Paul – Ghazir

Paul makes me feel comfortable. I like the ambiance and the friendly service. I love that their fresh bread and pastries are part of their decoration. If you are a breakfast person, like me, Paul is a great place to head to. They have a selection of items on display, as well as an additional menu featuring breakfast “formules”. First, our drinks arrived. I ordered the hot chocolate which reminded me of homemade mixes which was nice, although I do prefer mine a tad more dense and chocolatey. I had one of the pieces of bread in the basket (with their creamy butter and right-amount-of-sweet jam), and I found it a bit tough to bite into. However, the olive bread in my sandwich was very soft and delicious, along with the cheese within it. As for the croissants, I like how crispy and flaky they are. Breakfast at Paul is something that I really enjoy and I will surely keep coming back for more!

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Fadel – Bikfaya

Fadel is a patisserie that I first encountered during my childhood. We went up for the occasional ice cream fix, to get a black forest cake to celebrate a birthday, or to get some freshly baked bread. Since then, a large number of pastry shops have opened their doors, but we still do visit Fadel once in a while. Their classic black forest cake was the cake we resorted to recently for my mother’s birthday, certain we wouldn’t disappoint. It surely did the trick; the cake was fluffy and light. The last time I tasted products from Fadel, I had a cheese croissant, a chocolate chip muffin, a piece of success cake (“succès“), and their thyme pain au lait. I know croissants are the epitome of buttery concoctions, but the cheese croissant was too buttery and heavy, in my opinion. As for the muffin, it was fine, and I appreciated their generosity with the chocolate chips. Their succes was okay, but not as successful as another patisserie makes them; I go to that pastry shop exclusively for their succes, yet that is a story for another day. However, the very successful item at Fadel is their thyme pain au lait. I have tasted the regular one with no filling, as well as the one filled with cheese, but it is the zaatar one that I love. The bread is very soft and there is thyme sprinkled in the dough and used as a filling simultaneously, which highlights the taste. That is one item I am sure I will return for.

Demoiselle by Galvin – Dubai

Where better to have breakfast than at the Michelin-starred Galvin brothers’ Demoiselle. Situated among many restaurants, in one of the famous areas in Dubai called City Walk, it was a great place to stop for a hearty meal with great service. First of all, one has to comment about the interior; it was so beautiful and dainty. It was a successful attempt at bringing the outdoors inside. When you first enter Demoiselle by Galvin, you are greeted by an array of freshly baked goods on display —that alone arouses your appetite. It all started with a Kouign-amann (a crusty Breton cake) and a couple of their Financiers. Needless to say that they were as good as they looked. However, the coconut financier was a tad oily in comparison to the one with the almond. For drinks we ordered the Hot chocolate and the Pour over V60 brew in the hot coffee section. Then, our Soy milk soaked muesli and Galvin cure smoked salmon & cream cheese croissant arrived. I loved the graceful presentation of the croissant platter. The croissant itself was sublime; it was flaky and light (well, as light as a croissant can be). The cured smoked salmon was amazing; its saltiness complemented the cream cheese perfectly. The cream cheese was also delicious by the way. Just so you know how much I liked the salmon, let me tell you this: I had ordered the Oeuf Florentine (with Spinach) but changed my order to the Oeuf Royale (with Salmon) to be able to eat more of that Galvin cure smoked salmon. I know I have just mentioned how good the croissant with salmon was, but something else blew my mind away even more. The next part of our breakfast consisted of the Flatbread, merguez sausage, scrambled eggs & ful medames and my beloved Oeuf Royale. That Oeuf Royale…WOW. It was really perfect; maybe the best I have ever eaten. First of all, the poached egg was fabulous; it couldn’t have been made any better —every bit of the yolk was runny and every bit of the white was firm. The salty cured smoked salmon balanced the golden goodness in a lovely way, and the Hollandaise sauce was not heavy. They all sat delicately and proudly on the wonderfully Toasted English muffin (you can have Sourdough instead if you would like). When I was done, I was so full that I could not have another bite, and so unfortunately could not taste any more of their goodies. When I travel to Dubai again, I will make sure to return and taste more of what they have to offer (even if I have to take some with me to nibble on later). Although it would be hard not to order those delicacies with the cured smoked salmon I had this time again, I would like to also try their From The Bistrot and Tea Time menus. I would also probably visit Galvin Dubai, which is the other restaurant by the Galvin brothers located nearby.

The Lebanese Bakery – Achrafieh

The Lebanese Bakery is a bakery you would definitely want in your neighborhood. I wish it was closer to my house, although honestly I wish I was the one closer to the bakery because its location on the lovely streets of Achrafieh is perfect. Obviously, speaking about changing the location of my dwelling means that this bakery is exceptional. The place is humble, yet cozy and charming. We grabbed a menu and went to our seats to decide what we wanted; here I have to commend them for having a menu that is in both Arabic and English! From the manakish section, we ordered the zaatar on zaatar, lahem bi ajeen, and eggs and cheese, in addition to a few ftayer cousa. The presentation is simple, yet beautiful, and everything was delicious and fresh. The zaatar on zaatar is a dream for a zaatar fan because of its intense flavor. The runny yolk on the eggs and cheese manoushe enhanced the taste; nothing beats that golden liquid goodness oozing from an egg’s heart. However, the lahem bi ajeen…wow! I loved it. The dough was crispy and light, and it is something that I would definitely order again. Actually, this is the doughy concoction that is making me crave returning to The Lebanese Bakery once again. That and many more items that I didn’t get to try this time because there is only so much one can eat. I would like to try their labne and their kaak as well, and maybe take some dough home with me. Maybe I should consider moving…

Le Pain Quotidien – Bruxelles

Le Pain Quotidien is one of those places where you like being in irrespective of the food taste. It is a homey eatery which is good for a casual brunch. There are many branches around the world but wherever you are, when you step into the cafe, you feel the same feeling of warmth. Le Pain Quotidien is a “bakery-restaurant” that originated in Brussels, so having brunch at one of the locations there makes it more special. I really liked the one in the Sablon area; it has an adjacent space that lets the sunlight in through a glass roof. A crucial idea that they have in their eateries is the common wooden table which obliges you to sit next to a stranger as you have your meal. However, you do also have regular tables if you need more privacy. I am a brunch kind of person, so I will enjoy my hot chocolate and eggs; especially the “oeuf a la coque” (boiled egg with a delectable runny yolk at its center). In general, the platters are hearty. Though not spectacular, the food still has me hooked and I will keep coming back for more.