Maison Bertaux — Restaurant in London

This place was always at top of my London must-visit’s while travelling from up North. Now living overseas, I came back after years expecting the food and customer service as I remembered, however, my recent visit made it very unlikely that I come back to it any more.

I went there in a morning when the place was not busy at all, but the manager (the elderly woman) was just standing there staring at me with a straight face. Greeting or customer service was completely non-existent. I asked for the menu and she low-key aggressively told me to see the menu at the counter and tell her what I want like I have to order on the spot even before securing my seat. Other members of staff too were pretty rude when they brought crockery to my table (no smiles, no basic service phrases, even no response to my thank you). The manager was sweet enough to show me the way of eating scones but she did it in a patronising way - she wouldn’t bother explaining these to people who are ‘seemingly’ local. She might have thought I was one of those ignorant tourists just because I’m Asian, but little did she know was that I came by every 6 months for years back in 2010s having very fond memories of the people, not just the staff but other fellow customers that contributed to the warm welcoming vibe of the place.

Also she gossiped me behind my back and continued being rude until I paid and left.

I don’t know what happened to this once-lovely tearoom the last couple years, but I feel sorry for losing one of my reasons to come back to London. It’s a huge loss for them to lose a long-time customer like me, either.

Although the food is still great, it’s overpriced (£10 for single scone with tea) and the place has become way too touristy now, also....

A sweet little patisserie with a glowing reputation – French patisserie served in a traditional yet eccentric English tea-room style setting. I had to visit as I was staying just around the corner.

The staff were lovely, personable, and happy to answer any questions. I asked the server for recommendations, and he told me some of the popular items. I ended up ordering the Dijon slice, the plum and custard pastry, and a cappuccino.

Instead, I was served the broccoli quiche and the pain aux raisins – which I hadn’t ordered, but the server had recommended. I didn’t ask them to change it, as I was still happy with these choices. The quiche was perfect – a wonderful firm texture packed with broccoli and topped with a delicious cheesy crust. The pastry was buttery and flaky. The temperature was fine for me, though I imagine some people might prefer it hotter. The side salad was a nice touch but pretty underwhelming in comparison – just mixed greens with a very light dressing.

The pain aux raisins was spectacular – deliciously sweet with plump, juicy raisins and custard, wrapped in beautifully buttery laminated pastry. The best pain aux raisins I’ve ever had, and I’ve had a lot. No notes.

The coffee was good too – nothing fancy, just a well-made cappuccino.

The total came to £21.20, which was a bit more expensive than I expected, but I was happy to pay it for such great items. My only real issue was that the server should have made sure I got the items I actually ordered. That’s why I’d give it four stars instead of five – but I still left...

Was made aware of this place through an Instagram post and immediately decided to visit. It is close to Chinatown which we frequent so was pleasantly surprised to know of this French bakery close by. There is seating inside and outside on the pavement and consists of small tables and chairs. The whole setup looks cute albeit a bit cramped. It is usually busy and there is not much room inside to queue up. I had read about the excellent service here and it lived up to it - I caught a friendly member of staff and he took my order and I took a table on the pavement. Unfortunately, the almond croissant had run out so will have to come back for it. I opted for the scone with cream and jam along with coffee. The scone once again, as mentioned in the other reviews, was delicious with the cream and jam. Got a bunch of cakes to take home to try and the staff member was very helpful in explaining which was which from the store front display. Things that can do to improve the experience would be to firstly, have a menu at hand outside the store so first timers can make decisions quickly. Second, have a small note against all the items displayed on the store front display mentioning the name of the dish so people won't have to ask or gesture to...