PAUL (Covent Garden) - London

Another day, another opportunity to find a nice place to eat (and enjoy tea, of course!). Like many others, I often find myself window shopping and thinking, "That looks nice, I should come back and try it out." Today, however, I finally acted on my impulse. While wandering around Covent Garden at 8:15am (as one does!), I noticed that 'Paul' was open. Despite walking past this establishment numerous times and admiring it from the outside, I had never actually gone inside. Today was different, and I was pleasantly surprised. The staff were friendly, courteous, and professional. They didn't hesitate at all when I brought my service dog in with me – fantastic! The pastries and other food looked and tasted amazing. My dog Pippa and I thoroughly enjoyed the turkey "sausage" roll, although the assistant had warned me that it was quite sweet. The apple turnover was also delicious. The ambiance of the place was very relaxing, and I really enjoyed the atmosphere. The only thing that seemed slightly out of place was the Hawaiian version of 'Jingle Bells' playing in the background, but that was a minor issue in an otherwise enjoyable experience. I usually prefer independent coffee/tea shops, but 'Paul' is definitely worth a visit.

The experience was okay. The servers were pushy about taking our order even though the restaurant wasn't busy, the atmosphere was lacking energy, the mille feuille was not as delicious as it used to be, and the coffee was just okay.

Paul's is a charming cafe that offers a diverse selection of lunch and pastry options. I enjoyed a chicken pepper baguette followed by a raspberry macaroon for dessert. The staff is very friendly, making it a delightful pit stop for a busy day in London. While it may be a bit more expensive, it is still worth the visit.

Cake and hot chocolate was really nice however my experience was ruined by the waiter who decided to clean the table while I was still sitting at it. Made me feel like it was a hint for me to leave as the waiter sprayed antibacterial spray on the table, indirectly spraying my legs and then two other customers noticed and told the waiter it was very rude to clean a table that a customer was sitting at. I promptly left the cafe despite my original intention which was to meet a friend there. The waiter admitted to the two other customers that complained on my behalf that he understands their complaint but did not apologise to me. The cafe was also very empty so it seems odd that they were in a hurry to get me out.

Paul is supposedly a French bakery where you can either buy food from the counter for takeaway or sit and enjoy their offerings in place. We decided to try their big macarons for takeaway. While putting them in a box the member of staff broke one of the macaroons with the tongues but didn't even apologise, considering you pay £4 per macaron you would expect them to be perfect. Taste-wise they weren't anything spectacular, definitely have tried better, Laduree for example.