs ratatouille on the weekend. Lunch brings salads, soups, and sandwiches like Parisian ham & gruyère cheese on an everything-spice croissant. Two pop culture powerhouses give maman their seal of approval: Oprah Winfrey picked the brand’s nutty chocolate chip cookie as one of her Oprah’s Favorite Things, while the cafe is currently partnering with Martha Stewart, featuring a few of her favorite baked goods and recipes on its menus this year.

The name “maman” means “mother” in French, and the brand’s founders Elisa Marshall and Benjamin Sormonte drew their inspiration from cherished childhood memories spent in the kitchen cooking with their mothers from the South of France and North America. Their love for hosting means that each maman location can be used as event spaces for bridal and baby showers, corporate lunches, birthdays and more, with catering options available too.

maman is located at 701 King Street in Alexandria.