Lavarenne — Local services in Aix-en-Provence

We are a family of four Canadians who write this review as a message of heartfelt thanks to the team at Lavarenne (bakery and patisserie) at 69 Rue Tournefort in Aix-en-Provence. Over a period of a full year, we purchased our bread at this particular Lavarenne and we were always greeted with a warm smile, friendly conversation, and exceptional professionalism. We want to thank, especially, the blonde lady who always made our kids feel especially welcome and found a way to make them laugh and feel good about themselves. We will miss her friendliness and sense of humour! In the last few months of our stay in Aix, our kids began to feel so at home at Lavarenne that they insisted on going to purchase our bread by themselves! (This is a big milestone for shy and over-protected Canadian kids not used to life in the big city.) Speaking about more objective matters, Lavarenne sells the very best baguette in town (ask for the Banon) and its range of products—from patisserie to sandwiches—is vast and delicious. What is more, they are very inexpensive (excellent rapport qualité-prix, as the French like to say) and they are open 24/7. We must have purchased close to 500 banons from Lavarenne over the year at all times of day and night, on Sundays and holidays, before boarding early-morning trains and after returning from trips very late at night. Our children also loved their pastries: their merengues, cookies, and flans are huge, delicious, and inexpensive all at once. So thank you, team Lavarenne at rue Tournefort, from the bottom of our hearts. You were a big part of our life in Aix and we will miss you...

Love, love, love Lavarenne! Lavarenne me manque! Their bread, croissants, quiches, and pastries are superb. The staff is friendly and efficient. We bought breakfast and snacks here every day on our Provence vacation. We can't wait to visit again. I wish I could go there right now - they are open around the clock serving...

Je suis une cliente régulière de cette boulangerie, et je peux vous affirmer que cela était la dernière fois que j’y mettais les pieds. Ce matin, à 7H40, j’ai demandé sans méchanceté aucune si les madeleines étaient du jour car il y en avait très peu en vitrine. La propriétaire, connue pour son incroyable manque de politesse, m’a répondu : « non non, elles sont du mois dernier » avec tous le mépris que vous pouvez imaginer. A ce stade, il ne s’agit plus simplement d’être désagréable mais juste d’être mal élevé. Jamais aucun commerçant ne m’a parlé de la sorte. Il serait peut-être temps de faire une introspection sérieuse, car ce comportement dépasse largement les bornes de la simple impolitesse. Si vous êtes aussi frustrée dans votre métier, rien ne vous oblige à le faire, sachez-le. Franchement, qui croyez-vous être pour parler ainsi ? Je ne suis pas la seule à partager cet avis et vous ne faites que ternir votre...