Flo Paris

Had the honor to visit Flo Paris a few times and have been pleasantly surprised each time. The pastries, coffee selection, and crepes have all been wonderful. The staff have been incredibly friendly. I can’t wait to visit again!

I came here with a couple friends for coffee and desserts — so I can’t speak on their sandwiches or other savory foods. Their coffee was good, and everyone was very impressed with the taste and presentation of the desserts. The macarons are expectedly delicious. The downside is that everything here is a bit pricey.
What I love about this place is the layout and overall ambiance. This café is located in the corner of a not so nice looking plaza — but the inside is so much nicer. They have both long tables for big crowds and smaller ones just fitting 3 – 4 people. There’s good lighting — so it might even be a good place to study. Just beware that it does tend to get a bit crowded, so it can be noisy. This is a great place to casually hang out.

I needed a place to study so I decided to come here and try out the study vibe. It’s pretty brightly lit so it’s great to bring something to read or study, but the ambiance just didn’t exude that calming and comfortable vibe for someone to focus; so I don’t recommend studying here.
PASSION CHEESECAKE
I really liked this pastry. You could really taste the passion fruit and it tasted a hint like mango too. It was very fruity and not overly sweet. It had a nice smooth consistency and wasn’t dry. The fruits were sweet and added a fresh fruity flavor to the pastry.
SALMON SALAD
I wanted something light to eat and decided to get this. I should’ve gotten something else. I was never a fan of arugula, but I thought the dressing would make it a bit more bearable, but I was wrong. The arugula has a pungent, bitter, and earthy taste and it was contrasted by the acidic and sweet cherry tomatoes. The dressing didn’t do much to the flavor of the salad, but added some oil. The smoked salmon was smokey and thinly sliced. I liked the taste of the salmon when combined with the arugula because it masked the bitterness with the smokiness.
I think I’ve visited enough to say that I’ll only be going for the pastries from now on. This is not the place to get some work done or to eat lunch. It’s more like a dessert shop and I’ll only be visiting for that purpose from now on.

I really enjoyed this hidden gem for lunch. It’s situated in a small center with lots of other businesses so easy to miss, but parking was not a problem at lunchtime. From the outside, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but the inside was a pleasant surprise of fun, colorful seating and beautiful quiches, sandwiches and pastries. It was like a non-​chain La Madeline with a better selection!
I ordered the buffalo mozzarella sandwich that’s really more of a vegetable sandwich with eggplant, peppers, basil and a tasty pesto. It came with a fresh green side salad and potato chips. I’m an eater and rarely take food home, but this was enough for two meals and I was able to take half the sandwich to go for later. Not bad for $ 12.75. My friend had the mushroom soup and house salad that he also really enjoyed. He too referenced La Madeline without all of the salt.
Somehow I resisted, but the pastries! Cannot wait to try them next time! Especially the beautiful opera cake and éclairs and tarts. More to come after my pastry visit!!!

Flo Paris, the challenger to Common Bond’s distinction as best bakery in Houston. Relatively new, Flo is tucked away in a shopping center on Westheimer. Comparing and contrasting to Common Bond, Flo is larger with more seating and more of an industrial feel. The seats, while they look trendy, are more a piece of artwork then somewhere you want to sit for extended periods of time. I’m actually there right now writing this review and my back hurts. $ 5 bucks to any Unilocaler that gives me a back massage in the next 20 minutes. Don’t miss out on this unique opportunity!
I digress. The food is what we’re here to talk about. The selection is larger than Common Bond and features an assortment of tarts, macarons, eclairs, cupcakes, etc. There are also savory options including fresh bread, croque messieur, etc. I went with the pain au chocolat (a mini sweet baguette with chocolate). Fantastic and can’t be beat for only $ 1. I also had the ham and swiss sandwich on a French baguette for $ 9. While a little pricey, it’s pretty big and I could only inhale half of it. Like Common Bond, it’s a little pricey but you’re paying for quality and freshness. The main distinction I can make between the two: more choices at Flo Paris but maybe less unique items that you’ve never heard of before like you’ll find at Common Bond.

If you were just driving by and looking around for a place to eat, you may miss Flo Paris. It is a quaint little café and bakery oddly placed at the intersection of a strip mall. However, this small little bakery is truly a great find.
The lunch menu that they have is very focused and done very well. Sandwiches, savory and sweet crepes, and soups. I had the croque monsieur and I can say this with confidence, it is THE BEST croque monsieur I have ever had. Very well balanced, good beschemel sauce, and good quality ham. The thing that set it apart was the cheese. Most places will just melt it a little, but they make sure that the top is caramelized and slightly crisp. The owners also did a good job of balancing such a heavy meal with a very nice, light salad.
The bakery was also amazing with lots of interesting goods that you wouldn’t find in other bakeries. I did go for a rather safe option with the fruit tart. It looked good, but they made it so that every bite you take it’s a little bit different. It’s the sort of pastry that says to you, «but look closer» and you find a nice light layer of custard, «but look closer STILL» and there’s a small edible chocolate wafer that has the logo. Absolutely delightful.
If you are hesitant of coming here as I was that it might be off-​putting because of the very French environment, the service here proved me wrong. The owner is a wonderful old man and was a joy to have serving us. He also went around the dining room and brought out some freshly baked baguettes to see if we would like to sample any.
If you are looking for a place to have brunch, I would definitely put this place at the top of your list.

Flo Paris ended up being our favorite when we decided to tour every French café in Houston in a single day last week. Unlike the terrible customer service at Common Bond, the service here was nice and friendly. Most importantly the coffee was nice and the Salmon Tandoori sandwich on a poppy seed bun rocked. Lots of seating as well.
If you are trying to choose between Common Bond where there’s a line out the door, no where to park and they don’t care about customer service, I would pick here as it has the same level of food quality, easy parking and a staff that smiles and is helpful when making a selection.

Met a girlfriend here for a latte and macaroon catch up and we enjoyed it thoroughly! We arrived during the mid-​afternoon when no one was really there which was nice. It’s tucked in the corner of this strip mall off Wertheimer. If you weren’t using your GPS or looking hard enough, you might miss this place. It’s literally tucked in the corner.
I ordered one of each macaroons they offer and each was delicious! I can’t recall all the flavors but they did not disappoint. I would highly recommend this place to meet a friend or come just for the pastries alone! 5 out of 5 stars!

Came in to snag a salad to go and some pastries! Salad was something fancy with its olive oil dressing, arugula + microgreens, tomatoes, and dainty slices of smoked salmon. Albeit easy on the eyes, this salad lacked flavor. I like all these ingredients separately, but I guess without a unifying, strong salad dressing, it did not achieve its potential.
As an isolated entity, the treats at flo are beautiful and satisfies a mean sweet tooth, but if you compare it to the rest of the intensive dessert/​cute café scene in Houston, it falls a bit short in the details with their macarons having cracks in them, for example. Their chocolate mousse is still something I’d be willing to go back for though!

This place has been bookmarked for a while, and I’m so glad I finally got to try it out. I’m giving this 5 stars because I can’t really think of anything bad to say about it.
I went here for lunch with a friend and we split a salmon tandoori sandwich and a chicken crêpe. BOTH WERE AMAZING. The salmon tandoori sandwich was so flavorful and moist, with the perfect amount of acidity and crispiness on the outside. Flavor and texture were just amazing.
The chicken crêpe was also really good. The flavor was creamy but still light and refreshing. Everything is just so fresh, I love it!
Don’t even get me started on their desserts. It’s all just so beautiful and delicious! We tried their strawberry cream puff and this other chocolate covered dessert (I forgot what it’s called). The cream puff was super light and airy and huge! The chocolate one was as if a snickers and twix had a baby and made it. It was so rich and delicious.
The price is what you would expect from a place like this (around $ 15 a person) but the portion sizes are huge! It’s definitely worth the visit. The atmosphere is quaint and a nice place to hang out and study too if you want.
I’m drooling just thinking about this place! Will definitely come again!

Stopped by here on a weekday afternoon for a quick bite — what a great find!
Ham and cheese croissant ⁵⁄₅ — flaky buttery croissant with ham and cheese. They’ll toast it for you before serving.
Apple tart ⁵⁄₅ — not to sweet delicious cinnamon apples on a bed of thin custard on flaky pastry.
Lots of selection including whole cakes! Will need to stop by and try their other desserts.

A cute café located at the corner of a strip mall. I like that the owners help the rest of the staff tend to their customers.
We ordered a sandwich with tuna, mushroom soup, and an opera.
They were so kind to bring us an extra plate without even asking so we could share the sandwich. The mushroom soup was amazing! I couldn’t get enough of it, you have to order it! Dessert was yummy, tasted kind of like tiramisu.
Only downside was that their bathrooms were out of order.
We enjoyed our lunch, and I plan to return for macaroons!

Hands down my favorite French café. I truly believe they have the prettiest, tastiest, and most reasonably priced desserts in Houston. Their baguettes/​sandwiches aren’t bad either! The initial crunch after biting into a baguette sandwich reminds me of the days I spent in France eating lunch on-​the-​go. My favorite desserts to eat here are the pistachio and cherry tarts as well as the fruit tarts. If you’re a fan of liquor, the cherries in the pistachio-​cherry tart are soaked in liquor (I think either brandy or rum) and then placed into the tart. It definitely adds a nice bitterness and «zing» to what would normally be a plain sweet tart. Of course you also can’t go wrong with a tasty fruit tart. The crust is amazing and I always want to order more than what I can finish! Polish off the sweet treats with a cup of espresso and you’ll be extremely satisfied. :)
Nowhere else in Houston can you find a French café as simple and friendly as Flo Paris. The café is clean, decent sized, and the owner and service is friendly and attentive. The few times I’ve been here I have always been mesmerized by the owner speaking French so eloquently! :) it definitely adds a nice little French «sparkle» to the café and I can’t wait to keep coming back.

Setup: post run brunch
The good: cute and clean space, French specialty foods for sale, patio seating, ham and cheese croissant with olives and tomato was really nice and savory, classic crêpe was nicely toasted and well filled, free refills on regular coffee
The less good: strip center, dark corner
Observations: The owners were there working and observing which is good. The staff was friendly and attentive.

At first, due to my lack of experience with French pastries, I felt unqualified to leave a review. Then, upon realizing that most of the existing reviews are left by female dessert enthusiasts, an idea popped into my head. Here’s a review for the dudes who are not that into desserts but came because their wife/​girlfriend/​sister/​daughter wanted to.
Get the Salmon Sandwich. It’s literally a giant piece of baguette with a large piece of salmon in the middle. It’s pre-​made and when you buy it, they press it down flat for you so it would fit into your mouth. It’s huge and it’s guaranteed to take a while to finish. Great way to pass time! =) But in all seriousness, the salmon sandwich was actually pretty good, thought it was quite expensive. I would also suggest trying one of their savory crepes. Their crepes are on the thicker side, which actually make the dish feel more like an entrée instead of a dessert. Now for the desserts. We tried 3 of them but I honest have no idea what they are. They taste pretty good though, not overly sweet. The interior is very modern but seating is limited so be ready to wait for a table. You can sit outside too, but it’s facing the parking lot.

This place had been on my list of Places to Try for a while, but I didn’t know I’d like it this much! It’s in the corner of a little center near the Galleria. I had to make a U-​turn to get into the parking lot because I was going westbound and I didn’t see the sign at all until I was already turning into the place.
I was there to meet up with a friend of mine that I hadn’t seen in a while. She ended not being able to make it due to a work emergency, but I waited there for about 40 minutes when we both were still hopeful she could make it. I got in at around 11 AM on a Sunday morning. The tables were mostly filled and there was a steady stream of customers coming and going; some to stay and others had ordered something to-​go (they came in cake boxes but weren’t open so I sadly didn’t get to see what they had ordered). It’s a cute little place with plenty of tables inside and out. There are shelves with various imported items that you could purchase like Nutella (not sure if that’s imported, though) and jam as well as olives. There is also an open counter display with their crêpe station and savory items like quiches and sandwiches (closest to the doors) all the way to the pastries by the cash register. The spread looks amazing! In the back are some baskets with these long baguettes that made my inner self battle between the desire to play Swords with them or just devour them like the carb-​loving fiend I am.
While waiting, I decided to ask the Crêpe lady behind the counter what I could eat. I’m vegetarian (easy enough) but I don’t eat onion, garlic, leeks, or chives (that’s the hard part). There are menus by the door but the menus don’t tell you everything. Plus, there seems to be specials — there was a Brie and Fig Sandwich that was offered when I was there but was not listed on the menu — so the menu was just for their staple menu items. The lady referred me to another man who referred me to the Chef (½ of the owners). He seemed nice? Well, the French aren’t known to be as foolishly smile-​prone like most Americans appear to be, so I’m sure he was all smiles inside. Anyway, I explained my dietary restrictions and with a moment of thought, he told me I could eat there. I didn’t think that was all that helpful, but I took it. and decided to play it safe.
Once it was confirmed that my friend probably couldn’t join, I finally got in line. You order at the cash register and the lady (the Chef’s wife, I’m guessing) got the things you wanted if they were ready, like the croissants and pastries! I ended up getting the Four Cheese Crêpe which came with a simple side salad as well as a water. There is a self-​service station off to the side. Because I had been salivating over their goodies for so long, I also ended up getting an Almond Croissant, and 3 other pastries to-​go. I just randomly picked the pastries, but one of them was coffee-​esque in cream puff form, the other was labeled with Chocolate Pistachio, and the last one was nameless.
One thing to note here: the crepes are not made to order. That’s not to say they aren’t fresh — just efficient. The crêpe lady would pre-​make a set amount of crepes and the Chef would put them together. Once he was almost done with the stack of pre-​made crepes, the lady would make more. I didn’t taste anything other than awesome crêpe skin — light and the edges were still slightly crispy. No complaints! The filling was amazing — it was cheesy and I. Love. Cheese. There’s really nothing that could go wrong. The side salad was fresh (nothing wilted) and the dressing used was light and was more of a simple vinaigrette. I didn’t detect any garlic or onion in any form. I was ecstatic, because though amazing, the crêpe was essentially melted fat folded in a thin carb skin. The staff there was used to me loitering about and was nevertheless helpful; they had even told me I could sit down when I informed them I was waiting for a friend. When I finished, my plates were cleared almost immediately to get it out of my way (I had whipped out my phone to respond to my friend who was still stuck at work).
I shared the croissant with my husband shortly after I returned home later that day. It was still great and the thing is HUGE. It was pretty much the same diameter as my appetizer plate and was lightly topped with sliced almonds and had a great almond filling that reached almost one end to the other! The pastries were shared later that night with 4 others. Everything was amazing, but just a note of warning: the Chocolate Pistachio comes with rum-​soaked cherries dispersed in the middle. They did NOT skimp on the rum. Just saying.
All in all: good service, great food, and the seating/​atmosphere is clean and open. I returned the next weekend for a «light» breakfast with my sister and brother in law at 9 AM: Almond Croissant, Pain au Chocolat, and a Chocolate Croissant. The savory items weren’t out on display, yet, though.

Pretty nice place to hangout with a group of friends and chat over coffee. There aren’t very many coffee shops outside the loop (not including Starbucks). So I’m glad Flo Paris opened up.
I ordered the red velvet cheesecake and a latte. The red velvet cheesecake was pretty good… the cheesecake was really good and the red velvet cake was alright because the cake was a little dry. The latte was made very well and I really enjoyed it.
The staff is friendly and helpful when you don’t know what you want. And my group of 6ish people were kind of a pain as we stayed til the very end and they didn’t push us to leave.
I wanted to try their sandwiches or hot foods, but the kitchen was closed already, so I guess i’ll have to head back there next time.

I was excited to try this place but it was a disappointment.
— Macarons (2.5÷5) were chewy and tough then what I am use to.
— Caramel latte (2.5/5)was alright, didn’t wow me.
Decoration and atmosphere is pretty, spacious and clean. Therefore, it deserve 1 additional star. It’s a cute bakery/​coffee shop but food/​drinks are mediocre.

What a cute place! The décor is so adorable.
I took my mom here for desserts and we were shocked on all of the different choices we had to choose from. My mom got blueberry and peach tart while I got the chocolate mousse cake and a cappuccino. Both of our the desserts were tasty but it wasn’t memorable. I think this place is delicious but I think I can go anywhere to get the same patisseries anywhere else.

I was looking forward to a fancy new Parisian bakery, but Flo falls just a tad short. It’s in the corner of a plaza near the Galleria, and there’s a cute little patio outside. Unfortunately, all you can see from it is the parking lot: P.
The inside is bright and colorful, and the display of desserts looks very appetizing from far away. When you get closer though, you can see that the desserts are very large and look a little clumsily made. They don’t have that perfect, meticulous look that I expect from French pastries. A lot of them boasted a LOT of cream– either pastry cream or whipped cream– that took over the pastry. There were cream filled macarons (huge ones too trying to be ispahans), eclairs, tarts, cream puffs, and cakes.
My friends and I got a berry tart, mille feuille, and apricot cookie to share. The pastry cream in the berry tart and the mille feuille was the same. The tart part of the berry tart was very hard and more like a shortbread cookie than a tart crust. Nonetheless, it was yummy because I enjoy shortbread cookies :3. The mille feuille was very flaky and dry. I’m not sure if it’s supposed to be like that, but it was hard to eat it with the pastry cream because it just kind of fell apart. The apricot cookie also wasn’t anything too special.
The prices are fairly reasonable ($ 4-​$ 6 for pastries) but I expected the food to be better, especially since Common Bond and Tout Suite’s prices are similar. Everything is served on paper plates trying to look fancy, and they have plastic utensils pretending to be metal ones. I’m guessing they’re trying to have the image of a more casual Parisian café. It seems to be a family run business, so I hope they can succeed.