La Boulangerie

La Boulangerie have the clever little ploy of luring in unsuspecting passers by showcasing its shiny, creamy delights in its front window.
It works.
Like a moth to a flame.
The coffee here is exactly as it should be. Dark, rich and strong. Viva la France.

Yummy.
La Boulangerie is lovely. It goes without saying that their pastries and bread are delicious — they’re French! But they also have lovely other bits. They do gorgeous homemade soup with garlic-​cheesey baguettes for just € 5 at lunch time. Warms you to the bones. They also do kind of pizzette baguettes. Cheap and cheerful.

Every once in a while I get struck by the sudden desire, no need, to eat a pastry of some sort. I lean towards chocolate eclairs and fruit tarts; I guess I just have a love of creamy egg custard surrounded by buttery baked goodness and topped with something delicious. Thank god I live within walking distance of TWO La Boulangeries.
This location is smaller than the other on Camden Street and as a result it does not have quite the same selection as that one does, but they still have everything you’d really want. I prefer this one because it is less crowded. The quality of their baked goods is high as you would expect from a French bakery. They also do coffee and tea, but to me that’s just an after thought on a street with so many coffee shops. The real focus is on the treats, as it should be. In addition to suddenly needing pastries, I often need to chomp on some carbs. La Boulangerie’s baguettes are also top notch — crusty on the outside, soft on the inside. But be careful! They aren’t full of preservatives and if you don’t eat the whole thing in one day it gets hard as a rock. But whoever can’t finish an entire baguette in one day is no friend of mine.