Orée

A little bit of Paris has sprung up on the Fulham Road just as you head West – squeeze past the small but constant queue in the attached boulangerie, ensconce yourself among the tarnished mirrors decorating the pale blue and white walls and watch the world go by through the huge windowed frontage. Service on our visit came from predominantly French staff and was attentive (due to overstaffing), but that didn’t stop our flat white and latte turning up tepid. (‘Oh, you wanted hot milk?’). 

Surprisingly, the lukewarm theme continued – eggs benedict was tasty but only a couple of degrees above ‘cold’  – but, as with most brunches, we were far too hungry by that point to part with our food and so persevered. The croque monsieur – béchamel and ham topped with perfectly grilled cheese on a sliced sourdough base – was much more like it. The patisserie were beautiful, but comparatively expensive and nothing out of the ordinary in the flavour stakes. Still, this should prove a hit with anyone hankering for a quick shot of the French capital.