Pause Café at Le Pain Quotidien

Shopping centres aren’t the kind of place that draw me to linger over a meal or my favourite brew. But when I spotted Le Pain Quotidien on my travels to Bondi Junction, I made a mental note to stop next time I needed a caffeine hit.

Located on level 4 Oxford Street Bridge, the overpass above street level with the two retail giants Myer and David Jones on either end, Le Pain Quotidien is an organic bakery and patisserie that serves a good range of breakfast and lunch dishes.

French for “daily bread”, Le Pain Quotidien is the brainchild of Alain Coumont, a Belgian chef who opened the first concept store in Brussels in 1990 and soon became a worldwide phenomenon.

The first thing you notice as you go to sit down are the long communal tables on either side that act as a centrepiece and set it apart from other cafés. The philosophy here is to offer a place of conviviality where people share food and conversation whether they are eating alone or with company.

The combination of wood furniture and display of wholesome foods on offer provide a warm and welcoming ambience amidst the buzz of the shopping centre. We didn’t choose to try the communal tables this time, deterred by a couple of screaming toddlers and settled for a quieter table for two.

The menu was impressive, particularly the breakfast options. The breads and pastries come with their Belgian praline spread which sounds ever so delectable. Lunch offered wholesome choices with vegetarian options and tartines with yummy fillings. But all this temptation had to wait for another day.

Our order was taken with a smile and a dash of enthusiasm, something that I find lends an ambience to an eatery even if it’s a quick coffee stop en route to more shopping. My cappuccino arrived. Nothing like drinking coffee from un bol to transport me back to France, even for a just few minutes. The coffee tasted divine, not too milky or too strong, but with a robust caffeine kick. We shared an espresso chocolate tart that delivered the right balance of coffee to espresso without flooding the tastebuds with a sugary hit.

Le Pain also sells sweet condiments like the trio of spreads above: Blondie the white chocolate spread, Noir made with black Belgian chocolate and Noisella the saucy temptress with hazelnuts. The more savoury kind include artichoke paste, tomato spread, olive paste and mountain capers. Their selection of organic breads, viennoiseries and tarts peeking from behind the counter ensure another return for a more leisurely brunch or another pause café.

All images are clickable for a larger view.

Le Pain Quotidien
Westfield Bondi Junction,
Level 4 Oxford Street Bridge
500 Oxford St
Bondi Junction, Sydney

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For as long as she could hold a pen, Ms Gourmantic has been an avid scribe feeding her passion for writing with an overactive imagination. Her repertoire includes works of fiction, short stories, travelogues as well as authoring blogs and photoblogs. She is currently writing a novel.

Gourmantic

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