Francophiles, craving French pastry? Paul’s got your back!

Gastronomy and France— two words that always come together. If not on much, but the entire world would agree on one thing, that the French have aced the art of cooking. They are praised for their cooking techniques and methods— their wines, sauces, bouillons or broths, breads and pastries. French bread “baguette” is appreciated worldwide for its crunch, taste and versatility. They can be used for sandwiches, enjoyed with sauces or simply with some olive oil. Even better, with nothing at all, The humble baguette can be eaten as it is. Like the baguette, other french pastries and breads are leading in the list of breads around the globe. We see people enjoying their coffee with a  flaky and buttery crescent-moon looking puff pastry known as the croissant, for their luxurious breakfast. The name and pronunciation of this pastry or viennoiserie has caused an echo around the world and has become a mark of pride for those who can pronounce it well. Then there is Pain au Chocolat, another flaky puff pastry with chocolate inside. It  is a longstanding debate- is it called ‘Pain au chocolat or chocolatine’, ‘What is better Croissant or Pain au chocolat’ or ‘Is it just a croissant with chocolate inside?’ (Of course they are different!) The French and their food! always in some debate. With such a unique variety of breads and desserts, bakeries or patisserie have not only become a charm of France but around the world ,in big cities of London, New York, Sydney, among others.

French culture has been a subject of interest for many ,many years. The French language has become popular among language learners, leading to an increasing number of Francophones everywhere. The world is getting smaller but every country is becoming increasingly global. France, being a culturally rich country , has attracted people who want to learn their language and culture. Counting myself in, I too, have fallen in love with the language and culture, especially their cuisine. Calling myself a francophone now, (sometimes flaunting more than behaving like one :D) I never miss an opportunity to experience any event or place that has had a French influence, be it  French culture or cuisine. Trying out French desserts from bakeries and cafés has become an obsession. And even when I am not looking for one, the universe guides me there. I have a cute little story that takes you to London. (ya fancyyy, I know!)

I was in the UK for my masters program and one day my friend and I were travelling to London for a fun day-trip. Like many young tourists, we had our own 'to-do' and 'must-visit' lists, thanks to all the shared articles and popular reels we’d seen—things like 'What Not to Miss in London,' 'Top Places to Visit,' 'Best Breakfast Spots,' 'Must-Try Desserts,' and more. We were on a run, from one place to another, experiencing beautiful places, shopping and eating along the way, from one spot to another. By the afternoon, we were in Covent Garden, a cool and classy area. We were sipping our coffee sitting in the cutest square discussing the rest of our ‘to-go’ places. Our next stop was a very trendy bakery which served the most popular Beignets filled with cream. But while we were enjoying our chic moment in Covent Garden square, time slipped and suddenly it was 3 in the afternoon. It was the time the bakery closed (an odd closing time, innit?). The orange coloured ‘closed’ on the google map broke my heart and now my broken heart craved for the beignet even more. So, I gathered up the pieces and looked for bakeries or cafes near me that served similar beignets or maybe even good enough to satisfy the cravings. Scrolling through all the places I found a bakery which looked like a small, chic restaurant. We didn’t really expect a bakery to be that elegant for selling beignets and maybe other bakery products. But little did I know that it was a French bakery, so of course it couldn’t have been a small humble patisserie. It was a lovely warm restaurant with old, yellow chandeliers to match the wooden furnished interior, filled with French families sitting and enjoying their brunch. They had a huge menu with starters, mains, salads, burgers and baguettes, desserts and all types of drinks. I was searching for the beignets which were not on the menu, and “Excuse me, hello!” said the entire glass cabinet stuffed with all sorts of pastries, right in front of me. There were pastries, tarts, breads, croissants and colourful macaroons. Some pastries were stuffed with ganache, some were topped with glazing figs and strawberries and, there they were, the Beignets. They were those bite-size small cute beignets. So, naturally, I asked for a few of them. The charming gentleman who took my order suggested that they won't be enough and I should get some more. I, obviously, thought he said that just to sell more. so I just smiled and said no, thank you, and bought a small portion of six small beignets. I went out and quickly took a bite into one of the beignets. To my surprise, one, they were filled with chocolate and two, I finished the whole packet in no time. They were so good! I couldn’t resist and found myself going back to get some more. I was a bit embarrassed for not listening to the gentleman before. I smiled awkwardly while he very sweetly gave me his ‘I told you so’ look and asked him to pack me another portion of the beignets. With the refilled bag of beignets, I thanked the gentleman and cherished the moment of visiting the most charming cafe of all again. As I came out, I took a moment to look back at the bakery from outside and take a photo of the view. A black-painted cafe with glass doors and a very simple white font on black background was its name ‘PAUL’.

I still don’t know how those “must have beignets” from Instagram taste but this one spot was now on my ‘always visit when in London’ list. I was very overwhelmed at that  moment, it was something so amazing, something I didn’t know I needed. The ambiance was amazingly chic and calm, full of French families with lots of opportunities to have conversations in French. While I was leaving, I left the place smiling for two reasons, one, I realised I was so stupid that I had missed the opportunity of sitting and enjoying the ambiance that was so beautiful and two, it felt almost miraculous for a new francophone to be destined to find such an amazing place. So, I made a pact with myself to visit it again when I am back in London. And a bit of follow-up and research made me realise that PAUL was actually a chain founded in 1889 in France and now has restaurants in 47 countries. And as luck would have it, when I returned to India after a year there were two newly launched PAUL restaurants in India which were very close to home. I visited both the PAULs - in Pune and Mumbai - and they were just as warm and charming as the one in London. They have an enormous menu too, and the famous French onion soup was among them. There are other outlets of Paul in Hyderabad, Delhi and Gurugram. (Some day!)

It is said that a country’s cuisine is a reflection of their culture, and that’s how I have chosen my path of exploring the culture, through food. I will be back with new stories and new recommendations for all the francophones and french food lovers who are new to this experience and would love to explore this beautiful country’s culture. Till then, À tout à l’heure!

P.S. My next trip to London was 6 months after I returned to India. And I got the chance to visit the PAUL cafe again, one at the St Pancras Station and another by the riverside of the great Thames. (There are many more to be visited yet in London, hopefully very soon! :D)