{"id":130353,"date":"2026-01-24T13:21:30","date_gmt":"2026-01-24T13:21:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/130353\/"},"modified":"2026-01-24T13:21:30","modified_gmt":"2026-01-24T13:21:30","slug":"cafe-bastille-weston-debuts-with-generous-brunch-thats-not-boring","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/130353\/","title":{"rendered":"Caf\u00e9 Bastille Weston debuts with generous brunch that’s not ‘boring’"},"content":{"rendered":"

Two years after setting up their French-style brunchery on the picturesque banks of Fort Lauderdale\u2019s New River, young Parisians Estelle Bellegy and Benjamin Amsallem are betting they can deux it again in west Broward County.<\/p>\n

Caf\u00e9 Bastille, their casual breakfast-lunch spot at 1660 Market St.<\/a>, debuted in the Weston Town Center on Friday, Jan. 16, with 54 seats indoors and 18 more on the patio. At 2,200 square feet, it occupies a high-traffic storefront in the open-air mall\u2019s northwestern corner, and is painted in soothing olive greens with yellow flowers wreathed around its striped awnings.<\/p>\n

\"Parisian<\/p>\n

Mike Stocker\/South Florida Sun Sentinel<\/p>\n

Parisian owners Estelle Bellegy and Benjamin Amsallem at Caf\u00e9 Bastille in the Weston Town Center on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (Mike Stocker\/South Florida Sun Sentinel)<\/p>\n

Here, the menu brims with scratch-made fare du jour: trendy Dubai hot chocolate and cr\u00e8me br\u00fbl\u00e9e croissants, triple-stack pancakes crowned with pistachio pieces and blueberry coulis, and French toast accented with kiwi slices and whipped-cream dollops resembling white roses.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s the fourth Caf\u00e9 Bastille for Bellegy, 33, and Amsallem, 34, who cut their teeth at Michelin-recognized restaurants in the luxury hotel Le Royal Monceau-Raffles Paris. And now their burgeoning brunch brand is in expansion mode, they say, with a fifth location expected this spring in Miami\u2019s MiMo neighborhood, followed by a kitchen commissary in Miami Gardens this summer, where fresh pastries will be made daily and shipped to all locations.<\/p>\n

The couple also say Caf\u00e9 Bastille has earned word-of-mouth buzz \u2014 commenters rave about it constantly<\/a> on food groups \u2014 for their famously large portions that keep pace with viral trends.<\/p>\n

\"Cafe<\/p>\n

Mike Stocker\/South Florida Sun Sentinel<\/p>\n

Cafe Bastille Weston opened Friday, Jan. 16, in the Weston Town Center. (Mike Stocker\/South Florida Sun Sentinel)<\/p>\n

\"Parisian<\/p>\n

Mike Stocker\/South Florida Sun Sentinel<\/p>\n

Parisian owners Estelle Bellegy and Benjamin Amsallem at Caf\u00e9 Bastille in the Weston Town Center on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (Mike Stocker\/South Florida Sun Sentinel)<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

Mike Stocker\/South Florida Sun Sentinel<\/p>\n

The Breakfast Croissant with cheddar eggs, bacon jam, avocado, tomato confit, spinach and spicy mayo. (Mike Stocker\/South Florida Sun Sentinel)<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Mike Stocker\/South Florida Sun Sentinel<\/p>\n

A spicy bowl featuring salmon, quinoa, arugula, avocado, cherry tomato, and cucumbers with spicy mayo is shown at Cafe Bastille in the Weston Town Center, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (Mike Stocker\/South Florida Sun Sentinel)<\/p>\n

\"Cafe<\/p>\n

Cafe Bastille in the Weston Town Center on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (Mike Stocker\/South Florida Sun Sentinel)<\/p>\n

\"Salmon<\/p>\n

Salmon lox with chive cream cheese, tomato, cucumber, fried capers, and onions is served on a Jerusalem bagel at Cafe Bastille in the Weston Town Center, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (Mike Stocker\/South Florida Sun Sentinel)<\/p>\n

\"Blueberry<\/p>\n

Mike Stocker\/South Florida Sun Sentinel<\/p>\n

Blueberry Pancakes topped with berry compote, candied pecans and Grand Marnier citrus mascarpone are served at the new Caf\u00e9 Bastille in the Weston Town Center. (Mike Stocker\/South Florida Sun Sentinel)<\/p>\n

\"Cafe<\/p>\n

Cafe Bastille in the Weston Town Center on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (Mike Stocker\/South Florida Sun Sentinel)<\/p>\n

\"Beverages<\/p>\n

Mike Stocker\/South Florida Sun Sentinel<\/p>\n

Beverages at Caf\u00e9 Bastille include a Mango Foam Matcha, Tiramisu Matcha Latte, Strawberry Foam Matcha and a Detox Green drink. (Mike Stocker\/South Florida Sun Sentinel)<\/p>\n

\"Roasted<\/p>\n

Roasted turkey Benedict with brie cheese, avocado, and tomato is served at Cafe Bastille in the Weston Town Center, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (Mike Stocker\/South Florida Sun Sentinel)<\/p>\n

\"Avocado<\/p>\n

Avocado toast topped with feta, a poached egg, pickled onions, tomatoes, red pepper flakes, and cucumber is shown at Cafe Bastille, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (Mike Stocker\/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
\nat Cafe Bastille in the Weston Town Center on Thursday January 15, 2026. (Mike Stocker\/South Florida Sun Sentinel)<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

The interior of Cafe Bastille in the Weston Town Center is shown Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (Mike Stocker\/South Florida Sun Sentinel)<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

Mike Stocker\/South Florida Sun Sentinel<\/p>\n

The Israeli Breakfast comes with two eggs, avocado, feta, halloumi, tomato, Kalamata olives and Turkish yogurt, plus a Jerusalem bagel. (Mike Stocker\/South Florida Sun Sentinel)<\/p>\n

\"Parisian<\/p>\n

Parisian owners Estelle Bellegy and Benjamin Amsallem at Cafe Bastille in the Weston Town Center on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (Mike Stocker\/South Florida Sun Sentinel)<\/p>\n

Show Caption<\/p>\n

Mike Stocker\/South Florida Sun Sentinel<\/p>\n

1 of 14<\/p>\n

Cafe Bastille Weston opened Friday, Jan. 16, in the Weston Town Center. (Mike Stocker\/South Florida Sun Sentinel)<\/p>\n

Expand<\/a><\/p>\n

Menus are refreshed every six months, Bellegy adds, roughly the life cycle of a TikTok food trend. Last year, Red Velvet pancakes sold like, well, hotcakes. Now they\u2019re out, and here\u2019s what\u2019s in: Sweet Potato Waffles with maple-pecan butter, candied pecans and raspberry coulis.<\/p>\n

\u201cInstagram and TikTok have a bit of influence on what we do,\u201d Amsallem says. \u201cSo we always look for the fun Instagram-friendly ideas that can bring people together and convince them to travel to our locations.\u201d<\/p>\n

Offerings, identical at all locations, include scratch-made Nutella croissants, alongside dulce de leche pancakes topped with bananas and cookie crumble, crispy French toast bites, plus iced tiramisu matcha lattes served with a ladyfinger biscuit. Even the specialty cocktails seem primed to explode on FoodTok, including a cr\u00e8me br\u00fbl\u00e9e espresso tini \u201cmade with tequila because \u2026 Miami,\u201d per its cheeky menu.<\/p>\n

\"Blueberry<\/p>\n

Mike Stocker\/South Florida Sun Sentinel<\/p>\n

Blueberry Pancakes topped with berry compote, candied pecans and Grand Marnier citrus mascarpone are served at the new Caf\u00e9 Bastille in the Weston Town Center. (Mike Stocker\/South Florida Sun Sentinel)<\/p>\n

On the savory side, there are French breakfast burritos (spoiler: in crepes, not tortillas), plus truffle croque madames with truffle bechamel, ham and Gruyere on fresh brioche, a filet steak and eggs bowl, and Bae\u2019s Shakshuka with three eggs, feta and a Jerusalem bagel (a sweeter, oblong, baked bread that\u2019s distinct from New York-style boiled bagels).<\/p>\n

The chefs in charge of menu testing are director of operations Francisco Aristy (ex-Biltmore Hotel Coral Gables, Nikki Beach) and administrative director Javier Tome,\u00a0who also help develop new pastry recipes and have \u201cthe same mentality and ambitions we have,\u201d Amsallem says.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

Mike Stocker\/South Florida Sun Sentinel<\/p>\n

The Breakfast Croissant with cheddar eggs, bacon jam, avocado, tomato confit, spinach and spicy mayo. (Mike Stocker\/South Florida Sun Sentinel)<\/p>\n

The couple\u2019s plan was always to open in Weston \u2014 especially after the runaway success of Caf\u00e9 Bastille in Fort Lauderdale<\/a>, which opened in late 2023 as a touristy, youthful magnet on a tranquil stretch of the New River, Bellegy says. The riverfront eatery still commands hourlong wait times for customers traveling from Sunrise, Plantation and neighborhoods west of Interstate 75, which convinced the couple to pick a suburban outpost.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere aren\u2019t tourists coming to Weston, so here, we\u2019re attracting families,\u201d Bellegy says. \u201cEach location really has its own personality, so if Fort Lauderdale is a hidden gem, this one is an all-day cafe where people come after yoga and Pilates, have their coffee, the smoothies, their eggs. But the common thread is we believe that brunch has to be generous. If brunch is not generous, then it\u2019s boring.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

Mike Stocker \/ South Florida Sun Sentinel<\/p>\n

Caf\u00e9 Bastille’s The Classic offers French toast topped with kiwi, berries and butter-whipped cream. (Mike Stocker\/South Florida Sun Sentinel)<\/p>\n

Amsallem and Bellegy first made it their mission to make brunch less boring as front-of-house directors for two restaurants, Matsuhisa Restaurant and the Michelin-starred Il Carpaccio, both at the luxe Le Royal Monceau-Raffles Paris hotel. They bonded over a shared love of brunch, something they had no downtime to enjoy while working in hospitality.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn our industry, you\u2019re never off Saturdays or Sundays,\u201d Bellegy says. \u201cNobody is. So we decided to leave France, because America is better. The mentality is different in America. Here, age is just a number. If you work hard, and have a good ethic, you can move up the ladder very fast. And we could do that with brunch.\u201d<\/p>\n

After immigrating to Miami pre-pandemic, they took over an existing French restaurant in downtown Miami and morphed it into a brunch house while keeping the same name, Caf\u00e9 Bastille. They opened a Miami Beach location in 2024.<\/p>\n

\"Mango<\/p>\n

Mike Stocker\/South Florida Sun Sentinel<\/p>\n

Beverages at Caf\u00e9 Bastille include a Mango Foam Matcha, Tiramisu Matcha Latte, Strawberry Foam Matcha and a Detox Green drink. (Mike Stocker\/South Florida Sun Sentinel)<\/p>\n

Now they think their casual restaurant has the potential to fit in any American city.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe think there\u2019s space everywhere for Caf\u00e9 Bastille,\u201d Amsallem says. \u201cDepending where we are, we can be a destination for tourists but also a great choice for locals who don\u2019t mind spending a bit extra for brunch.\u201d<\/p>\n

Caf\u00e9 Bastille Weston, at 1660 Market St.,<\/a> debuted Friday, Jan. 16. Go to CafeBastilleDowntown.com<\/a> or call 786-425-3575.<\/p>\n

\"An<\/p>\n

Mike Stocker\/South Florida Sun Sentinel<\/p>\n

The Israeli Breakfast comes with two eggs, avocado, feta, halloumi, tomato, Kalamata olives and Turkish yogurt, plus a Jerusalem bagel. (Mike Stocker\/South Florida Sun Sentinel)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Two years after setting up their French-style brunchery on the picturesque banks of Fort Lauderdale\u2019s New River, young…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":130354,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[1593,506,104,1594,28,688,114,123,125,124,687,109,685,106,15353],"class_list":["post-130353","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-miami","tag-bars","tag-broward-county","tag-entertainment","tag-explore-florida","tag-florida","tag-food-and-drink","tag-latest-headlines","tag-miami","tag-miami-headlines","tag-miami-news","tag-restaurants","tag-social","tag-the-eat-beat","tag-things-to-do","tag-weston"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/130353","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=130353"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/130353\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/130354"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=130353"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=130353"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=130353"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}