Right across from Columbia University is a gem of a restaurant — Le Monde. I am amazed that I never noticed this restaurant considering I am constantly around Columbia, but that is because I usually opt to go to the restaurant next door (Community Restaurant). Nonetheless, I decided to try Le Monde, and I was not disappointed.

Le Monde is a French Bistro with plenty of seating both indoors and outdoors. It is the perfect place to have brunch when the weather is nice outside. The decor is very attractive inside as well, so I would return for dinner in the future to see how that is.

The brunch menu is straightforward, but had plenty of good options. I ordered the Scandinavian Eggs Benedict and black tea. The black tea they gave me was in some fancy miniature glass pot, and they gave me a quality tea bag (which is always a huge plus).

We also had a mimosa and shakshuka, which is a middle eastern dish featuring eggs in a tomato stew-like sauce. Overall, all the food was excellent. My Scandinavian Eggs Benedict was well presented with a very adequate portion. The salad and roasted potatoes on the side had good flavor and seasoning. I really couldn’t find anything fundamentally wrong with my dish, and I would definitely order it again. Of course, Eggs Benedict with salmon is always one of my favorite dishes, so they’d really have to screw it up for me to leave disappointed. The shakshuka was also beautifully presented.

Finally, we decided to split an apple tart dessert. This dessert was — by far — the best part. It took a while for the dessert to come out (perhaps they were literally making it from scratch?), but when it did, it was all worth it. The presentation was very simple and straightforward, and the warm apple tart was served a la mode with a scoop of vanilla. It was not too sweet, and had a wonderfully light texture. I would order it again.

Overall, I had a very positive impression of this restaurant. The atmosphere, service, and food was all up to par with my expectations, and I left the place quite happy. I would return in the future for brunch, and I would also like to see what dinner is like at this place. It’s perfect to go to on a nice day to sit outside, and then you could take a walk through Columbia’s campus.