Cafe FLO is the new casual dining space from Groupe Flo, who also owns Brasserie Flo, Beijing longest standing French restaurant. There are two other branches located in Parkview Green Mall and World Trade Center mall. Each branch has a slightly different menu and different decor.

When I entered the cafe, I was taken with the decor of the restaurant. The whole interior was aesthetically pleasing. The dark wooden beam columns along with the different shades of blue accentuated the ambiance of a Parisian bistro.

I was at Cafe Flo on two different occasions. One was for brunch and the other dinner. I will share both experiences.

 

As stated on the menu, all brunch meals come with French imported butter, croissant, and Bonne Maman jam. The croissant was buttery and flaky. The baguette emanated a subtle sweet fragrance, the kind you get from a freshly baked bread.

Brunch du Chef C. 100g grilled beef tenderloin with truffled scrambled egg, bacon, pork sausage and sauteed baby potato 

150RMB

In my opinion, the price for this dish was a tad bit steep. It just had the usual ingredients for a full breakfast meal. It was good, but nothing was outstanding that would justify the price. I was not a fan of the scrambled egg. It was not because it did not taste good, but it was the way it was made. The French-style scrambled egg has a more creamy consistency with tiny curds. I prefer my eggs “dry”.

Saumon norvégien. Norwegian salmon topped with sauce Vierge with a side of cauliflower puree accompanied by asparagus.

98RMB

The salmon was cooked just right. The sauce did not overpower the natural sweetness of the salmon. The cauliflower puree was a good companion to the food.

Red velvet chocolate

I did not know what to expect from this drink. It was my first-time hearing about it, and I am a big fan of red velvet cake. In my mind, I thought maybe it would taste somewhat like a red velvet cake (plus it looked stunning in the picture). The drink was a little too sweet for me, and it tasted like a hot strawberry candy drink with milk.  Some people may like it, but it did not fancy my palate.

Vienna coffee

Two shots of strong espresso topped with whipped cream with a sprinkle of cocoa powder.

This was an enjoyable coffee. You take a sip of the coffee with the whipped cream, and it gives the coffee a light creamy sweetness, and you get this lovely bittersweet flavor with each sip.

Soupe de champignons
Creamy mushroom soup with marinated mushrooms

48RMB

The mushroom soup was delicious. This substantial warm-hued soup was a perfectly balanced blend of good quality fresh ingredients complemented by a dollop of cream.

Frites de patates douces 

Sweet potato fries with garlic aioli

25RMB

These sweet potato fries were fried to perfection.  The sweet potato used were pleasantly sweet – just a basket of deep-fried goodness!

Spaghetti au boeuf

Spaghetti with minced beef, Provençale sauce, Parisian mushroom, and Parmesan

79RMB

The spaghetti bolognese was somewhat different from the American or Italian style. It was light, creamier, and smoother in texture. There was not a lot of ground meat. I did enjoy the dish,  it was flavorful.

 

Overall, I enjoyed the food. However, unlike its more famous sister restaurant, Brasserie Flo, the service at Cafe Flo lacked professionalism. The waiters were all gathered at a counter, in the middle of the cafe, in some sort of discussion. I raised my hand to get the attention of one of the waiters for the bill, but no one saw me until I called out to one of them. Shouldn’t there be at least one waiter at different corners of the restaurant? That was my only disappointment.