Paul Patisserie: Perfect Plates and Pastries

Welcome to Paul's, your new best friend on the Waterfront block.

I spent the better part of a year eagerly anticipating the arrival of Paul Patisserie, a French bakery and restaurant that originated in Croix, France and was well known in Johannesburg. I'd first been told about it over a year ago, and started hearing from others about how authentic and delicious the food was. One person described Paul's signature hot chocolate as being so awesome it "high fives your tongue."

With so much hype around the restaurant, and with very high standards when it comes to French cuisine (especially my beloved pain au chocolats), I was skeptical but excited. After much waiting, they finally opened their doors and I rushed to grab a coffee and pain au'. As the flakey pastry and line of delicious chocolate hit my palate, I was transported out of Cape Town's wet winter weather and into a quaint Provencal village café. It tasted of home.

The secret? They import the flour and most of the key ingredients that elevates their baked goods from good to superb.

I made a return visit several weeks later to finally sample their famous hot chocolate. (I'd even been recommended it by someone in Scotland who'd tasted the magical elixir while in Paris on holiday). It was every bit as good as I'd been promised.

I've been back a few times since to try their meals - a baguette sandwich, a chicken burger and the French onion soup as well as a number of desserts. With each dish, it's the small details that struck us as being a cut above. From the perfectly salted chips, fresh crunchy lettuce that felt like it wasn't just garnish, the mint marinated chicken that was perfectly at balance with the Emmental cheese and onion marmalade, and the right amount of pickles to the generous, creamy mozzarella and fresh pesto on the caprese sandwich. Every bite was perfect.

Don't miss out on dessert. Their menu offers three choices, two crepes and a creme brulee. You can also choose a tarte from their display case. The blueberry tarte is especially lip-smackingly good.