Claude & Julien — Restaurant in Munich

The good: If you’re looking for that authentic taste of France, then right here, incognito almost, in Munich’s Haidhausen district, you’ll find unmatched expertise in the baking (Claude) and (Julien) pastry, arts. Yes! Claude & Julien, the baking crucible where outstanding boulangerie, viennoiserie and patisserie rise.

Too enthusiastic? Well, if you’re used to (tired of) all the French patisserie pretenders out there in Munich, where inauthenticity is inch-perfectly packaged into sparkling rows and columns in dental-surgery-like spaces, then this unpretentious hideaway is a blessing. And taste? No artificial flavours here, no suspect raising agents and pretend butters, no glistening over-sweetened or pre-frozen products.

Real, in-house toasted-butter-flavoured-layered croissants au beurre, pain au chocolat, pain aux raisin, eclairs, milles-feuilles, tartellettes (sweet and savoury), sandwiches, and breads. I don’t know if I’ve ever tasted a better tarte au citron, here, in France, or anywhere.

Gratefully, no sign also of the trendy portmanteau franken-pastries: cruffin, cronut, crookie and crombolonis. The closest you’ll get here is the David Bedu-inspired croissant couleur, a very acceptable mingling of bi-coloured doughs (red, green, brown) suffused with vanilla custard & raspberry, or pistachio cream, or chocolate.

Can you find better service, perhaps because you’re always disappointed with the usual (with some exceptions) sub-standard treatment received from Munich eateries: rushed and rude? Possibly, yes (let me know where). Notwithstanding a little French arrogance (if that’s what it is?) I still prefer that to the oft-found Münchner’s scowling hubris.

The whole point of a ‘French Quarter' in Munich is to have a genuine taste of France, its food, its culture, its language, its shortcomings, everything, warts and all! If you want hygiene, order, directness, low prices and low quality, then go to the dentist and then to Lidl.

The bad: is not too bad, the coffee specifically. No silky-smooth and creamy cappuccinos with latte art motifs, so, a little plain, aka French; they prefer their art to be in galleries. The service is welcoming, though making an effort to greet in French or just engage a little, will go far. Faint heart…

The café is cosy (a little small on the inside) though seating for about 9 outside and plenty of take-away seating just 20-metres away at the Breisacher Platz recreation area.

Decor, inside and out: spartan. Like every good bakery, early is better and fresher, though I have been here at both ends of the day, and not disappointed yet. Cash or card, WIFI (sometimes), child-friendly (high chairs) and some books to browse. The vibe is cool and unrushed. I happily travel 40-mins each-way to come here.

Other: the flour they use for baking is predominantly French, though sometimes more local. Parking close by is not so easy, but 100-200 meters away there’s always paid-parking. Easily accessible by S-Bahn or U-Bahn to Ostbahnhof, then a short walk.

Students take note: if you’re looking for some cheap treats then Claude & Julien can also be found on the ‘Too Good To Go App’, where huge discounts can be had on end-of-day surprise items.

A great baking team here, hard-working, highly-skilled, unpretentious, and very importantly,...

Indoor and Outdoor Seating available now. Review: It's got everything one could want from a french bakery/patissery. I came for the pain au chocolat and they were delicious and so were the croissants and the eclairs. The Baguettes are sometimes on the crunchy side, sometimes more chewy and soft (which I prefer). The prices are justified by the quality and it's far from expensive; with Claude& Julien almost every cent you pay can be felt when enjoying the baked goods, this can not be said for other "high class" bakeries that seem to skimp on the products in favour of branding and franchising as well as profit margins. 2,50 for a medium baguette, 1,80 for a Pain au Chocolat I believe, 2 for a croissant. This is not cheap but compare it with the supermarket "bakery" stuff, where you would probably pay 2-3 times as much for products that come close to these and pay almost that for absolute bottom of the barrel german factory goods. I just wish I had more money, I would visit here every single day, the curse of...

I recently visited this coffee shop and unfortunately, my experience was far from pleasant. Firstly, the prices were quite high, which set certain expectations for quality and service that were not met. The most concerning issue was the hygiene standards, which were disappointingly low. Both the teapot and cup I was served had visible traces of lime and old tea, indicating that they were not properly cleaned.

Additionally, the owner, who has dark, short hair, was notably unfriendly. This lack of warmth and hospitality made the visit even less enjoyable. Overall, given the high prices and poor cleanliness, I can't recommend this coffee shop. There are many other places that offer better service and higher hygiene standards for a more...