There is a rustic ambiance to Rendez Vous Café that is noticeable the moment you place a foot on the stone patio in front of the quaint coffee shop. French, Spanish and Portuguese music softly plays while customers sip their lattes and eat their Nutella-covered crepes. Rich orange colors and shades of cranberry cover the walls with oil paintings of flowers and cobble stone side streets. Located on Wilson Boulevard, the café has only been in existence for a little over three months and already has become a favorite of the local pedestrians that live in the large apartment buildings up and down the street. College students sit in back of the small café with their laptops and paninis; men and women in business suits toting their dry cleaning stop by for a quick espresso after a long day at the office.
There is a rustic ambiance to Rendez Vous Café that is noticeable the moment you place a foot on the stone patio in front of the quaint coffee shop. French, Spanish and Portuguese music softly plays while customers sip their lattes and eat their Nutella-covered crepes. Rich orange colors and shades of cranberry cover the walls with oil paintings of flowers and cobble stone side streets. Located on Wilson Boulevard, the café has only been in existence for a little over three months and already has become a favorite of the local pedestrians that live in the large apartment buildings up and down the street. College students sit in back of the small café with their laptops and paninis; men and women in business suits toting their dry cleaning stop by for a quick espresso after a long day at the office.
Crepes are one of the specialties offered, and with over nine varieties it is hard to choose. If you are in the mood for a simple delight, try the Crepe au Sucre which is lightly sprinkled with butter, sugar and cinnamon. Crepe Nutella is a personal favorite, smothered in Nutella, chocolate, crushed almonds and whip cream, you will be savoring each bite. For a healthier approach, try crepes with bananas and strawberries, or make it a dinner with red peppers and mushrooms. The cost for this French pancake is $4.25, and worth every penny.
Open for breakfast as well, Rendez Vous offers bagels with butter or cheese, croissants with egg and cheese, French toast — of course — quiche and French baguettes with butter. Breakfast varies from $1.95 to $3.95.
Borrowing some Italian favorites, there are 10 paninis on the menu, so lunch and dinner can be covered as well at this café. The Monzo Roast Beef Panini has mixed greens, basil, tomato, 1000 Island dressing and mozzarella for $5.95. The Bennani Veggie Panini (named after the owner) has mixed greens, roasted red pepper, zucchini, mushroom and mozzarella for $6.45. The salads offered are just as delicious as their sandwiches. Try the avocado apple salad on a bed of mixed greens, apples and raisins with a yogurt dressing drizzled on top. Salad de Fromage has mixed greens, tomatoes and cucumber with a medley of mozzarella, provolone, American and Swiss cheeses. All salads are served with toasted garlic bread and for an additional $2.85 you can add grilled chicken. All of the salads are priced from $3.95 to $5.95.
Their slogan is “freshness that shocks our senses” which is absolutely appropriate for the café. Their vegetables are bought daily and their meats, along with their fruits, are never frozen.
The display case of delectable deserts includes, fruit tarts with raspberries and strawberries, slices of German chocolate cake, white mousse cake and cheesecake with raspberry syrup drizzled on top, patiently awaiting the next tempted customer. Fresh from the oven macaroons and biscotti dipped in chocolate sit in glass jars on the long counter top. Order a hot chocolate, Mochacinno, Chai, Café Americano or a cup of hot tea if the weather is slow to warm this spring. When summer comes, order an iced café, mocha freeze or a smoothie in strawberry, orange or banana flavors. Freshly squeezed apple, orange and milk almond are available as well.
Sit outside and ignore the hustle and bustle of traffic. Sip your beverage as the Parisians do and listen to the sounds of the cappuccino machine instead and the voice of Edith Piaf through the speakers. Potted yellow and pink zinnias line the patio and delicate metal chairs and tables help you wind down after a stressful day. You might not be a couple of blocks from the Eifel Tower, but you are only a block or two away from the Virginia Square Metro stop, so stop by and enjoy a little bit of France on your way home.
