I hope they put a few tables and chairs on the outside

I love this kind of place, but we seem to have several. I hope they do well.

Also, I really hope it's good hot chocolate. Why is HC around this neighborhood so expensive?! If you go to Connecticut Muffin (at least the one at 15th/PPW) you get an over priced chocolate made from a bag, like swiss miss, heated in a microwave with water. WTF.

Couleur has good HC but it's also expensive.

I have seen quite a few people patronizing this place, and I agree some tables outside with some plants would be terrific.

I think the one glaring flaw is the "hug in a mug" tagline.

It's just so incongruent with a french cafe. Make it a nice sweet small little French cafe, leave the hug in a mug thing which is just SO cheesy and stupid.

Do we know what kind of coffee they serve?

That's sort of the most important thing to know when a new coffee shop opens. It's like reporting on a new restaurant opening, but not telling us what type of food they serve.

Anyone been to the new Mexican place on 5th Ave around 7/8 st? Walked by the other day, it was open but Id never heard anything about it.

Jbob:

http://parkslopestoop.com/blog/business/rachels-taqueria-to-expand-with-tijuana-style-joint-called-tortillas

Since Rachel's is terrible, don't have high hopes for this one. But the new Las Rosas Grill outpost called Papi's Grill is coming soon to 7th and I think that's going to be a hit.

I was told that they are putting 3-4 tables outside once the weather is a little bit more warmer.

I was excited about this place but became disappointed with the coffee. I ordered mocha and for large cup they charge $6.50, compare to other place like Hunry ghost or cafe Du Nord which charge $5:50. The mocha was not as good as the 2 coffee shops I mentioned. Perhaps they are still trying to figure things out and I will still give them a chance since it's very convinient to me. But if their coffee is still not as good as their competitors, I won't be coming back here.

@Tim-thanks, completely agree with you.

$6.50? More like a mugging in a mug.

Is this one of those "hugs" with the reacharound into your pack pocket?

Sounds like highway robbery to me.

@jbob & @tim - The Mexican place you mention is called Varrio 408 and it's the best burrito I've had in the neighborhood. They make their corn tortillas and have a great salsa bar. It's nothing fancy but the food is fantastic. I've never been to Rachel's so I can't compare.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/varrio-408-park-slope

@Sterling- thanks

The great wine shop Big Nose Full Body has moved into their new, much larger spot on the corner of 7th Ave and 12th st which had been a barber shop closed for about 8 years. What a change, the whole corner looks great.

I saw that move last night (BigNose). Opens in a few days I think, I forget what the sign said. They were in there working and it looks done. Looks nice! It really opens up that corner!

Prices ridiculously high -- no brewed coffee, and a small Americano was almost $6. Large fresh-squeezed OJ? $9. They may be serving crepes, but the entire crew -- owners and all staff -- are Russian, this is their first restaurant, and I just don't think they know what they're doing.

Last night the staff were just sitting there staring out the windows waiting for someone to come in. It was a major turn off and super unwelcoming.

Are these people friends with Berman Realty or something? I never saw a Dept. of Building notice posted about the renovation work and given that this is a Berman building, it seems the work must have been done on the down low.

The prices are absurd. A good coffee shop with a name like Intelligentsia would do great there. This little Hug in a Mug? Don't think we'll see this around past summer.

Completely off-topic, but I'd been waiting for someone else to ask: what the Sam Scratch is up with those horrible 2x4 tree fences all over Park Slope?

I'd like to be a fly on the wall when an entrepreneur sits in a banker's office and says "I'd like to open a coffee bar in Park Slope, may I borrow $200K, here's my business plan".

I liked this cafe, cute and cozy! delicious coffee and crepes with tomato and cheese ;)))

I, too, was excited about Estaminet, as it's on my way to the subway, but found it so disappointing. My small latte was more than $4.25 (can't remember exact amount). Cafe Regular, a mere two blocks away, charges $3 for a small latte and the coffee there is better. Plus, I'm sorry, but the to-go coffee cups are ugly, as is the awning, and the flat screen tv was blaring some new-age violinist video when I went in.

The interior design is fine (those big windows are lovely!) and the people working there seem nice, I just wish they would re-examine their prices, get rid of the tv, and carry some delicious croissants, muffins, and the like for hungry morning commuters.

It makes me furious just having spent almost $6 on a caffe' latte and the coffee jockey doesn't know how to pull a decent espresso. The blended swill they served me was made with the care and precision of Starbucks. If you're going to charge a premium price, (which I would pay), please serve me a premium product. ...And Konditore is no better but at least they start with good beans.

Dear Bloggers,
As the owner of this café, I pay careful attention to the reactions of customers. Your comments greatly assist us in our business development and we really appreciate them. In most cases, your comments are reasonable. We have reviewed our pricing, please feel free to visit again; our new set up will pleasantly surprise you.

In terms of the quality of the products, coffee lovers will back me up on this: not only is our coffee one of the best, but it is the best in the neighborhood. Our crepes aren't too bad either if you give them a try.

And finally on cleanliness and courtesy, I don't have anything to add. You simply need to visit other establishments and compare.

I'd like to emphasize again, I will continue to read your comments and take them into consideration. Also, please feel free to come in and we can discuss any questions or concerns you may have.

Thank you.

Simon/owner:

It seems as though the major complaints here are the prices and the quality and taste of your coffee. Can you address why so many here say the coffee is awful! It certainly doesn't inspire those of us who haven't been to try it.

My neoghbor went and said it was absolutely the worst tasting coffee she's had anywhere in Park Slope. said deli coffee tastes better.

Can you comment on that? Can you tell us where the beans are from?

I also think the hug in a mug is incredibly cheesy and it's not very sophisticated. Seems like a child made the awning.

The place desperately needs some seating outside and some large bushes or trees or plants or something.

I don't like the red awning (it reminds me of the cheesy Crab Spot awning) and I agree that the "hug in a mug" moniker is incongruous with the French name. Cafe Nord has similar size constraints but pulls it off and is more conducive to wanting to hang out there. Park Slope residents can be very particular and unforgiving so a new business really needs to do their research before rolling the die as these high rents leave little room for error.

Btw, any update on the Tea Lounge revival, I think a group was trying to reopen it as Meeting Place? I really liked that big, cavernous space.

Thank you, Simon, for chiming in and for taking the comments here to heart. I'm willing to give the shop another chance, especially if you've adjusted your prices to be comparable with nearby places. I disagree with others who said the coffee didn't taste good (wasn't as good as Regular's but was still good), and, as I said in my original post, I found the people who work at Estaminet to be quite nice.

I hope you guys succeed!