The fig & three cheese sandwich from this place is one of the best things I’ve ever had. Delicious crispy bread infused with chewy bits of fig, yummy cheese and watercress. Friendly staff(they even filled up my water bottle for me!)
Kathleen W.
Rating des Ortes: 3 Las Vegas, NV
The Paul in Holland Park is smaller than some of the other Pauls around the city. The wireless internet is so-so. Friendly staff, great desserts, and fabulous sandwiches!
Kat W.
Rating des Ortes: 4 London, United Kingdom
Lovely little café, friendly & efficient service, lots of tables, good food. I like to get my bread there for the week sometimes. They have a card machine that takes touch cards so it’s even faster! Sometimes you get tourists who sit out front and won’t stop smoking in your face and I wish the café would shoo them on, but that’s pretty much all cafes in London. All in all, a reliable and pleasant place!
Annama
Rating des Ortes: 3 London, United Kingdom
This is a great bakery, but not a very nice café. The bread is great, as are the pastries. Good to take away and eat at home. If you want to stay in, you are looking forward to bad coffee and slow(although, friendly) service.
Ramoners D.
Rating des Ortes: 5 London, United Kingdom
I am a pain au chocolat snob. Paul satisfies my viennoserie cravings perfectly! So glad they have this French chain in London =)
Maggie P.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Oakland, CA
Stopped in the other day for a croissant and a latte. Luckily they were open early(it was 7:15 and some of the other cafes on holland were closed.) The pastry was obviously freshly baked and may have been the most delicious one I’ve ever had. Not that that means much coming from a girl who usually gets her croissants out of the Starbucks case in San Diego. Minus one star because of no wi-fi. Necessary. In the absence of internet, I sat and watched the customers come in and out and I have to say the staff there work like a well-oiled machine. Very pleasant and they scurry people out like nobody’s business.
Peter F.
Rating des Ortes: 4 London, United Kingdom
Everything I’ve ever bought here has been top notch. Yes, it is on the expensive side, but when it buys me quality, I don’t grumble. The cakes are really, really good and fresh tasting. If I could spell them I’d recommend them by name. The staff are charming, friendly and rather formal. Most of them are French which adds to the general Anglo-Franco scenario. They look like they enjoy working here and take their work seriously, but not solemnly. I love sitting at the tables on the street having my morning coffee and pain au chocolat or croissant or both and believe it or not, they taste just as good as they do in France. I always used to find it strange that the minute you crossed The Channel you couldn’t find a decent croissant or French pastry, this is no longer the case, thanks, largely, to Paul. Go Paul!
Meike B.
Rating des Ortes: 2 London, United Kingdom
This may be the last millefeuille I enjoy from this place. My boyfriend has just come back quite upset by the sniggering staff. They really ought to try a little harder considering the level of cake shop competition along this stretch of Holland Park Avenue. The quality of products here is OK but not up to the standards of the European examples it models itself on. I generally get my cake fix here on a Sunday and the products are not always fresh. Service tends to be quirky-French, which has now obviously turned to rude. I actually walked out of another branch not so long ago when staff where too busy chatting to each other to serve me — tut, tut. The café itself is not very cosy and rather exposed to the elements — I’ll be happy to take my business elsewhere.
Thomas A.
Rating des Ortes: 4 London, United Kingdom
Paul… you have betrayed me and stopped making the fromage rosette sandwich… I’ll let this one pass because you now have rosette w/fig… but you’re on thin ice. I love coming into Paul for some crusty bread and soup, this one is a nice stop before heading into Holland Park for an afternoon of people watching, nature-gazing and stopping to smell some flowers. The Paul shops are always small, so getting a table to eat-in can sometimes be a problem, but if it’s nice enough out, take it to go and get a better seat in the park.
Rupert
Rating des Ortes: 4 London, United Kingdom
I agree. I only went in because it started raining. And I only bought something because the staff were so friendly, even in lunchtime rush hour. But I’m glad I did — I had a nice Salmon & Spinach quiche(tourte) and a pretty good coffee. Even though it’s busy and small, there was a girl at the back comfortably working her way through a big novel — which made me think it’d be quite a nice place to come and work or read for an hour or so in the morning or afternoon. They have wifi.
Minda w.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Rowland Heights, CA
Dear Paul, It was a sunny afternoon when I saw you from afar. My friend pointed you out. I first noticed the lovely table of sweets you had outside. I walked by but then came back because I couldn’t resist. I saw a giant green pistachio macaroon and had to have it. £2.8 you said and I gawked. Still, I took you home. My pistachio macaroon, you were just heavenly. Sweet and chewy, just the right texture. A hint of coconut crème perfected everything. I am so happy to have met you. You will be a hard act to follow. Love, Minda
Aline D.
Rating des Ortes: 4 London, United Kingdom
This Pauls set in the leafy Holland Park, always has a relaxing atmosphere and is simply a darling place to chill out and grab a sandwich, croissant or a pastry. Just seeing all the goods behind the counter makes one salivate a little. They hold a great bread selection, all fresh made, and smell wonderful. I personally enjoy their pain au chocolates, and especially their macaroons(vanilla in particular) which you can buy mini ones, and they just taste heavenly. They have a tasty breakfast and main menu where you can order omelettes, bread, croissants, crepes, soups, quiches and tarts. C’est tres bien!
Elspet
Rating des Ortes: 4 London, United Kingdom
This is a lovely french bakery in a beautiful part of London, perfect for breakfast any day of the week as you watch the world go by outside. Paul serves fantastic pastries, sandwiches and cakes many of which I think are made on the premesis, if not all of them. I’d particularly recommend their almond croissants which are really delicious. As you’d expect from a french bakery, the coffee is really good — strong, frothy and consistanty good quality. They do fantastic bread of all shapes and varieties — baguettes, wholemeal, rye, walnut, fruit, etc and great fruit tarts too. You can also buy jams, chocolate or other food for gifts but I’d recommend you go along, have a coffee and a pastry and watch the people of Holland Park going about their business.
Buster
Rating des Ortes: 1 London, United Kingdom
All the Pauls in London, in my opinion, are awful. Horrible coffee, sandwiches where the baguette bread will break your teeth, decidedly French service(which is not a compliment by any means), weird service queues and payment stations and uninspired food. I cannot understand why anyone goes herethe one near Holland Park tube station is one of the worst. The ones in France are slightly better, but really, this is about as bad as it gets. The McDonald’s of french cafes/coffee houses. Only Starbucks is worse.
BushGi
Rating des Ortes: 4 London, United Kingdom
Holland Park Avenue has a very francophile feel. If you choose to walk from Shepherd’s Bush to Notting Hill you’ll be able to enjoy the very pleasant stroll through Holland Park(not the actual park, the area). It’s really nice, a little posh, with lovely houses and greenery. There are small shops all along the way. Some bookshops, pubs and cafes. Paul is a French chain café. This cosy branch is often bustling. They were selling galettes with paper crowns last time I went in and they were selling like hot cakes. All their bread is freshly baked but the real jewel in the Paul crown is their hot chocolate. It is so thick and creamy, it tastes like a melted solid chocolate bar. The only downside is that you can’t drink much more than a small cup because it fills you up fairly rapidly. A charming place for a hot beverage and snack.