L'Elizabeth248 South Main St., Providence (click for map)(401) 861-19743 p.m. to midnight Sun. to Tues., to 1 a.m. Weds. to Sat.
Stepping inside L'Elizabeth for the first time, I felt a little like Alice in Wonderland. Maybe I hadn't fallen down a rabbit hole, but I was certainly attending a mad tea party. The interior of l'Elizabeth is packed with plush couches, overstuffed chairs and delicate settees, creating the eclectic impression of being in a well-stocked antique store. The furniture makes the cafe crowded, not cluttered, and the chairs are positioned so that a party can sit down and enjoy an intimate conversation without feeling intruded upon by the other patrons.
Despite the whimsical appearance, enhanced by the icicle lights hanging in the windows and the glow from the candles on the tables, L'Elizabeth is all class, all the way. The intimate patisserie offers a menu with an impressive selection. Although the café was founded during the 1970s when coffee houses sprang up to offer an escape from the bar scene, the cafe now offers a full bar, including a selection of dessert wines, whiskeys, martinis and cosmopolitans. The house specialties, however, are a selection of international coffees. If Irish coffee doesn't appeal to you, why not try Jamaican, Mexican, Scottish or Parisian? A true can't-miss treat is the café L'Elizabeth, a house blend of Kahlua, Irish mist and coffee. Served piping hot in a traditional wine glass, the drink is the perfect compliment to one of the superbly decadent pastries.
The dessert menu is the real star of the show at l'Elizabeth. Everything is made fresh daily by the owner and founder, Ruth Elizabeth Mahoney. Though the menu is limited to about five food options, the key here is quality, not quantity. Every dessert is melt-in-your-mouth delicious but there are a few standouts. The Sir Thomas, a chocolate pound cake with fresh whipped cream and fudge sauce, is to die for and Ruth's Famous Traditional Tiramisu is heavenly and on or above par with everything you might find on Federal Hill. A word to the wise: The cafe doesn't run prices on their menu and things can get a little costly. However, I can promise you, the drinks, the food and the experience are worth every penny.
L'Elizabeth offers the same, if not better, food quality and kitsch of better-known café contemporaries such as New York's Serendipity and Burdick's Cafe in Harvard Square. However, thankfully for me but perhaps regrettably for the establishment, L'Elizabeth has thus far been Providence's best-kept secret. You won't find the cafe teeming with under-caffeinated tourists jockeying for a place in line on a Saturday afternoon. Rather, L'Elizabeth is quiet and serene, and I've never had to wait for a table. The patisserie is ideal for a late-night snack after a movie at the Cable Car across the street and the romantic ambiance is perfect to impress your date. If you're looking for a cozy place to study and refuel in the afternoon, L'Elizabeth also offers wireless Internet.
For traditional café fare in an untraditional café, there's no place quite like L'Elizabeth... at least on this side of the rabbit hole.
