Tip: The pain au chocolat and quiche lorraine are yummy. It has been great looking at photos of my trip to London in December 2013, and discovering whether the places that I frequented are still alive and kicking. The Paul near the hotel where I stayed is one of these places. I haven't changed. I loved a bakery then and I still seek out one when I'm travelling. I loved visiting this cafe. My hotel stay didn't include breakfast. Frankly, there wasn't a place to have some at the hotel itself. Instead, I bought breakfast items to my room to enjoy. I went to this cafe and got these items: - Pain au chocolat - Quiche lorraine - Red velvet macaron I paid with a credit card. I remember staff being super friendly and nice. I got my items in a couple of branded paper bags. I brought them to my hotel room to devour. The pain au chocolat was delicious. It was flaky and the dark chocolate was there in every bite. The quiche lorraine was enjoyable. It had the perfect ratio of eggs to cheese, bacon, and onions. The crust was yummy and held everything together. Both items tasted fresh. They were warm when I ate them at my hotel room. I went back to get a red velvet macaron. It felt fancy having it in its own box. It was divine! I'm glad that this cafe still exists. It's awesome. (34) read more

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Amazing little cafe right across from the underground rail exit in Gloucester. I've never been to UK but this is a darn good cup of chai tea and the little apple pastry is pretty good too. Great patio seating cool bakery read more

PAUL - Gloucester Road - Crumble apple pastry - Bakeries Near Me - London, XGL

Holy cow. Wish I had discovered this on Day 1 of my trip! Incredible pastries, breads, sandwiches, drinks. Cheap!! Friendly staff. read more

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FOOD Sandwich Montagnard Coppa Ham and Cheese Sandwich - The ham section is a bit on the saltier side but the lettuce and tomato did balance it out. THe bread has poppy seeds of some sort on the outside which add extra flavor to the bread around it. The bread however is a bit on the tougher/drier side which makes it a bit difficult to eat/finish the whole thing. Latte - The latte came out piping hot and tasted great. Great coffee flavor and ratio of milk! Great energizer to drink as I was touring the streets of London. VIBES I didn't get a chance to look at the inside seating since I was just getting to-go. The lower level is a bit cramped with just room for a line and ordering. There is outside seating and seating at an upper level. Pretty cute place and great presentation of the foods. SERVICE Service was a bit impersonal but it was pretty fast to get my order out (they were also really busy so I don't blame them). They were polite as well. read more

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Great coffee and breakfast, nice friendly service, right near our hotel and the tube station.

Service was very quick and efficient. Pastries were delicious! They have a few tables inside and very clean!

My wife and I were in London recently and instead of the hotel breakfast - which was honestly quite good - we opted for some fresh pastries and a couple of Americanos to relax in the room. This shop was 2 blocks down and it was a nice walk on a crisp Tuesday morning. Ordering was easy from the large selection although space was definitely at a premium on the customer side of the pastry cases. From order placed and paid to walking out the door with the breakfast was 5 minutes or so. The coffee was excellent and both the plain and chocolate croissants were equally excellent. Highly recommend if you're in a location with one of the stores in this chain. read more

Nice service, amazing food, and cute café. We had croqe monsieur, gourmandise and tangerine hot chocolate, so delicious.

The Paul, a chain like Starbucks in the US, but feels more upscale. The pastries are definitely better/fresher. The coffee - soso (3 star). This location is between a bunch of hotels and the tube station so its jammed with tourists, like me, in the morning. read more

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Very cramped, but great selection of baked goods and service is quick and friendly. We had chocolate croissants and some kind of apple pastry, with a lattice top, that was really great. Excellent place to grab a bite on the run. read more

Walking around Kensington, I was looking for something easy for breakfast; something I could eat there and take back to the rest of the family. Paul seemed as good as any, but they killed it, delivering perfect savory and sweet delights alike. I ordered a Christmas Croqué. I don't have the faintest idea how you're supposed to pronounce croqué, but Paul hit this one out of the park; the cheese on the outside was perfectly crispy, while the sandwich bread was toothy enough to lend just the right texture to the sandwich. I don't have the faintest idea what makes this a Christmas croqué (is it the bit of fig spread on top? the perfectly cooked... bacon(?)?) but I would get it, and the accompanying soy cappuccino, again in a heartbeat. I brought home a chocolate croissant, a ham and cheese croissant, a tartlette citron (lemon tart), and some sort of bread-pudding-with-rum(?) thing (it didn't seem the kind of place I could just sit and take pictures of their menu). Everything else pretty much disappeared as soon as it hit the table, I did get a bite of lemon (very tart, excellent) and the bread pudding... oh man. That same chewy toothiness as the croqué but permeated with a lightly sweetened rum glaze. I hope I can find this when I get home. We bought cereal for the rest of the trip... but I'll probably sneaky by here to grab something before we go home. read more

PAUL - Gloucester Road - Christmas croqué. Perfect bread texture. - Bakeries Near Me - London, XGL

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Pastries and coffee were good and affordable. It was a nice grab-and-go option. We had two ham and cheese croissants, an apple turnover, and a small mocha for £14. The service was not helpful whatsoever. My turnover not warmed as takeout, yet people had fresh pastries brought to their table for dine-in. We were not takeout but had to eat outside due to limited seating. There were 5 tables inside and 4 outside. Once I grabbed a receipt (after having to request one), I was able to complete a survey to redeem a free pastry with a drink purchase. I enjoyed my mocha so I ordered a second one and selected a chocolate croissant as my free pastry. When I asked for it to be warmed, I was told it just came out of the back. Whether or not this was true, the croissant was not warm in the slightest. Food and drink were 4 star, but service brought it down to 3. read more

The best full English breakfast (unfortunately no pic), avocado toast, and iced lattes. The owner was the nicest. read more

PAUL - Gloucester Road - Iced latte - Bakeries Near Me - London, XGL

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Wish I could give 0 stars!!!!!!!! I have been here a few times in the last few weeks. First of all this place does NOT open at 6:00!!! So when I come in at 6:30 (which is 30 min after scheduled opening) there is never any pastries, etc out. So this morning when I stopped by, no surprise, only a few pastries out and I was greeted by an angry blonde woman (clearly not British as she had an accent) who looked at me like "how dare I be there at 6:40 in the morning". I asked her "if they were open and she shrieked "yes". So I gave her my order, a Mocha with an added shot," and when I verified my order with her she got angry because didn't hear that I said I wanted an extra shot of espresso!! After I got my Mocha and walked out I tasted it and immediately had to throw it out because IT WAS SO BADDDD!!!! Save yourself your time and $$$$ and go down the street where the coffee is much better and you don't get attitude. Ps. A little suggestion for this bitter worker, who obviously is not British, WE ALL HAVE CHOICES IN LIFE!! If you don't like what you're doing, do everyone else a favor and quit! I WON'T be back!!! read more

We looked on the menu on yelp first before we went. But when we actually got there, what we ordered (avocado toast) was not available. We were disappointed. Only got coffee and ended up eating somewhere else. read more

A well-stocked bakery just across from the Gloucester Road underground station. Breakfast pastries, luscious French patisserie, bread sticks and rounds--they have it all. This chain seems quite reliable for diverse selection and quality. read more

PAUL - Gloucester Road - bakery counter - Bakeries Near Me - London, XGL

My friend Eva and I met up for breakfast, and bought something here to go. I can't say any bad things about this place because the place is fabulous. Inexpensive baked goods, but very good in quality. My friend paid for my spinach and goat cheese sandwich, and hot chocolate. They were so good! The sandwich was best served warm, and the hot chocolate was super yummy. Two thumbs up, and a 5 star rating. read more

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Excellent sandwich with Lyon style Rosette salami with French pickles on a fresh cheese bread. Yummy. Not many tables available for sitting down. read more

While living in South Kensington, I ate here at least 3x/week. Paul is the perfect place to grab coffee and a croissant during your morning commute, but also one of my favorite spots to get a macaroon with a friend and chat for awhile. During my lunch breaks, I'd go to Paul to get their prosciutto sandwich in a baguette - the bread was to die for. Their croissants are buttery, light, and flaky, and their coffee was strong (and they had milk alternatives! I usually went for almond). Paul is one of the places I miss most in the UK - America needs to open this French franchise! read more

PAUL - Gloucester Road - Macaroons and lattes with my roommate! - Bakeries Near Me - London, XGL

I was visiting London last week and came upon Paul by the South Kensington tube stop. The bread is phenomenal! The chew, flavor, density and crust are sheer perfection. I could not get enough of it! read more

a french bakery chain convenient for a quick snack, lunch, or breakfast! --Jambon cru basilic w/ butter, prosciutto, & tomato served on a baguette: the sandwich was not bad for pre-made & only cost us less than 4 pounds! --Croissant: it was pretty dissapointing having just come from paris.. but i guess that's setting standards pretty high funny how i did not see ONE paul in france except in the train station.. but they are all over london read more

PAUL - Gloucester Road - Jambon cru basilic - Bakeries Near Me - London, XGL

PAUL is as good as it gets for baked foods, and there's a reason why there's a location on almost every other corner! The food is delicious (I've had a chocolate croissant almost everyday of my week-long vacation in London), and everything is so reasonably priced! You pay just a few pence more if you're dining in rather than taking your food to go. When my family and I were visiting Paris, we found a PAUL location inside the Gare du Nord. This place is seriously the best, and I wish they had more locations in the United States so I could eat here everyday! read more

my first experience with paul was when i was in paris in the 90s. since then i've met paul in dubai, taipei and now in london. for those keen to know some history about paul should check out their website. but suffice to say, paul is the real deal when it comes to bakeries. i had the sandwich chaud camembert jambon cru. the bread was grilled till crispy and the cheese warmly melted within, together with the savoury cured ham and a sweet onion relish it made for a delicious sandwich indeed. they also have various other pastries and freshly baked bread, all a real teaser to the eye! as for the coffee which i had with the sandwich, it was a tad too milky even though it was supposed to be a latte. i'm sure you will bump into paul every now and then as paul is now all over london and their opening hours are : Mon-Sat 7.00am - 9.00pm Sun 8.00am - 8.00pm read more

PAUL - Gloucester Road - from within paul - Bakeries Near Me - London, XGL

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A beloved French patisserie chain, Paul has multiple locations in London. It will always have a dear place in my heart as it was one of the first meals I had when I moved to London for a few months last year. The macarons are huge, and I feel like it's quite authentic as a lot of the people who work there seem to be French. I enjoyed their quiches and tarts. Also, if you register for their card, you get a free croissant/pan chocolat with a hot drink! I love Paul, and all their pastries look so beautiful! read more

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So I am from Cali, and it was my second day in London and my first time in the UK ever! I'm a huuuge bakery fan, and I am always willing to try any, no matter the origin, taste, style, etc. So when I spotted this one on my random journey around Kensington area (near my hotel) I knew I just had to take a peek! As soon as I walked in, I could smell the fresh baked breads, sweet, succulent cakes and tarts...almost reminded me of this French bakery my boyfriend and I fell in love with when we went to Seattle! I ordered the pavot pulet sandwich, simply chicken breast, batavia leaves, mustard mayonnaise, tomato, all fitted into a poppy seed baguette-like bread! It was only £3.85 I believe, which was WELL worth it (considering I wasted a huge amount of pounds the day before on cheap, oily, tourist-style fish n' chips). I also had a slice of the Foret Noire...absolutely divine and decadent. Rich (but not overly sweet) chocolate sponge, with a salivating light chocolate cream filled with slices of cherries...all topped with white fluffed cream and showered in rich chocolate shavings. It fell from heaven and into my tummy in a world breaking record of two seconds. I breathed it in and it was gone, leaving me satisfied and wanting more. The best £3.10 I've spent in England so far. Thank you England for having AMAZING bakeries! read more

PAUL - Gloucester Road - Forêt Noire - Bakeries Near Me - London, XGL

If you are looking for sweets and coffee this is the place! I love their macaroons, croissant, gateau aux carrot ( a little too sweet but still very good), eclair , hot chocolate and the espresso! You can never go wrong with those trust me. Other thing it's full of french people so i guess It's a pretty good damn place haha, french people know about sweets and hey! there's paul all over paris too :)) This little Paul got a nice terrace too and a second floor if you are looking for a more reserved place. read more

PAUL - Gloucester Road - Carrot cake - Bakeries Near Me - London, XGL

It's beyond me...how a macaroon can be so big. Back in america, i've never seen anything this big, only little ones. I ordered takeaway for the chocolate macaroon, and they boxed it up all nice and gave me a napkin. It was a little under 3 pounds. It's a bit cold, but let it sit for a bit, and it's perfect. So soft...it was pure delight. It wasn't over powering with sweetness or anything. Definitely different than home. They had quite the amount of customers sitting around eating and ordering. The cappuccino I tried, (med 2.20) which I added chocolate to it was surprisingly underwhelming, i added a lot of sugar, but it was just so-so. I've had better at other places before. The croissant I had, 1.30 was delicious. Again, it didn't look that good, considering it has been sitting out in the open for who knows how long, but one bite into it, and I knew this was something that was amazing. It was so light and fluffy, and was gone within 5 mins. Their hot chocolate is amazing... literally. I've had "real" hot chocolate that places are famous for, but i felt they were too..bitter, this is like sweet and feels like real chocolate melted to make hot chocolate! LOVE IT. Their hot chocolate is different than the paul's i tried in paris....more sweeter and thicker. read more

Cute little bakery chain in the South Kens neighborhood. Stopped in for a coffee & croissant before our day's expedition of heading up to Wembley was to begin. The pan au chocolat was soft & had just the right amount of chocolate inside. The cappuccino was well made and was the perfect wake me up. For the vacationer in me, this was the perfect breakfast. However, I could understand the local Londoner may prefer someplace else. Seating is quite crowded inside and it's definitely more of a take-away place. Service was quick & pleasant. And they had it down to an art. Even though there were multiple people helping put our order together & taking our payment is like it was one person doing it all. read more

PAUL - Gloucester Road - Cappuccino - Bakeries Near Me - London, XGL

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I always love when I ask in a coffee shop if they have soya milk and they look at me as if I'm mad for implying that they may not! I wish more coffee shops outside of the cities would catch on to this. So the availability of soya milk aside, the pastries were gorgeous. It is my understanding that Paul is a French chain and believe me you can taste it in the quality of the pastries, fluffy buttery goodness! This particular branch was a tad small and I had to table stalk like a preying hawk, but that aside, it was miles better than the next door Starbucks were I had to grin and bear endless groups of Americans "getting their cappuccino fix on before going to get cultured" at the many London museums just up the road (sad but true story). read more

PAUL - Gloucester Road - Bakeries Near Me - London, XGL

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This place was great, lots of good choices and my ham butter cheese sandwich was great, but the man that served us seemed like he did not want to be there, other than that the food was great! read more

PAUL - Gloucester Road - Bakeries Near Me - London, XGL

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We stopped by this sandwich shop for a quick lunch. I certainly enjoyed my seeded baguette with chicken and tomato with an Orangina. Although this is a chain, it is a dependable one. I will keep returning. read more

Just what a need Fresh French Bakery/Cafe and service with a smile. Most of the staff speak french from what I saw. The Counter girls are fit birds! as they say. :-D But seriously the sweets are baked fresh and displayed nicely. The coffee is proper and the location spectacular. A great addition to London. If you're staying near by at a hotel or even hostel this place is perfect for every morning or even Lunch. Well done! read more

Paul is my favorite bakery chain in London. I want to review this particular location, however, as they served me very well for an event I organized in the Autumn. I needed 500+ mini macarons for an event and though it took me a little while to figure out how to contact the location directly (the Paul website was a bit hard to get contact info for each location), I was treated marvelously. The manager arranged the special order (which needed to be picked up quite early in the morning) and when she left on holiday the week of the event, made sure to pass on contact information for the person in charge on the day should I have any problems. The macarons were flawless. The large amount were packaged safely and securely and the staff were lovely. read more

Made our cold day warm and cozy. Loved the coffee Americano and the pastries! See you again Paul :) read more

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Really tasty, well-priced pastries. We tried four or five different variations on our way to and from the train station and they were consistently buttery, flaky, and excellent. Very impressed when a pigeon flew in and an employee was able to grab it with a (gloved) hand and escort it back outside before it managed to infect any baked goods with its pigeon germs. read more

Fresh and delicious bakeries, try to come in the morning for their freshest macarons! Also must try their thick hot chocolate and scrumptious croissants, come in many flavors! read more

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When you are in London and you need a quick patisserie/boulangerie fix, the pastry-chain Paul can fulfill your needs. Oui oui! They can prepare a sac à pique-nique for an outing at Hyde Park, they have beautiful cakes and tarts for any occasion, breakfast, fresh and delicious sandwiches and salads, soups, and coffee. You can eat-in or take-away. Paul also offers a Bread Masterclass on at their locations on Summer Street and Convent Gardens on Tuesday evenings. You can register for "La Carte Noire" a multi-use Paul Loyalty Card. www.paul-uk.com and www.paul-uk-classes.com read more

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HOLY MOLY I LOVE BREAD IN EUROPE BATMAN!!!! There is something about the bread in Europe. We do it all wrong in the US. Our breads are dense and heavy. Theirs is light, fluffy and I can eat a whole baguette without getting sickeningly full. Additionally, the butter definitely has a dose of crack cocaine in it. It is pure and heavenly, full of intense flavor. We of course also got a couple of pastries - au pain chocolat and beignet au nutella. WOW - so in love. Our first breakfast was a huge success! read more

The baguettes are light and fluffy. The pastries are delicious. The macaroons are gigantic. As a huge hot chocolate fan, I'm kicking myself for never trying the version from Paul's from any of the chain locations throughout Europe. I frequented this particular location while living in South Kensington and, for a chain, I was pretty impressed by the quality of the bread and pastries (even if I did find it a little out of my price range to go to every day). As good as the pastries were, I felt like I could find equally yummy pastries for a cheaper price in London. The bread was really top notch, though! Also, I recommend dining outside if the weather is good. I enjoyed conversation with friends over a mid-afternoon snack many a-time. read more

I remember the first time I went to Paul's and it felt so fancy and so francais and...oui oui oui! Now it's not quite as remarkable: the chain has grown, and there are also many other cafes around, so I don't make it in as often. However, when I pop up at South Kensington Station Paul's is just outside the Tube stop, along with Gail's and some other options. Paul's line always seems to move a little more quickly, so it has somehow become my go-to. Basic wins: 1. fair amount of outside seating 2. small space on the ground floor, but upstairs seating AND a line that moves quickly 3. CHAI LATTES! 4. I really like the baguette-style bread they use for their sandwiches. The plain salami and gherkin and ham and butter are just really solid staples that...erm...(student alert)...can sit in your bag for part of a morning without other students calling you out for a pungent lunch. It's the little things! The big baguette sandwiches (which truly can be two mini-meals) are something like 3.50 for takeaway which is totes legit in my books. Yelp note: I love that so many of the employees are / speak French. Oui, oui! read more