Le Pain Quotidien

Es gab veganen Kuchen! Und sie haben auch Porridges die man vegan haben kann.
Wir fühlten uns sehr willkommen & sassen draussen & beobachteten das treiben.
Das Essen kam schneller als der Tee und kurz nach dem auffinden des Restaurants konnten wir auch schon essen.
Der Schoko-​Birnen-​Kuchen war sehr lecker & mal nicht so britisch süss :)
Mein Mann hatte einen Scone bestellt, dieser füllte fast den ganzen Teller aus!
Es ist nicht günstig, aber ich finde man kriegt wirklich leckeres Essen & Trinken für den Preis.
Wir kommen wieder!

This is one of my favourite places for coffee and they have some gorgeous cakes on display. I ate here a while back which was ok but I still think that their forte is their bakery.
The waiters and waitresses have always been helpful and friendly whenever I’ve been.
I’ll go with the average to pricey description as a meal here can be quite pricey for what it is.

Wir waren schon in Paris in einem der Läden! Alles Bio und das hat seinen Preis! Da kostet leicht das Frühstück soviel wie ein Abendessen. Aber die Qualität stimmt und erst recht der Geschmack. Der Laden ist zudem geschmackvoll eingerichtet!

I kind of knew what to expect from Le Pain Quotidien, as I have been to others before. However, this was my first time for a meal, I had only been to coffee/​hot choc with cakes before.
The meal was just overpriced and nothing much. Willl not be repeating.
But what really baffled me was that there was a very big and visible sign outside about a certain food package that specified the price but it didn’t say if it was per person or per couple, and it was confusing as some of the things in the package were double (like 2 fruit salads).
Not only nobody knew if it was per person or per couple, but none of the ⁴⁄₅ waiters/​waitress that I asked and that they asked among them knew what it was about! I really cannot stand it when staff don’t know what goes on in the place where they work and you just don’t feel confident when someone finally gives you an answer. But this one was just shameful.

For more and pictures please refer to

After an amazing classical concert by the London Philharmonic Orchestra at the Royal Festival Hall, my parents and I wanted a quick bite to eat and a nice glass of red wine to go with it. For me it’s always rather difficult to find a decent place to eat around the Southbank Centre. Too many generic chain restaurants and too many tourists queuing in front of them. As it was already quite late we just went into the first restaurant that crossed our ways, that was Le Pain Quotidien. Le Pain Quotidien is a Belgian chain with restaurants with subsidiaries all over the world. I liked the rustic communal tables and the waiters were polite and helpful.
However, the food was underwhelming and very badly presented. I can’t exactly remember the prices and they are not stated on the website, but I will give you an estimate. We decided to share a couple of light dishes and went for the Roasted organic Italian vegetables with mixed leaves, pesto & goats cheese (9?). I love goat’s cheese and also roasted vegetables, but this plate was distilled boredom. The vegetables were completely and utterly tasteless (apart from the onions, which tasted not very good), some insipid dressing covered the few green leaves and the goat’s cheese well it was the tiniest goat’s cheese I have ever seen.
It is an insult to the Italian nation to call the next dish ‘The Italian Platter’ (13.50?). You might agree with me that this is not a pretty plate of food. The advertised prosciutto tasted and looked like black forest ham, the logical conclusion being that it probably was black forest ham. There was some more of the disgusting onions and the rest was, like the salad, tasteless.
The only good thing about the food at Le Pain Quotidien was the baguette which was fresh and crisp. But that’s in the name, isn’t it?
Something I really find sad about London is the fact that often around tourist attractions (not only Southbank Centre but also e.g. Spitalfields Market) there is not a single non-​chain restaurant. There must be more people like me out there who don’t feel any culinary pleasure dining at Pizza Express, Wagamama, Giraffe, Strada, Ping Pong, The Real Greek and I could go on forever. We should all boycott these places and hope they don’t get customers any more, opening room for independent restaurants and coffee shops. What do you think about this and what is your most hated chain restaurant? (Mine must be Pizza Express, what a waste of calories!)

A good place for a breakfast, as the name suggests: it’s all about bread. With that in mind, the selection of bakery products and other continental breakfast choices is lovely, an their café au lait perfectly French — even if they are a Belgian chain.

I went there today after I saw the place a week ago after a concert at Southbank. It looks like a perfect wine place at first sight so we went there with my girlfriend today to check it out.
I will be brief, saying that the food was unexpectedly good (looks like a tourist-​place, its how I call such places on busy spots of a town) and I would expect a burned sirloin steak. Although, the food was very good I have to admit, the place as well BUT the service. It could be worst but could be better as well. The 1^st bottle of wine I ordered was very warm on the top (probably under a light) so I gave it back, the waitress though didn’t had any understanding why.
Anyway the service was very basic (order-​thanks-​bye style). If the people were friendlier I would have better feedback.
Lastly, I am not sure what exactly this place supposed to sell but I would really like to have offered a better wine list. It is a nice wine place, with those wooden tables, have something more people!

On a cold winters day there is nothing you want more that a lovely cup of steamy hot chocolate or skinny latte. Le Pain Quotidien on The South Bank did not dissapoint. with vast bowls filled to the topThe resaurant is set into railway arches and is on two levelsthe ambinece is warm and freindly with pine tables and chairs. the service was a little slowbut to be expected on New Years Day! We both went for soup of the dayvegetable and bacon which was wonderfully thick and warm served with rye breadsadly no butter! All in all a lovely place just to pop in for a quick coffee a light snack or someting more substantial. and is wonderfully located just accross from The Royal Festivel Hall.

I really really like it in here. Came here yesterday after a stroll around the Christmas market (I was having my photo taken on the carousel for
). It’s right opposite the Royal Festival Hall so that’s handy too.
It looks really tiny. Annoyingly so. But then you stand and drool at the cakes while waiting to be seated. You’re then led into a huuuuuuuge chasm of a room with gorgeous little wooden tables and happy friendly waitresses (who kept dropping everything. Strange.)
My rare roast beef salad was perfect. Really yummy. Sure, it was expensive (£10.50) but this was a treat so I thought I should y’know, treat myself.
There was nothing about this place I disliked. The salad was half beef, came with yum potatoes and bread and everything was lovely. Wish I’d had room for cake.
I can see how people might be a bit «meh» about Le Pain, I think it’s the kind of place that’s perfect in a shivery afternoon. Hopefully I’ll be back very soon.

Just been for lunch — excellent venue, but appallingly overpriced food.
Ordered a Ham and Gruyère Tartine at over £7 — was very surprised to find a tiny piece of bread with a small slice of ham and cheese arrive — very disappointing. Also, what’s the idea of serving Cappuccino in a soup bowl — I quite like having a handle on my cup — particularly if I’m paying nearly £3 for the privilege.

Le Pain Quotidien seems to be more suited to snacks, breakfasts and desserts as opposed to a full evening blow-​out, and their cakes and open sandwiches always have that fresh, just-​made, continental feel about them. The rustic feel of the place calmed us, even on a typical vibrant London evening, and the staff seemed relaxed and friendly too, which made for a good start on our entrance.
We ended up here for coffee and dessert, and what a treat that was! My tarte tatin was pretty good, as tartes go, and the staff were kind enough to offer a non-​dairy fruit salad alternative to our lactose-​averse friend, who in the end opted for the Blueberry and Apple crumble, which also went down very well.
Best of all, my Latte was perfect, not too hot, not too frothy, and with a decent shot of espresso, all served in a (requested) long glass — as a caffeine connoisseur (some might say addict), these touches are definitely not lost on me I’ll definitely be returning for another dose of caffeine and cake in future.
Coffee and Cake on a Friday night: under a tenner.

This restuarant is perfectly located just next to the millenium bridge and the royal festival hall. For this reason it is perfect for a quick bite in the evening before heading out to a show. In summer it has a nice terrace on the pedestrian zone which gives it a very parisienne feel. It definitely has somewhat of a ‘Paul’ feel to it with a large emphasis put on the freshly made bread and cheese. The menu consists of dishes designed to be light. Soup or pâté for example. There are some very delicious deserts aswell for those with a sweet tooth. The dish of the day is usually the most reasonable option since the prices are generally extremely expensive. In line with french tradition, size is not everything and more emphasis is put on the presentation

I think this is a US chain that is opening up in London, no doubt looking to dominate the world. The décor is a bit trite (sqaure flat plates, rustic & communal tables) and it feels a lot like a poor man’s Truc Vert. however it is very accessible, nice location on the south bank, bright and airy, great with pushchairs. best of all the bread is delicious and the eggs perfectly cooked.
All in, it’s a place that hedges its bets: you’ll get there because you know what you’re going to get, reliable and pleasant to be. A bit like a next generation Starbucks.