
About Plein Air Cafe
Bright cafe & coffeehouse serving its java with French specialties in a cheerful setting.
What People Are Saying
from Google & Yelp"Plain Air Cafe made for a delightful breakfast. They have very nice outdoor seating, and their interior isn’t bad either. The menu was surprisingly diverse, but we stuck with pastries and coffee. The pastries were light and delicious, and the hazelnut beignet was especially scrumptious. The coffee was also excellent. I really liked the atmosphere here. The staff was busy but professional. I wouldn’t hesitate to come here again."
"I enjoyed sitting here for an hour playing puzzles and drinking their vanilla iced cappuccino May be I am little confused but it was vanilla and it was cold and it was Good. Vibes are cool and friendly fresh feelin the air. Outside sitting in a good weather can be a great place to enjoy coffee n book With or without friends it’s a nice place to enjoy"
"This cafe has a gentle energy buzzing throughout. The warm lighting and sunlight that streams through the windows on a sunny day is pleasant and inviting. I visited for the first time on a Saturday afternoon and was not expecting the line to be as long as it was. The interior is small and the line stretched from the counter to the exit. However I do appreciate that there is plenty of outdoor seating and therefore it was not cramped or stuffy while waiting inside. It took us a while to order because of how busy it was (about 10-15 minutes) but once we ordered the food and drinks came out promptly. We ordered the strawberry matcha and organic matcha lattes. Both drinks didn’t have a strong matcha flavor and the matcha itself didn’t taste high quality. I recommend you try a different drink. I do recommend the mushroom pie. The crust was flaky and the inside was warm and tasted delicious. If you order the ham and swiss baguette, know that the bread may be a little tough, and lacks flavor even with the mustard spread on it. I don’t recommend this baguette. Overall, I appreciate the plethora of seating with the variety of outdoor options, from benches to small tables. The service was great—fast, friendly, and very kind. There may be better food and drink options than what I ordered."
"I normally don’t like to write/give bad reviews, but my experience today really hit the nail on the coffin. 1. There is no wifi here, unless you have a hotspot or are affiliated with UChicago and can access the school internet. 2. I ordered the tuna salad sandwich. You can see in the picture that there is a big chunk of bread missing on one of the sides. How do you miss that and think it’s acceptable to serve? The tuna salad itself was not flavorful and had a very fishy taste. 3. I originally asked for soup, to which I was told that they were out of soup for the day. Okay, no problem. But TELL ME WHY the couple that sits next to me (who came in & ordered way after I did) has soup brought out to them. I immediately looked over to the person at the register to see if it was someone different and if there was a misunderstanding or miscommunication — it was the same person who had taken my order. I really want to give the benefit of the doubt on this situation, but I just can’t wrap my mind around it. 4. I had an iced vanilla latte in the morning, it was average — nothing impressive. In the afternoon I had an iced oat strawberry matcha, which was delicious! 5. Bakery items are not bad. The hazelnut beignet was tasty, regular croissant was flaky and made well. The macarons tasted like they had been out for a while. Overall, it’s a very busy environment which is expected since it’s one of the few coffeeshops nearby and it’s on campus. They have outdoor seating which is nice in warm weather. They do not accept cash. Prices are on the higher end & not ideal. I do not recommend this place if there are other options. But, if there are no other options nearby, I would not oppose anyone in going here."
"Had a veggie baguette , Strawberry matcha and a hot cappuccino. Definitely the matcha stood out and was extremely good. Baguette and cappuccino were good too."
"Such a beautiful spot! Peaceful, charming, and so relaxing...a true hidden gem . Outside seating is blissful!"
Hours
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