The Bon Vivant Blog

We had to go into FNAC to pick up a Paris Museum Pass and when D realized we were near Printemps – her immediate reaction wasn’t to go shopping – instead it was to go get some lunch at Cafe Be (Be as in Boulangepicier), Alain Ducasse’s small bakery/bistro/sandwich place in the Printemps department store.

Four busy, pleasant ladies were behind the counter serving customers – we went with the Parisienne sandwich, the St. Maure sandwich, a carrot soup, an espresso, and a slice of their chocolate pizza (that one you pretty much have to try if you haven’t had it before).

The verdict? The Parisienne bread was a bit too far on the chewy side, and while D liked the fillings, (ham and cheese), I thought it wasn’t flavourful enough. The St. Maure sandwich was good – tapenade, chevre, and arugula (I think) – it was a rich mouthful of taste, and the bread was nice and soft. D found it too strong (somewhat understandable with tapenade and chevre – not for everyone). But – she loved the carrot soup, and noted its distinct, delicious flavour of olive oil and gave it an enthusiastic thumbs up. The espresso came from a pod, so it wasn’t great, but it came with a complimentary mini-madeleine, which was a pleasant, sweet surprise – and a perfect accompaniment for the coffee.

The chocolate pizza was like a big flat brownie (they heat it up for you) – too sweet for my taste, but D liked it very much – an interesting presentation to get a large amount of delicious chocolate in one’s body.

Overall, this is a high-end lunch counter in a busy department store. Yes, it’s better than average, and it’s definitely cheap. The sandwiches were ~€4 but I felt that their sandwiches could have been better for something with Alain Ducasse’s name on them. Next time, I’d stick to the soup and salads, and have a madeleine and slice of chocolate pizza for dessert.

Cafe Be at Printemps Department Store
Open Mondays to Saturdays from 9.35 am to 8 pm (10 pm on Thursdays)
Home Store, Floor 3
64 Boulevard Haussmann
75009 Paris‎
Tel: 01 42 82 67 17‎

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