posted by Archana on Breakfast, Brunch, Chocolate, Coffees & Cafes, Dessert, Murray Hill, Vegging Out

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Madison Avenue is generally a snooze–tall buildings, men in suits, apartments nicer than anything I could afford. But I happened upon the quaint Keko Cafe one day and finally made my way there for brunch this past weekend.

It’s pretty unbelievable how much this place is able to take you away from Madison’s impersonal feel and into a cozy nook that feels like a little piece of Paris. The food is certainly good, but I wouldn’t say that’s the selling point. What’s truly great there is the vibe–the European soccer TV channel humming in the background, the shelves of tea pots and the five or so tables.

What’s in it for you: Vegetable omelet, eggplant sandwich, couscous with grilled vegetables, garden salad with grilled veggie burger

What’s in it for them: Lox and cream cheese bagels, cajun chicken sandwich, Alaska crab cakes, smoked salmon, and tuna, turkey, or chicken crepes

Since we felt as if we were transported to some Parisian café, we took it upon ourselves to do as the French do and start with a croissant, which we enjoyed with Indian spice tea and the coffee and fresh OJ that came with our entrees.

For my entree, I lucked out with one of the day’s specials, which was a ratatouille crepe filled with eggplant, squash, tomatoes, peppers, cheese and drizzled with an amazing chipotle-esque sauce.

And if we’re going to take a fantasy trip to Paris, we OBVIOUSLY have to have crepes! My friend and I settled on a nutella crepe with bananas on the side to satsify my love for both and his distaste for bananas. Et voilà:

By the way, contrary to many negative Yelp reviews about Keko’s service, we thought it was totally fine! Good food, good ambiance, good service–good for me!

Bon appetit!

Keko Cafe (no web site)
121 Madison Ave. (at 30th St.)
212.685.4360
6 to 28th and Park