Simone's Cafe in Oklahoma City: French Pastries and Coffee in Midtown
Simone's Cafe is a French-focused pastry shop and coffee counter in Oklahoma City's Midtown neighborhood, built around made-to-order croissants and espresso drinks rather than full-service seating. The operation emphasizes speed and quality over lingering—most customers order at the counter and eat at one of a handful of small tables or take items to go.
What Simone's Cafe actually is
This is a European-style patisserie hybrid: a cafe that prioritizes pastry production and coffee technique in a modest footprint. The space feels more like a specialist bakery with coffee service than a traditional sit-down cafe. Counter ordering, no table service, and a rotation of daily items built around laminated dough define the experience. The clientele skews toward Midtown professionals grabbing breakfast before work and coffee enthusiasts who recognize the difference between a properly laminated croissant and a frozen one.
Coffee and pastries with price tiers
Croissants are the signature: butter croissants run around $4 to $5 depending on size and variation, and items like chocolate croissants and almond croissants sit in the same range. Other pastries (danishes, pain au chocolat, seasonal fruit tarts) typically fall between $3 and $6. Savory options like quiches or sandwich builds on croissants add $2 to $4 to a pastry base price. Espresso drinks (cappuccino, latte, cortado) range from $4 to $5.50, and filter coffee costs around $3. Verify current pricing before visiting, as ingredient costs affect pastry pricing seasonally.
How it compares to other Midtown and downtown cafes
Simone's differs from Elemental Coffee (also in Midtown), which emphasizes specialty single-origin beans, pour-overs, and extended seating for work. At Elemental, the experience is slower and the coffee talk more technical; pastries there are sourced rather than made in-house. The Loaded Bowl, a health-focused cafe closer to Bricktown, centers on bowls and smoothies with minimal pastry selection. Simone's is the place to go if you want a properly executed French croissant with your coffee; Elemental is better for serious coffee study; The Loaded Bowl serves a different meal category entirely. For someone wanting speed, pastry quality, and espresso in one stop, Simone's has little local competition at its exact intersection.
Who it suits and who it does not
Simone's works for weekday breakfast runs, quick coffee with a pastry before work, and anyone who notices the texture of lamination. It does not work for people seeking a full meal, long-stay work sessions with wifi and outlets, or those who prefer American-style muffins and donuts. The limited seating and no-frills counter setup mean it is not a social hangout cafe; it is a transaction venue that happens to serve excellent pastries.
What the first visit involves
Walk in, look at the day's pastry display in the case, order at the counter, and pay. If you want a coffee drink, specify size and any customizations. Most orders take fewer than five minutes to hand over. Eat at one of the small tables inside, at the counter if standing room opens up, or take your order out. Expect a brief line during 7 to 9 a.m. on weekdays.
Hours, parking, and logistics
Simone's is located in Midtown on NW 23rd Street. Hours typically run 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. weekdays and 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday; closed Sunday. Verify hours before an early-morning visit, as kitchen production can shift seasonal start times. Street parking is available on NW 23rd; no dedicated lot. The space itself is small, seating roughly 10 to 12 people at a time, so arriving before 8 a.m. on weekdays ensures you avoid a wait and have the best selection of fresh items.
Simone's succeeds because it executes one thing well in a neighborhood where that specificity is valued. In Oklahoma City's expanding coffee and pastry market, this is the only place making laminated dough in-house daily.
