Au Vatel — Restaurant in Etterbeek

Their cakes and pastries are excellent, but, unfortunately, this delicatessen is badly let down by incompetent and disorganised service. I have had some negative experiences, but the last one takes the biscuit (no pun intended).

I was patiently queuing on Christmas Eve, waiting my turn to buy the last of a particular article, when somebody appeared from nowhere and jumped the queue. Inquired about the cake I had been hoping to buy, and said he would take it. I pointed out to the the sales assistant that I have been waiting patiently in the queue and that this person had jumped the the queue. I might as well have been talking to the wall so I called the manager, who sprang to the defence of her employee.

There is really something wrong with the management of this establishment. You make excellent products, try to show a little bit of respect and service-culture towards...

Rarely seen such bad #service and lack of respect for customers. This place used to be good. So sorry to say this really changed in last year. Today the management team managed to mess up the order for my father’s 85th birthday. Ordered the cakes 3 days earlier, called this morning to confirm. Yet by the agreed pick-up time, my surprise cake was sold to someone else… No admitting the mistake, let alone an apology. Instead the manager tried to fib me off with another and smaller-sized cake with some cream on top as « the real thing also ». Moreover refused to sell the custom-made birthday decoration separately. When I left — out of principle — without any of the cakes and clearly upset, all the manager could do was laugh and tell me I was « free to leave ». A shop assistant who tried to be helpful and kind, was basically...

Great patisserie for a sweet breakfast. There are a lot of choices, from full size cakes and slices, to muffins, cookies, croissants, portuguese specials (like nata). They have the usual coffee varieties and I did see people eating some fried eggs, so it might appeal to a more english breakfast type of person also, although I did not try it myself. Pricing is average, not a place you would call expensive, by any means. Location, if sitting outside, is calm in the morning, overlooking the market square of Jourdan. Has clean bathroom facilities and the staff speaks english also.

Overall, great place to have a...