French restaurant/bar/boulangerie/patisserie, Le Restaurant de PAUL has now opened at Tower 42. Located at the base of one of London’s iconic skyscrapers. The sleek all-day restaurant features authentic French cuisine with an introduction of gourmet burgers supplied by the Queen’s butcher Donald Russell, a destination wine, champagne and cocktail bar and in-house bakery.
Situated within the Square Mile, Le Restaurant de PAUL brings a contemporary burst of colour and energy to the capital. Building on the strong foundations laid by the first Le Restaurant de PAUL, which opened on Covent Garden’s Bedford Street in 2014, leading French artisan bakery and pâtisserie PAUL has taken its time-honoured traditions but injected them with a hefty hit of City attitude. Equidistant between Liverpool Street and Bank stations along Old Broad Street, the restaurant opens weekdays from early morning until late night for all manner of power breakfast meetings, lunchtime pow-wows, sophistiqué suppers and out of office champagne celebrations.
Cleverly mixing the contemporary and classic, Le Restaurant de PAUL’s menu is designed to appeal to varied tastes and dining occasions, it is filled with regional one-pot dishes, sharing platters, seasonal salads and typical French savoury snacks as well as afternoon tea, freshly baked viennoisserie and fine pâtisserie. Many of PAUL’s dishes are inspired by family recipes passed down throughout its 125-year history, which pay homage to the cornerstones of casual French cookery.
Le Restaurant de PAUL Tower 42 offers breakfast every weekday morning from 6:30am with dishes of oeufs to your preference (Royale, Florentine, poached, scrambled) or healthy new breakfast choices including: freshly blended fruit and vegetable smoothies; multigrain tartines with avocado and bacon or Bircher Muesli. For time-strapped commuters, grab a pastry, still warm from the oven, and a hot drink to have en-route or at your desk.
Lunch and dinner is as leisurely as you like with French classics that diners have come to expect including quintessential Coq au Vin (corn-fed, free-range chicken braised in red wine accompanied with light and fluffy mashed potato), Cabillaud à l’Oseille (roasted line-caught cod, Brittany samphire, sorrel, mussel nage) and Entrecôte à la Bordelaise (fillet steak with Provençal tomato, fries and Bordelaise sauce). Lighter bites include Salade Niçoise and rotisserie chicken. French gourmet burgers and gorgeous sharing platters filled with artisan French cheese and charcuterie round out the menu. Prices are reasonable compared with other City restaurant options.
Dessert is an absolute must, whether as a lunchtime pick-me-up or after-dinner treat. Indulge your sweet tooth with Brioche Perdue (French toast with crème anglaise topped with apricot coulis or warm chocolate sauce), a lighter taste of tradition with Île Flottante (poached meringue and homemade crème anglaise) or silky and rich, bottomless Mousse au Chocolat. For the more traditional palate, treat yourself to Eton Mess or classic Pêche or Fraise Melba.
The destination wine bar offers respite from the daily grind of the City with a tempting list of regional French red, white and rosé wines including a selection from small artisan growers and producers – each expertly chosen to enhance the authentic French dishes on the menu. A range of house cocktails such as the signature L’Avion Bleu, the Negroni Lavande or the Martini Café and a selection of premium champagnes also punctuate the menu. Open until 11pm every weeknight, stop in after work and share a bottle while tucking into one of the sharing platters to relax after a tough day.
PAUL’s largest site to date, with just under 100 seats inside and outdoor seating for up to 40 covers, has been styled by independent Parisian designers Coorengel & Calvagrac who used the very first PAUL shop opened in Lille in 1953 as their art deco-style inspiration. Bold pops of emerald green, ruby red and royal blue, art deco linear grey stone tiling, industrial lighting and modern mirror paneling are at the forefront punctuated by subtle references to PAUL’s 125-year history with 1950’s style benches, colourful armchairs, retro tables and black and white framed family portraits adorning the walls.
Entertaining a client, treating a friend or taking a half-day to indulge in a bit of ‘me’ time all warrant trying out PAUL’s afternoon tea, served daily from 2:30pm – 5:30pm. Designed for sharing, savour dainty artisan sandwiches, mini macarons, a selection of cakes and sweet brioches with jam and cream served alongside two hot drinks for just £25. Turn it into a real celebration with a glass of Cremant brut each for just £5 extra or Veuve Clicquot for £20 extra.
Of course, the restaurant wouldn’t be PAUL’s if it didn’t feature the brand’s world-famous in-house boulangerie. Whether you crave a fresh pastry in the morning, an artisan sandwich or gourmet salad at lunch or a pretty box of colourful macarons to give as a gift, PAUL’s signature selection of pâtisserie, viennoiserie, artisan breads, celebration cakes, lunchtime staples and range of hot and cold beverages will have you covered.
A delivery service will soon be introduced, enabling busy City workers to cater to any occasion be it an in-office meeting or spur of the moment celebration. Tower 42 is also set to become home to some of PAUL’s popular breadmaking masterclasses so that baking fans can learn the fine art of making their own light, airy loaves from scratch, straight from the experts – watch this space.
Le Restaurant de PAUL Tower 42, 25 Old Broad Street, Ground Floor, City of London, EC2N 1HQ, T: 0207 562 5599, Email: Tower42E50@paul-uk.com / Website: www.paul-uk.com / Twitter: @PAUL_BAKERY
