Patisserie Valerie moves into Covent Garden, but it’s best for a grab and go instead of a leisurely lunch.

The Venue
The Bedford Street branch of the patisserie chain is just a stone’s through from Paul, so obviously they felt that they could take on the competition. The venue is small and basic, with the takeaway counter and pastries at one end and seating towards the rear and downstairs. The walls are painted peach with brown stripes and with framed Art Noveau adverts on the back wall, and the Patisserie Valerie logo (a woman lifting up her ruffly skirts, Moulin Rouge-style) peeks out from the corner.

The colourful, glistening pastries in the window will no doubt draw in the punters, but the downside is that, well, the pastries are in the window. Which means you have to remember exactly what you want when you come in (difficult if you’re not au fait with French pronunciation) or go back outside and gesture. Cue a confused queue.

The Atmosphere
Despite the seating, this still feels very much like a grab and go place. The turnover is quite high – although you don’t feel pushed to leave, hang around for a half hour or so and you’ll see nearly all the tables change over to new customers. The clientele seems to be mostly tourists (groups of women coming in for cake and coffee) and local workers grabbing a quick bite. Staff are friendly but harried, although it’s only just opened so they should be at the top of their game shortly.

The Food
Decent lunchtime fare with a French edge, like croque monsieurs and sandwiches made from croissants. Breakfast is served as well as light lunches like sandwiches and salads. The prices are slightly eyebrow-raising for a venue that’s essentially a cafe: you won’t find a sandwich for much less than £5 and salads can go up to £10.

The cheese and tomato croissant is priced at £5.25 as well and also comes with a nicely-sized side salad: peppery leaves, a small artichoke heart and a spicy-sweet honey mustard dressing. The actual sandwich is decent, if a bit greasy – but croissants tend to leave you needing a napkin, anyway. The pastry is buttery, flaky and not too dry, whilst the tomato is fresh and juicy. The cheese tastes good, mild and creamy, but looks a bit gluey when bits of it drop onto your plate.

And of course there are pastries galore. Unfortunately the menu doesn’t do justice to Patisserie Valerie’s choices, listing them by name only and without pictures, so make sure you have a look in the front windows before you come in. The strawberry tart (£3.95) is made of thick, buttery pastry – not too soft but not so hard that you have to hack away at it with a knife, either – laced with chocolate and filled with light, creamy custard. At the top sit half a dozen plump, large sized strawberries – bright red and covered with a glistening red jelly.

The Drink
There’s a full list of coffees to go and stacks of bottled waters, sodas and juices along the wall. If you sit down the list is a bit larger, and most people seem to go for tea which arrives in a decent-sized green pot. Hot chocolate, on the other hand, arrives in a tall white mug with a frothy dollop of whipped cream on top. Fresh fruit smoothies are also available for a few quid.

The Last Word
For the price, it’s not really worth taking a seat. Take away pastries and sandwiches though, by all means.

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