L’Essentiel

Agree that the service sucks. Lady behind the counter was rude and acted like we were really taking up her time. Bakery is not that much better than others to warrant any attitude

Un bon plan pour manger un petit morceau sur le pouce dans le quartier Mouffetard, mais je vous conseille de garder une place pour les gâteaux (tester l’”Essentiel) qui porte bien son nom, pour les amateurs de chocolat comme moi, c’est vraiment l’extase !
Par contre, si leurs gâteaux valent le coup, l’accueil est plutôt insipide !

I came here while on a search for a really good Parisian croissant. Despite coming here in the afternoon (versus the morning) I found their croissants really fresh and rich tasting. So good. Flaky on the outside and soft and bready on the inside.

L’Essentiel offers an «estudiante» lunch deal where you get a drink, sandwich and pastry for a set price. You have a few choices on for each item. It was quite reasonable for a good lunch at a sit down café. I had the Norwegian salmon panini — a little dry, but otherwise delicious, filling and fresh.
The bread and pastries that I tried were also excellent. I brought some macarons home to friends in the US, and even the next day, after a dry, ten hour flight, the cookies were magnifique.
There were a few cute tables outside, made extra pretty with artificial orchids. I watched one of the bakery staff wipe the tables down and arrange each chair just so, creating a welcoming vignette.
Unfortunately, there wasn’t that much of a welcome from the humans at the shop. Normally, I would not have returned and possibly would walk out without buying anything from a place where I felt so unwanted. Because my French is almost nonexistent, and because everyone has bad days, I persevered. The day that I stopped by for lunch, the salesgirl was totally wonderful, and worked very hard to help me get my lunch.
Buying the macarons turned into an ordeal of epic proportions, where I thought the salesperson might throw the cookies at me. Whoever got the ones she put back in the case got a taste of hate. One other salesperson at the shop, though not actively hostile, seemed to be utterly disdainful, and to prefer not having me as a customer. Perhaps I disturbed his contemplation of the meaning of life, the origin of the universe, or some other lofty intellectual pursuit.
The café is right down the street from where I was staying, on a street lined with interesting shops, but this was the only combination bakery + lunch café. The quality of the baked goods was undeniable; in fact, I found out that they are an award winning bakery with multiple locations (ask Google — Anthony Bosson).

I actually really liked this place, and I am picky when it comes to boulangeries. Wide selection of breads (which they can slice if you wish), pastries, and baked goods, with a small array of macarons and personal quiches (I cannot attest to the flavor since we didn’t get any of these).
The BIGGEST rating factor is that they have the closest thing to a Tartine or Knead croissant (if you are from San Francisco, you know what I am talking about. If you plan on going, visit the two spots) called a croissant au buerre. Crunchy on the oustside, buttery and flakey on the inside, absolute deliciousness. I have been disappointed in the croissants here as I think they are too soft with no texture contrast so I am happy to have found this one.

Petit restaurant pour les personnes qui.
— n’ont qu’une heure pr déjeuner
— n’ont pas envie de faire la cuisine en rentrant (qui était pr le coup. Mon cas: D)
— sont au régime!
Pr les autres a vous de vous trouver une excuse ;)
Il y a un grand choix de formules: pâtes chaudes ou en salade, salade biensur, papillotes, sandwich. Soupes? Bön on né pourra pas dire que ca manqué de diversités.
Une fois la base choisie, on choisit les ingrédients avec, un dessert (il y a pleiiiin de dessert maison. Miammm Miam!) une boisson et c’est partiiiii!!! On s’en sort avec une dizaine d’EUR, sur place ou a emporter.
Ben moi. Je suis restée sur place et suis montée a l’etage. Tout était très propre, très bien ordonné, déco sympatoche!
Blabla.bla! Il est vrai qu’en lisant tout ca, vous pouvez vous demander pourquoi je n’ai mis que 3*
Passons a ce que j’ai moins aimé.
— le pain qui accompagne le plat. Je né sais pas sil était du jour mais j’ai bien cru que j’allais me casser une dent dessus
— les fauteuils de l’etage sont bien confortables certes, mais né sont pas fait pr 2 personnes (accompagnee et loin d’être épaisses, nous avions du mal a nous tenir sans nous taper les coudes).
Voila! Je sais que si javai décidé de prendre a emporter. Ce resto aurait peut être remporter plus de points m’enfin. a vous de vous en faire une idée maintenant ;)