Overall rating: 4 out of 5. FOOD: 4 out of 5. VALUE: 5 out of 5. AMBIANCE: 3 out of 5
Do not come here on a hungry stomach or you’ll leave 10 pounds more buttery. As soon as you walk into Eclair de Lune, you experience strong wafts of butter along with memories of daily stops at the local Parisian bakery around the corner of your hostel when you were 23. Moving on…
Read my Lunch Rush column in Metro Calgary, or continue for the expanded version…
My companion and I were surprised to see a lunch combo for just $6.50, which includes your choice of a savoury pastry (turnovers, croissant, quiches), dessert (mini fruit tarts, cookies, meringues) and drink (ginger ale, water, tea, coffee). It’s a three-course meal for less than what you’d pay for one sub-par dessert at a restaurant.
My combo included two turnovers; one filled with spinach and feta cheese and the other with mushroom and cream cheese.
I would turn over for these turnovers. I don't even know what that means.
What they lacked in size was made up for in taste and excellent filling-to-pastry-ratio. I horked (see def #1) these down like little clouds of heaven. That said, I probably could have eaten about six of these and still had room for dessert. Dessert was a pitch-perfect mini lemon meringue tart.
My friend tried the combo with a salmon and asparagus quiche which featured a thin, flaky crust with big chunks of fish and veg. The volume of salmon and asparagus chunks caused plate envy on my part. Her dessert was a mini tart with whipped lemon topping. Yeah, I got dessert envy too!
Salmon and asparagus quiche, lemon mini tart and coffee. Huzzah!
Seating is limited as there are only two tiny tables at the bakery. You won’t be able to leave without also trying Eclair de Lune’s pain au chocolate (also horked; no picture) or perfectly flaky croissants. Decadent French pastry with friendly staff, at reasonable prices? Yes, yes, yes.
No space to loiter in this bakery because pastries take precedence. My kind of place.
The delicate pastries strike the right balance between flakiness and richness. If one could be said to have a “pastry tooth,” it would totally be satisfied here. If I lived closer to Eclair de Lune, I’d surely be the most dedicated (then fattest and most obvious) stalker.
Happy eating!
-Anh Chu
Eclair de Lune; 1049 40th Ave N.W., Calgary. 403-398-8803.
Hours of operation: Tuesday to Saturday 9:00 am to 6:00 pm; Sunday 9:00 am to 6:00 pm; Mondays closed.
Price range: ($1.95 – $4.25)
Reservations: No
Licensed: No
Is this restaurant appropriate for:
Client negotiations: No
Quick solo lunch: Yes
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I want to go to there
Me too!