This place was on just about everyone's list of brunch recommendations, so it makes sense that there was a line down the sidewalk when we went on a Saturday morning at 10:30. Luckily the line moves pretty fast; and we ended up getting our food about 30 minutes after we got in line. Just keep in mind that if you think brunch at Buvette is a good Saturday plan, you're not the only one.
Besides planning ahead for the busy hours, the other thing to know about this place is that everything is miniature. There are plenty of restaurants in the city where you feel like you've been strategically packed into a space just big enough for elbow clearance with the table next to you, but this is on another level. Beyond the tight seating, the tables, chairs, plates, and even the silverware all seem mini. The plates in the pictures are probably the size of most restaurants' salad plates. So consequently, the portions are smaller than you might expect as well. With that said, let's get down to what actually goes on the tiny plates on the tiny tables.
If you've heard of Buvette, you've probably heard of their scrambled eggs. They're a pretty popular choice here and they are rich and have a small curd (which I personally love). Since I was so torn between sweet and savory, I went with the waffle sandwich that had an egg, bacon, gruyere and maple syrup. It's great if you're like me and can never make up your mind. We also tried the Croque Madame and if I had to pick between the two I'd probably choose the Croque Madame again. Having said that, everything on the menu and at the surrounding tables looked really good and if you order anything with an egg, it'll probably be cooked perfectly.
I'm a little conflicted about this place because the food was great but typically, if I'm going to consolidate my breakfast and lunch into one meal as one does when one goes out for brunch, I'd expect to make up for the loss of a meal with some larger portions. I have no problem with leaving a brunch in a little bit of pain knowing it will carry me through to dinner. But, if you have a stronger will than me and prefer to keep your portions on the lighter side, and know when your stomach's telling you to stop... then this might just be the place for you. Maybe this restaurant's made for that type of diner anyways since your legs need to be skinny enough to be able to slide between the tables to get to your seat.
