PAUL

We got to know PAUL in the South of France ... a lovely bakery chain with delicious bread, cakes and all kinds of treats. It took us a while to find PAUL in our area.
But fortunately we found one in this mall in nearby France:
Centre Commercial Val Thoiry
We went there again during Christmas time and enjoyed delicious coffee, quiche and marvellous desserts. I had a praliné macaron which was the best macaron I've ever eaten (see second pic above)!
What we also like about PAUL is the interior design - it is like stepping back into good old times, with chandeliers, walls covered with old library cabinets with tiny drawers - and the waitresses/sales clerks are also dressed like in the first half of the 20th century!
You can check the website PAUL - they have shops/cafés not only in France, but also in around twenty other countries.

Finally! A cool urban Sunday brunch!

We were having a hard time to find some cool urban Sunday brunches that we loved so much while living in Cologne/Germany. There is, of course, the Pain Quotidien, which is very nice (and certainly very full as well). It's not with buffet brunch, but already a good place to go.
We also tried some hotels, like Crowne Plaza, Intercontinental and Kempinski. Great brunches, but certainly more for special occasions.
But in January we got a recommendation for the brunch @ Brasserie des Halles de l' Île !!
And we LOVED IT!!!
It's a casual, relaxed (a young crowd and also a good number of families with children), cool urban style.
And at some places you have a wonderful viwe on river Rhône, almost like on a ship!
The Brasserie is on an island of the Rhône that can be reached over a pedestrian bridge.
Very good, fresh food of very good quality: cakes, cheese, salads, good bread and much more! You can even make your own waffles!
Why didn't we go there earlier? Nobody told us before!!! (But the brunches only started in May 2009, so after three quarters of a year, we also heard of it!). Can't wait to go there tomorrow again!!