Founded in 1928, the Viennese Patisserie (Pâtisserie Viennoise) is one of those places that hasn’t changed over the years. While most other Paris establishments are constantly relooking themselves, this cake and food spot  is small, not very pretty, but charming with friendly waitresses and delicious desserts. And everything is homemade!

Here’s our review.

It could be on old caff somewhere in London, or a small local place hidden down a backstreet in Milan, or… quite a few other places except Paris. The Pâtisserie Viennoise is unlike any other place we know in the city, with bags of charm – something really out of the ordinary.

Right in the heart of  Saint-Germain-des-Prés (and consequently not far from our hotels), the old school experience starts right from the moment you’re outside, peering through the window at rows and rows of improbably cakes. Sometimes the French forget even that our breakfast pastries are called viennoiseries for a reason. This is ground zero for sachertorte, strudel, redcurrant and poppy seed tourte, une tarte cinnamon-almond-lemon pie and a wicked apple and cinnamon pie.
The interior would make any architect weep, with tables close together, nicotine yellow paint and energy-saving lightbulbs that are far too bright. Certain tables even have a button that used to be used to call the waitress (ours admitted she was very pleased they no longer worked). It was probably all very modern… back in the day.
A collage of photos even shows how little has changed here in 87 years.
So the interior design is not the main attraction. Perhaps it’s the prices then? They are extraordinarily low…
After having checked out the menu and the numerous displays of cakes and sandwiches, we were getting pretty hungry! Our waitress confirmed that absolutely everything is indeed cooked on site (they have kitchens in the basement). Don’t expect anything fancy though. The soups are reheated in the microwave, for example.

Anyway, to start we chose one bowl of pumpkin soup, and another made from courgettes and Laughing Cow processed cheese. Both were OK, but needed a little extra salt to be properly tasty.
Although we hadn’t yet finished the soup, the main dishes arrived – yep, room is scarce here and it’s not the sort of place that invites you to settle in and chit-chat for hours, especially around lunchtime when it’s packed to the rafters.

The lasagna wasn’t anything special unfortunately, but the pasta with roquefort sauce was obviously very fresh, even if it lacked a little taste (and salt, once again. We would recommend you try out the salads instead – they are huge and tasty. You won’t be disappointed.
For dessert, we chose a strudel and a chocolate cake. Personally, the strudel would have been better served cold, not warmed up but the cake was extremely chocolately – a definite success. They certainly know their cakes at the Patisserie Viennoise, and the Viennese hot chocolats we had to accompany them were scrumptious!
There’s aren’t many places like the Pâtisserie Viennoise in Paris. With its old school atmosphere and incredible cakes, it’s worth checking out, especially as it won’t cost you a fortune. There may be more comfortable, tastier restaurants in town, but nowhere else will you get the impression of travelling back in time. Plus, the staff are really, genuinely friendly… just like we are!

The Pâtisserie Viennoise (here) is open weekdays only from 9am – 7pm

No website, no Facebook page!

To check out all our photos of the Pâtisserie Viennoise, click here.