Paul in Southwark

Unfortunately this was not good coffee.

As of yesterday I was recommended to try the hot chocolate in “Paul” cafe, so I was really looking forward to it. We arrived to this branch shortly after 5 pm (they were closing at 6), and ordered one hot chocolate to begin with. It was indeed amazing - very thick and rich taste, so without the hesitation I ordered one for myself (within minutes from the first order), but it was average, and nothing like the previous one both by taste and appearance, (you can see on the picture attached here). Turns out that since it’s one hour before closing, they have to start cleaning the cafe, which includes washing the machine which makes the right kind of hot chocolate, and so the second drink we bought was made with a different machine/method. I found this very disappointing and unfair for a customer, surely if you pay the same price - you should get the same quality product, regardless of what time it is (it’s not like we came in 5 minutes before they were closing). The staff didn’t seem to be bothered about it, the response was - “I understand where you’re coming from, but this is just how we do it”, which is a strange attitude in the customer service.

The hot chocolate is my absolute highlight! Never had one as delicious as here! Overall a very nice little coffee.

It's a good cafe and the location is in the heart of London. I tried Coffee, Hot Chocolate and cakes.

Since I love Paul's croissants, I took my spouse and children there. The croissants were stale and tasteless. I was really disappointed that they’ve lost their former quality.

Tenía los pies doloridos, no tenía suficiente tiempo con el papel y necesitaba respirar. Buen café y bollería, no espere más por el amable servicio eficiente. Tengo una mesa afuera. Calle bastante tranquila. Intrigado por la estatua larguirucha de un artista despeinado en el zócalo. Sin nombre pero aparentemente producido por un colectivo de artistas llamado Greyworld. Hay una inscripción en latín Non Plaudite Modo Pecuniam Jacite - traducción escolar No aplaudas, solo tira dinero. Seguramente debe haber más significado e instalación en la historia de su creación que eso. Tiene personalidad y suscita preguntas - felizmente lo habría llevado a casa.

Podría estar un poco sesgado positivamente hacia las panaderías, pero este lugar era delicioso. Ambos sándwiches estaban muy cerca de los que he comido en Francia. El pan estaba fresco y horneado a la perfección y en su interior tenía ingredientes de calidad. Su mini donut de chocolate también era muy bueno. Lo único que no disfruté fue su pan de oliva. Era un poco soso en comparación con los otros artículos. Aún así, todo parecía y sabía delicioso.

The cakes used to be better. Not bad but also not good either.

Returned here about 5-6 times during my stay. Had a pleasant experience each time. The food was always very fresh and tasty. Definitely recommend stopping by.

Delicious food and drink. Well presented. Immaculately clean premises ( apart from a very messy toilet!). Soft lighting. Upstairs tables available. Tastefully decorated. Comfortable chairs and temperature. Staff were very helpful and efficient, but a smile would have been perfect!

My friend bought a pistachio cake for me on 21/06/24 in the afternoon. She was shocked and fumed on that arogant and rude cashier lady. You can see it from the comments that it was not a single incident. It totally spoiled our experience.

Two visits - first was pastries coffee and tea, which were great. - second was for cake and hot chocolate, which were first rate. Left with a sandwich, which knocked the socks off anything Heathrow airport was offering.

The bread was not tasty and unfriendly, the table and dishes were dirty, and a vacuum cleaner was used even though there were guests.

Place with spectacular views, everything very delicious, friendly staff... totally recommended.

The ham & cheese baguette has been a goto favourite for many years. Perfect.

I loved this place... but sadly walked in today, and suddenly noticed (though likely it was always there) a huge cloud of black mould spores - a really strong smell if you're familiar with it - coming from inside the shop. I then noticed that the entire raw wood ceiling above the whole serving area, which must absorb significant amounts of condensation from the coffee machines below - is covered and permeated right through with fluffy black mould. Sadly can't eat here again.

Great coffee and friendly staff 😊

Terrible service, some chinese guy at the till who didn’t know how to speak english at all. 0 communication skills. The coffee had no aesthetic to it at all, tasted mediocre and from what i could see, he was totally an inexperienced barista. The tables were not clean, i don’t know what the staff is doing but whatever they’re doing, it’s terrible lol.

Please do not order from here the staff are extremely rude and refuse to rectify there mistake with my order. The lady constantly spoke over me when I was trying to explain the inconvenience of having to come back to collect the food item. Plus refusing to give there name. Appalling service.

A well-known and very successful coffee chain. The coffee is very tasty and recommended

Atrocious coffee, such a cheap taste. Shocked there are Italians around enjoying it. Must have been a while they’ve been home.

I needed a special cake for a special occasion so I ordered the Fraisier cake with strawberries for my mother's surprise 80th birthday and it was just the most scrumptious thing. I'm so glad I did. I'm not normally a fan of marzipan but the taste was so delicate you forget it is marzipan. The sponge was light and delicate and the cream filling was sublime. The wording was just how I wanted, it meant so much to my mum. The cake was to be delivered to our restaurant of choice on the day in time for my mother's lunch and it was delivered on time with notification informing me. As I said, the whole thing was a surprise get together for my mother and family members and everything was done with precision planning. So thank you to PAUL, not just for a gorgeous cake, but for delivering on time and without hassle. It was just one thing less to worry about. My only issue was that because the cake had to feed a party of 12, with leftovers to be shared to take home, I didnt get a second helping, even though I got the 18-24 size. I think for my next birthday, I'm going to order the Fraisier cake just for me, so I can enjoy more than one slice. Sublime!

For my fellow tourists please do yourself a favor and eat here for breakfast more than once.

Seriously do not know how to make coffee. The cappuccino and the flat white are identical. Staff training clearly an issue. Paul was always fake Belgian/French and now fake Italian

I love the oat milk chai latte, try the new summer drinks

The sandwiches are absolutely delicious. The desserts are absolutely delicious. Thank you very much!

Wednesday @ 1:30 lunch. Good selection of sandwiches. Some things sold out. Get there early for best options. Service was excellent and the pastries were top notch. Would recommend and will return for sure.

We went a couple of times to this place since it was located basically across the street from the Hilton Bankside. Nice coffee, Nice snacks, good prices.

Nice pastry. Recommend the hot chocolate

Excellent service by the team, we made a massive order for more than 150 sandwiches and they were just perfect. The quality of them was absolutely amazing. Thanks for your service. Definitely we will order with you again.

Disappointing range of cakes, however the coffee was good and there is lots of seating.

Cozy place upstairs to tuck away with a cup of tea and a pastry

Service was poor. Many people manning the counter but the welcome expected from a coffee shop/café was non existent, judgemental non smiling faces. As if the staff couldn’t be bothered to serve or unhappy about their work. Just left after having a baguette. Regretted stepping into this atmosphere. Rather the next door Gails should have been the choice which was packed compared to this place with 3 people sitting.

Always fresh and so tasty pastries 🥮 Try it if you till didn’t do it 😀

We ordered a cake (Fraisier) online for celebration. I tried sweets from Paul in other countries and it was always delicious. However the cake which we got in London was of very bad quality, just uneatable. Very strange and tasteless cream like margarine. Thick layer of green uneatable mastic. The only tasty thing in the cake was natural strawberry. We were so much disappointed. This bakery obviously makes money on poor quality cakes. Be careful.

Appalling service. Too many times we have visited here and the staff have attitude problem. The training must be non existent. Pret is great service with a welcome but not here. Shame as food is excellent

It’s an ok Paul… I find there’s rarely enough of what I want to order (pastries) or little baguette availability. Staff are nice though!!

Nice coffee. I did not give 5 stars since they did not have sandwiches (which was the reason I arrived here in the first place) at the time of arrival due to external orders. In any case, sitting was pleasant, staff were nice and coffee was satisfying.

Delicious craquant cake, and always good quality patisserie made truly in the French style.

Kind staff and delicious treats…. Not sure why the takeaway is quite cheaper than dining in though… maybe I’m just a weird American who doesn’t know these things… treats were excellent though 🙏

Good coffee! Nice spot with pretty views just by the river.

I absolutely adore this Paul’s, the workers there are super nice and professional and friendly!! One of the bakery workers called Mollie is especially amazing, I always love to stop by after my corporate job and enjoy the amazing food and atmosphere!

Burnt the milk for my latte, poor customer service.

Average coffee with less than average counter staff, and the horrible presentation on coffee. And the last but not the least, they prepare a basket tray of stained tea spoon, seeing my hesitation on the picking which spoon to use, the staff asked with a I-could-not-care-more face, “How about a wooden spoon for you?” 15:48, 30 May 2022.

Really good sandwiches and amazingly friendly staff!!! Especially the tall blonde guy😁💯

Delicious coffee, friendly staff and a good choice of food and cake. Worth a stop.

Got a poulet sandwich, amazing quality no matter what time of day you do. Will definitely be returning.

I've been to this shop today and had one of the rudest services ever. The staff - Dominika, in my receipt - charged me eat-in prices but gave me take-away treatment. Paper cup, no plates, no tray and no napkins. After I've asked for a proper mug, she insolently replied I had asked to take it outside. Outside as in Paul's terrace which means eating in. She was clever enough to charge me eat-in prices though. She's made a new latte very reluctantly and with no manners at all, and still not putting the cakes on a plate, giving me a tray or napkins, was unable to say a single apology for her mistake. What sort of management is this that hires these cheeky/incompetent people or don't teach them properly the rules of the job?

I love Paul and the macarons. But the lady was rude, not even offering me a napkin or a tray to take the items at the table.

Lovely cozy cafe with very friendly staff, nice deserts and coffee. Highly recommend.

Beautiful Pastries. Highly Recommended.

Brilliant choice of food served by friendly staff.

Great service – really friendly, it made my day. Great food as well, and I feel good value for the quality.

Reminded me of Paris. Wasn't so sure why people say they miss food in France. Now I get it.

Welcoming staff, tasty food, good location, not too busy. Great place to visit.

even though it's a big brand they don't give cutlery and service is poor

Good Paul's food with a spot to sit out in the sunshine without traffic

As good as every Paul and nice staff

Just what we needed, after travelling up from the sticks... Croque Monsieur accompanied by Single Macciato and water. Good service, excellent quality. Hayling Seagoon

Unwilling or unable to invest in proper containers. Second order from this place that came with a spilled coffee. This time it destroyed everything. Deliveroo rider said he will bring a new order but instead just ran away.

A good 'un here - nice quiet outdoor space and great coffee :)

You gotta love Paul! Great food of great quality. Bravo Paul!

Helpful staff and very nice coffee

We went there on a Sunday morning. Purchased a coffee and some pastries. The member of staff (Jam was his name) charged us dine in prices. All fine if the pastries weren't given to us in paper bags. I complained and he replied in a rude way he couldn't give us plates because of Covid-19 rules. This is May 2021 and all the restaurants are now open. Then he said he would have to touch the plate. I pointed that he was using gloves and the plates are washed in hot water. In reply he implied I was refusing to acknowledge Covid was real... To wrap up, the food and drinks were good as always but the member of staff spoiled it by being rude.

Great store. Helpful staff, great manager.

Delightful sandwiches, rolls, pastries, coffee's, etc..

Splendid customer service. The quality of the food is generally really good. I especially love their lunchtime deals as the range of baguettes sandwiches are delicious.

The mini chocolate donuts are fresh and so so good, they literally melt in your mouth. It is a must try!

This is quite a small branch, but it's quite quaint with seats upstairs. Staff were really nice and professionally. Coffee was very good and pastry was yummy!

Lovely spot outside Tate Modern for a great coffee & delicious baguette - far superior to other eateries round here!

After getting served we proceeded to sit outside after which we noticed a rat running around tables picking up dropped food. Eventually this rat ran inside the restaurant. The lady who was working called pest control but still refused to shut the restaurant until they came. Obviously care more profits over customer welfare. Disgusting.

Super expensive for ordinary shop

Coffee is sold, toilet is closed

Great place to buy quality bread in London, also used in their excellent sandwiches. Plus, the staff is always helpful and accommodating!

Comfy but very expensive and tea not nice, cakes were nice though

We had an afternoon stop here after a stroll along South Bank. It looks small at first but there is an upper area with a few more sets of tables. We ordered at the counter and had to come back down to pick up the order when it was ready. I tried their praline hot chocolate and we grabbed a few pastries to share, Craquant, Eclair Paris Brest and Millefeuille. The hot chocolate was really thick and luxurious. Quite rich and tasty. All the pastries were quite nice but liked the eclair the best, although the craquant was quite close. It was a nice place for a pit stop before heading to the Borough Markets.

We had an afternoon stop here after a stroll along South Bank. It looks small at first but there is an upper area with a few more sets of tables. We ordered at the counter and had to come back down to pick up the order when it was ready. I tried their praline hot chocolate and we grabbed a few pastries to share, Craquant, Eclair Paris Brest and Millefeuille. The hot chocolate was really thick and luxurious. Quite rich and tasty. All the pastries were quite nice but liked the eclair the best, although the craquant was quite close. It was a nice place for a pit stop before heading to the Borough Markets.

Great food, fresh and nice coffee. Great service too.

Great place for a quiet coffee and a little something sweet

Their almond croissant is dry and tasteless. Either overcooked or kept overnight.

This is a modern cafe selling very nice quality baguettes, savory pies and pastries. The quality of their bread is excellent. Not cheap but very tasty.

I really enjoy Paul... as long as it's not the weekend and overwhelming busy!

폴은 어느 곳을 가도 좋은 곳. 만족 스러움. 믿음직스럽다. 가벼운 커피와 빵한조각하기엔 폴만한 곳이 없다. 너무 좋다. 만족! 맛있음.

The strawberry cake is okay, but my latte is made by instant coffee bag, shameful.

Nice surroundings with a large chandelier, a typically french cafe which is clean and functional great little breakfast spot . Any size drink and a croissant pastry etc for £3.75 to take away or alternatively sit in for a little extra and enjoy the relaxed environment. Pain au chocolat was exceptional and the cappuccino very nice. Some really good filled sandwiches here, plenty of seating, I also like the various pretzel styles available if you grab them early enough in the day . Recommended

Excellent service ! I had to order platters for an event at my workplace. As It was too short to order online, I decided to call PAUL near our office. The lovely manager in this place helped me and found a solution for me. I placed my order over the phone and collected at the shop. This manager should be promoted as she is excellent. She is patient, kind and helpful. I highly recommend this place. Thank you Paul for your amazing employees ! Elvine

So rude staff. Ice latte was horrible taste.

The food it’s good customer service it’s really poor , people are not trained properly don’t know how to make coffee and they think of cleaning table instead of serving people , probably understaff but it’s. It my problem , I’ll switch to pret where customer service it’s good all the times

Nice surroundings with a large chandelier, a typically french cafe which is clean and functional great little breakfast spot Any size drink and a croissant pastry etc for £3.75 to take away or alternatively sit in for a little extra and enjoy the relaxed environment. Pain au chocolat was exceptional and the cappuccino very nice. Recommended

Popped in here, staff were friendly, coffee was good, would recommend and visit again. Hope that you all have a great week. Kind Regards, Alex

Favourite patisserie - all of them are good (among their selection of pastry delights they include very crisp, light palmiers the size of dinner plates! But their abricot anglaise are my favourite.)

This is a good place for coffee and croissant. Friendly staff.

Paul's è sempre una sicurezza per una colazione a prezzo contenuto rispetto a quelle offerte dagli hotel. Le brioche sono ben cotte e facilmente digeribili. Buon caffé americano.

Very poor all round. The service was indignant and staff didn't seem to know where they were working. The coffee was as bad it gets, watery and cold, and the croissants burnt and oily. Take a closer look at the cleanliness...

Some really good filled sandwiches here, plenty of seating, I also like the various pretzel styles available if you grab them early enough in the day

Constantly good hot chocolate. And they have a restroom, which is apparently a rare thing in London chains.

Gorgeous treats at a great price, what's not to love!

Food and beverages are good, but service... Staff might need a bit more training or more days-off.

It's a 'modern' Paul's in a new building, but still feels cosy and relaxed. Come in the afternoon and you will catch the sunshine. Staff are friendly here.

I had a treat here one Friday afternoon. The croissant and sandwich was delicious. Nice location and decor with free WiFi.