Aux Pains de Papy

I feel very very strongly about Aux Pains de Papy. Non! I feel… TRES strongly.
My Mum is a French (everything, but especially) patisserie fanatic. And good thing, too, because when she visits me in London she seeks out some hidden gems. Like… Aux Pains de Papy. I know, I know, it was terrible timing for her to make this discovery in early January, right after I’d resolved to turn my back on holiday excesses. But… je né regrette rien!
Aux Pains de Papy is a small spot on Gray’s Inn Road, just south of the King’s Cross hub. If I understand correctly, one brother does the breads and more savouries, and the other brother the patisserie.
To date I’ve had the pain aux raisin, the almond croissant, the standard croissant, and also a delicious (for lack of a better term) «savoury danish» filled with a béchamel-​style filling and tiny squares of bacon.
There are filled baguettes, and quiches, and eclairs and cakes and tarts, to boot. All look beautiful.
My ode — and all 5 stars — goes out to the humble croissant, executed perfectly here. It is buttery and flakey, but with a tender inside. It is PERFECT. Parfait! No, but actually.
Go here. You will NOT be disappointed.
Unilocal note: from the looks of it, they also specialize in custom orders. Hello, fast-​approaching birthday!

Amazingly gorgeous authentic French bakery. This place is fabulous. Lovely friendly staff. All of whom seem to be French. Stunningly gorgeous bread and pastries. Best croissant I have had outside of France!

Wow, I can’t believe there are no reviews yet for Aux Pains de Papy. This place is fabulous! Yesterday morning I found myself stuck in King’s Cross with a platform so crowded that I couldn’t get on it even after a train came by. I decided to walk to the City instead. And that is how I discovered this fabulous bakery.
I normally have breakfast at work, since it’s free, but something about this enchanting bakery drew me across the doorstep. I was greeted by rich, yeasty waves of warm air heralding the croissants that were about to change my life. I wanted to empty every last penny from my purse and buy everything inside, but of course I still had a full day of work ahead of me, and walking in with arms full of bread would mean I’d have to share. I settled for a croissant with ham, cheese and bechamel, and a Pain au Raisin which I ate on the go.
That croissant saved my day, as I ended up having to work through lunch. I couldn’t have wished for a better improvised lunch. Sadly, when I voluntarily walked back to King’s Cross instead of taking the Tube, I found the bakery closed for the evening. This morning I made the final decision: I am changing my daily commute. From now on I will leave earlier so I can get off at King’s Cross, and walk the 25 minutes to work in the City, just so I can buy bread here.
The beautiful, buttery, flaky croissants at Aux Pains de Papy are infinitudes better than the sad, dry, crumbly croissants I used to get as a child on vacations to France. These are fresh, chewy, crunchy and soft, and a beautiful golden brown. I tried one of their rustic looking multigrain loaves as well, handcrafted into a short braid. I ate the whole loaf for lunch, I simply couldn’t stop. Such delightful chewy crust with grains and seeds, and the softest interior I’ve ever seen on a multigrain loaf. Mmm…
So I gained a 25 minute walk on my commute, but more importantly, I gained knowledge of the finest French bakery in London. Family owned and run!