Benjamin S.
Yelp
The hotel I stayed in was just down the street from Aux Merveilleux de Fred which was on my way to the South Kensington tube station. When I walked by and smelled the buttery pastries that were being baked inside and saw the lovely brioche cramiques, I figured I would have to try this place out for breakfast.
The first visit (yes there was more than one the three days I was in London), I ordered a croissant and the large chocolate chip cramique. It was a lot to eat at breakfast so I saved half of the cramique for later. Both were divine. The croissant though was superior to any other croissant I've had before. The second visit I got the smaller chocolate chip cramique and a croissant and that was a very good amount of food for breakfast. I also got a mocha latte to go with it. Mmmm, coffee isn't their strong point.
What was interesting, the first visit, only French speaking men came into the bakery to get breakfast so I felt this had to be pretty legit. The second day there was only one person who spoke English and everyone else spoke French. I was pleased with that.
You can see into the kitchen from the small seating area. I'm a bit sad to say, on my second visit, it struck me that the kitchen was exceptionally clean for a bakery, and that the table they were working on wasn't caked with flour and sugar and leftover dough and that there weren't any mixers or anything going. Just one woman brushing unbaked croissants. I asked one of the women if they have to come in early for baking and she said just an hour before they open, everything comes to them already prepped. That burst a bit of my romantic bubble, but the pastries are so good that I can overlook this.
The inside of the shop is very elegant and the displays of various meringues and cramiques, etc. was very appealing. On my next visit to London, I will certainly be enjoying breakfast here as often as possible!!