Ordered a flat white and macchiato and they were okay tasting. Actually, the flat white was just…read morenot that good. Those two coffees cost almost 10 euros, pricey! Lots of breads and sandwiches here but no pretzel that I like. Service was a bit slow but friendly.

What does Paul in France and Tim Horton's in Canada have in common?…read more They are both legendary chains which top management turned into cash cows. Previously marvelous food was cheapened and cheapened and cheapened to the point of being nearly inedible. The financiers that bought Tim Horton's and Paul as investment assets got rich from more favorable ratios of revenue to outflows. Establishments that used to be a treat are now awful. * * * Tim Horton's was once the best donut chain in Canada. The donuts were wonderful. The coffee was classical. The side dishes for breakfast and lunch were solid and reliable. Tim Horton's was a defining chain for Canada the way McDonald's was for America. Only Tim Horton's was much much better. Now McDonald's is actually a first rate chain - at least in the U.S. (Outside of the U.S., you are taking your chances with a McDonald's). Tim Horton's went from excellent to fair to absolutely downright awful. It was a sad process to see. It was a worse process to taste. * * * Long ago, going to a Paul in Paris was a treat. I still remember a hot chocolate I had at a Paul near the Ile de Cite. It was being one of the biggest thrills of that particular Paris trip. (I was poor then, so Michelin starred gastronomy was not going to happen. Paul was a French comfort even a starving student could afford.) I didn't go very often. But I was always very happy when I went. * * * There were not very many Pauls back then. Now Pauls are everywhere. Some big locations like shopping centers or airports have multiple Pauls. When French intellectuals complain about "alimentation industrialisee", Mass produced baguettes are Exhibit A. Factory pastry is Exhibit B. Paul shows up under Exhibit B. Paul is all about selling engineered pastry on a Fordist scale - Thousands of identical awful viennoiseries are being churned out every hour on assembly lines in industrial parks. They are taken by truck to street corners and shopping malls everywhere. Like Tim Horton's, people come because they have memories of when the food was good. Like Walmart, people come because the price is right. * * * Eating at Paul won't kill you. Paul's coffee is bad but A lot of French coffee is bad. (Every time I have a French espresso these days, I get sad memories of the wonderful coffee of Australia and Spain.) Paul coffee is actually no worse than what an artisanal bakery would serve you. Paul pastry is much much worse than what an artisanal bakery would provide. If Americans need a base of comparison, Oreos are slightly better than Paul pastry. Chips Ahoy cookies are significantly worse than Paul pastry. In some cases, eating at Paul might even be your best choice. At the shopping center at Lyon Part-Dieu, nearly ALL of the food is industrialized fast food. Paul is no worse than the awful stuff that is for sale at the food court. We are not talking one star poisoning here. We are more talking two star disappointment. * * * When I ate at Paul, I comforted myself with remembering happy experiences. I thought about my wonderful sessions at Paul in my youth. This is no different than me remembering the girls of my dreams when I was attending high school. I am nearly seventy now, and have a lovely wife. Like Paul, some of those girls I yearned for back in the day are not exactly wonderful fifty years later.

Great little pastry & chocolate shop, near a Metro stop in old town part of Lyon…read more Many delicious looking chocolate animals to choose from for Easter. Helpful staff, multi-lingual (including English). And they wrapped my purchase up nicely as a gift!