PAUL Putney — Restaurant in London

Edit: Video added to this review on 3 Jan 2025 - flies still present in cabinet.

I love Paul Bakery and always enjoy visiting the Putney store. However, the ongoing issue with flies in the pastry cabinet remains a serious concern. During my visit a few weeks ago (December 2024), I had to cancel my almond croissant order after noticing approximately 10 fruit flies in the cabinet.

This issue has been persistent—I have observed it multiple times over the past year and have even overheard other customers discussing it. It has also been mentioned in reviews, such as Roxana's from five months ago. Although Paul responded to that review, no improvements appear to have been made.

Given Paul’s high standards globally, I can only assume that the wider corporation may be unaware of this lapse in quality at the...

I ordered a double espresso and a ham baguette (around £5). The coffee that was handed to me seemed unusually light. When I removed the lid, I don't think that there was even a single shot. I pointed this out to the staff (young lady) and showed the dribble (20ml at best) of coffee at the bottom of a paper cup. I was told that she could fill it with hot water. No effort was made to correct this and the staff appeared to lack energy. The baguette was good enough but the coffee as part of a deal was a complete rip off. I was not given what I asked for and paid for. This is the only photograph of a poor coffee that I have ever felt the need to actually post and I drink coffee everyday and all over the world. O stars out of 5 for value...

I have a caffeine sensitivity so ordered decaf. I politely checked if my coffee was decaf when it arrived and the server responded in a pass-agg way. I know decaf has a bit of caffeine in - which I can tolerate - but what I was served was normal coffee and I felt the effects really really badly afterwards. I also ordered a soup, advertised as coming with a quarter of a baguette, and instead it came with a meh-looking bap. This branch felt a bit like an overpriced Prêt, with the food all basically pre-packaged, including soup. The interior was a bit dingy and the atmosphere felt faintly depressing too. I am also disappointed that the whole chain appears to have stopped serving...