Au Ciel Patisserie — Restaurant in London

Popped in for a coffee and a pastry — 5 minutes in this cafe was enough for me to decide never to return.

Not only did they bungle my simple order, but none of the staff were wearing masks effectively, unless they happened to exhale through their necks. When plating up an order, I saw a server grab cutlery by the in-the-mouth ends with his ungloved hands — unwashed after previously touching his hair and face, — place it on plates of food which he then served to customers.

I had already decided not to visit this place ever again, and was almost out the door when a sharp kitchen knife clattered on the floor and came spinning towards my foot at speed, thankfully missing. Although I got a hasty apology, I’d seen more than enough to know I was never coming back here, and left.

I got unlucky with the order and the knife incident, that’s forgivable, but the absence of basic food hygiene standards, sheer lack of concern for the well-being of customers, poor service, and flouting of COVID regulations are things I can’t ignore.

Coffee wasn’t bad, but it left a bad taste...

Exceptional establishment. I first found myself there after I had heard word that Gordon Ramsey had visited there (as his children attend the local schools), and tried one of the quiches that he had complemented. It was delicious, and having become a regular since I can say the same about all of their food.

Their chef hand bakes baguettes and an assortment of pastries each day, and is very open to suggestions for any sort of food and how you would like them prepared. It is an excellently managed establishment, always bringing in new and interesting cold drinks and snacks - and their patisserie is fantastic .

Beyond the food and the management, the hospitality is fantastic. They are really willing to go the extra mile to make their customers feel welcome and are always sure to cater to their need. The service is excellent and they always provide great recommendations!

If you ever find yourself in Dulwich, I strongly recommend visiting Au Ciel. You...

Shambolic treatment and service. A private booking that was made on prices they proposed was cancelled one week before the event in question leaving us in the lurch. We have had zero communications from the manager in question and she is avoiding calls. The positive reviews here are highly suspicious given the overwhelming negative reviews on Trip Advisor. Avoid.

To respond to Wesley below- my baby shower was held at the Marriott, thank you very much! At £25 a head which I was happy to pay. It was beautiful. So much for trying to support a independent business. The principle of the matter is that you accepted a price that was proposed for a few sandwiches and cake and then you reneged a week later and refused to take any calls. If the price was unacceptable, you did not have to accept it. All of the positive reviews on this website are fake as you will see from the surfeit of dreadful reviews on Trip Advisor.

DO AVOID THIS DREADFUL PLACE AND...