Le Pain Quotidien — Restaurant in Wemmel

AVOID AT ALL COST!

We got here at a Monday morning before 8h when it was still very quiet. We were very happy that we found this place cause we know this chain from Amsterdam-Zuid and that place is great with super friendly, hardworking staff. How different it was in Wemmel…

Our waitress was incredibly rude and looked at us like we ruined her morning by merely showing up there. At some point I thought I must be in a candid camera scene; she was pushing rudeness beyond all limits. Since we saw lactose free yogurt options on the menu, my partner asked for a lactose free cappuccino. She said this was not possible (funnily enough, when we later asked a different waitress she said it was possible..).

When our food was ready the kitchen pinged the bell. There were four waitresses in the front with one customer who was ordering something to go. The kitchen pinged the bell four more times until the chef herself decided to leave the kitchen and bring us our food.

We then asked for a glass of tap water to take a paracetamol. She looked at us as if I asked her to make it rain in the Sahara; seemingly having no clue what “water” means (I know the French for water is l’eau but in both Dutch and English it’s water…) and instead of trying to help us she walked away without a word, but with the openend bottle of spa blue and I had to beg her to still give it to me since I did have to take that pill.

We went to the till to pay for our breakfast and to order a cappuccino with almond milk and a latte to go. These are some expensive coffees (~€10). Once outside we realized that what I was holding was one cup with just a bit of black coffee and one with only a little bit of milk. Again, we paid for two expensive coffees! We were too fed up with them and just tossed the “coffees” out instead of going back.

In summary: the food was tasty but the “service” was...

I will remember my visit to this bakery/patisserie/restaurant for a long time. We were looking for a place to have a pleasant breakfast and found this gem thanks to Google Maps and diligent reviewers. And we were indeed very happy that we did. It is difficult to find any complaints about Le Pain Quotidien! Starting with the warm and pleasant atmosphere (both indoors and on the terrace), well-maintained surroundings, extremely pleasant and professional staff, and ending with the most amazing baked goods, innovative dishes, perfect coffee, and homemade lemonades or pastries.

Take your time and check their menu. It is not only informative and beautifully designed, but everything in there is tasty. Though somewhat pricey, it is actually well worth it. All types of bread and croissants we tried were simply amazing. The scrambled eggs were made to perfection. The mint and spirulina homemade lemonade was perfectly refreshing, and all coffee specialties were right what coffee lovers will appreciate.

We couldn't have left without also buying some products to take back home with us.

Hint: there are two e-vehicle charging stations close by.

Though there is a sign on the door that dogs are not allowed, no one complained when we sat on the terrace with our dog.

If I am ever in the vicinity again, I will make a point of visiting this...

Je suis venu pour un brunch en ce dimanche de la fête des pères. Arrivés à 13h, il a bien fallu 20 minutes avant que les commandes soient prises. 2 formules brunch sur 3 proposent un oeuf à la coque, mais il n'y a plus d'oeufs en cuisine. Pour cette raison, impossible de commander deux de ces trois formules. Je demande s'il est éventuellement possible de remplacer l'oeuf à la coque par autre chose et le garçon m'affirme que non... À quatre, nous nous rabattons sur d'autres suggestions de la carte. Le "petit déjeuner LPQ" est servi en dix minutes, mais il en faudra trente de plus avant de voir les autres plats arriver. Les boissons sont également arrivées lors de ce premier service et c'est là qu'on nous change sans même nous consulter deux jus d'orange pour des jus de pamplemousse. L'excuse sera "nous n'avons plus de jus d'orange". Inadmissible, non seulement pour un brunch annoncé de 12h à 15h mais aussi pour ce non respect du client. Les plats arrivent enfin. La (petite demi) quiche à 14€ est servie avec une salade à la vinaigrette mal assaisonnée (où était le goût ?) et peu remarquable. À table, des pots de pâte à tartiner et de confitures qui à notre arrivée contenaient déjà une cuillère... quid de l'hygiène ? Personne ne me dira si la personne passée avant moi aura eu la gourmandise de la lécher et le culot de l'y replonger. Le pain est mou, élastique, comme le sont les croissants pas du tout croustillants, pas même réchauffés avant d'être apportés à table. Parce que oui, une heure après l'ouverture du brunch, il n'y a plus de pains au chocolat et le client est forcé de se rabattre à contre coeur sur l'option que lui dicte le garçon. C'est une honte et je ne comprends vraiment pas l'excitation pour Le Pain Quotidien. Tout manque de goût et beaucoup trop cher payé. C'est du bio, c'est beau dans l'assiette mais ça s'arrête là. Je n'y reviendrai plus jamais, j'ai été beaucoup trop déçu. Mon expérience était digne d'une apparition dans l'émission "Cauchemar...