Paul One Boston Place

Dear Paul. Ur French bread isnt French. Everything looks French. Spelled French. «The boulangerie» etc but ur bread is posing as French bread. Super bummed about that bec no one enjoys a jambon fromage avec du buerre more than moi. How hard is it to score real baguettes??? NYC does it everyday. Look into it. Yes im sure some people love ur bread etc but a real jambon fromage it is not.

I love this place — great design, sound and food. I am regularly visting and the only disappointment is the service. Today I waited 25min for a simple toastes baguette. And in the served area my others usually get mixed up. If they could work on that they would have earned five stars

The people rating this place poorly have no idea what they’re talking about. «French Roast coffee»? Oh, please.
Come here if you want real French food. When I moved back to Boston from France in 2015, I was pining away for real croissants. Nowhere else in Boston have I found anything close to actual French pastries, except at Paul. It makes sense, they are a French chain, after all.
In France, these sandwiches, croissants, and pains au chocolat would be pretty unremarkable, but here in Boston they blow everything else out of the water.

Have you ever felt like getting a true taste of France before your first meeting starts, or taking a delicious lunch break during your hectic business day, or simply escaping for an afternoon pick-​me-​up snack that deeply open your senses and lift you up so much that your positive energy immediately impacts your surrounding and your business outcomes? Well, that is just how I feel since I moved to State St in November and discovered this very well hidden «jardin secret» for French flavors and «joie de vivre».
All you can buy is fresh and taste just right, from their «gourmandises», their «chausson aux pommes», any «viennoiseries», their breads and sandwiches are really succulent, their salads and «plats préparés» are the perfect balance of ingredients and size. Yes you can eat it and have a nice pastry and won’t have to worry of gaining weight. It’s all about selecting the right combo’s.
Now, I would not be fair if I wasn’t talking about their great sauce; of course you know that the secret of any French dish is in its sauce! Here, the sauce is the staff of this «café Paul» lead by Zac and Daniela. They are nice and always look to make you feel comfortable.
Every day I am working from State St, I inevitability end up at Paul’s.
Merci pour toutes ces bonnes saveurs. C’est le goût de la vie !

While walking with my wife through Boston’s Downtown Crossing one chilly morning I noticed a sign for Paul Bakery. Upon entering, and to the extent that one can be immediately charmed, we were. Firstly, Paul offers a beautiful interior space with a welcoming array of seating options, all very inviting. There are charming banquettes, small tables for two, round tables accommodating four persons, and a small coffee bar. The spacing is intimate, but not too much so. The right side of the room is self-​service, and the left side offers a full service section. In the far left corner there’s an elevated and quite romantic sitting area that provides a view of the entire room. It’s charming.
But the «star attractions» at Paul Bakery can be found in the gorgeously displayed glass case which holds the French pastries. As you line-​up to approach the ordering station you walk along this presentation and it serves-​up a treat for your senses, an endless variety of breads and pastries that are a sheer fantasy for the eyes. Add in the aroma of freshly-​brewed coffee and you’re just one step away from taking-​in more calories that you may have anticipated. But… it’s worth it. So incredibly delicious.
Beautiful food in a beautiful setting makes Paul Bakery a hard to beat option for a light breakfast, or a full breakfast. My wife and I have several times ordered the breakfast omelet (she prefers egg whites only) and the omelets always been spectacular, both in presentation and taste. There’s a side salad accompanying the omelet, infused with what is probably the most delicious salad dressing I’ve ever tasted. Try this. If you’re a salad lover you’ll be in heaven.
Paul has a fairly extensive lunch menu. We have recently been enjoying the lunch meals including the hamburger, which is exceptional. Paul also offers a selection of gourmet sandwiches. We’ll typically have coffee with at lunch because the large, white mugs are so impressive and add to the overall experience.
But for all Paul offers in the way of food and drink, and that’s a lot, the very best part of the Paul experience is its people. On our first visit: we first walked-​in and sat at the coffee bar and we were greeted by a gentleman with a warm smile; bonjour. We explained that it was our first visit to Paul. The gentleman, his name is Zac, told us we must first try some of the Paul pastries. Before we could even place our order he sent over a sampler plate of macaroons. Wow! They were incredible! And we were captivated. How nice a first experience was this?
Morning coffee at Paul is now virtually a daily pleasure. We know most of the staff by name. Some of the stand outs are Gerald, Van, Daniella, Andrew, Ben and Sylvia! Zak is managing Paul in a magical way that delivers the best of both worlds: outstanding food and extraordinary customer service! Thank you to Zak and the entire Paul team for making our lives a little richer!

After seeing pictures of this place from friends’ Facebook walls, I was excited to enjoy a warm caffeinated beverage last week.
The place is impressive. Located in the One Place on the corner of Court St and Washington Street, it is very easy to walk to and nicely located.
Once you get inside, it is a beautiful coffee shop. High ceiling and elegance are what comes to mind. But as nice as the high ceilings are, it isn’t as big as it appears. There is limited space and with the after work crowd, it can be tough to find a seat. The bar seating was sectioned off as being closed.
The menu was okay on the board, but I found it easier to read off of the paper menus on the counter. I placed my order — a large machiatto — and waited for the drink at a table I eventually found room at.
The delivery was so so – it was handed over to me over a table, instead of being placed in front of where I was sitting. I wasn’t really acknowledged in this process, as the server was distracted with waving to some friends nearby.
But most of all, the tiny cup was half filled. I was expecting more beverage for a large. I was pretty disappointed.
This would be a pretty place to take a date to, but I wouldn’t want to disappoint them with the actual product or service.

Very disappointed with my breakfast yesterday. Service and food were off. Making matters worse is that I was entertaining a new business prospect and had a business partner with me.
For starters, how does one manage to work in a *French* bakery and not know what French Roast coffee is? My server didn’t. I told her it’s dark roast coffee and she replied that she thought they had that. What she brought was decent, but fell short of a hearty French Roast. Later in the meal I asked her to top off the cup. Instead of bringing a fresh cup or a carafe, she removed my cup from the saucer, filled it elsewhere, and returned it… with a sundae spoon. Not kidding. A long sundae spoon for my coffee. She was inattentive throughout the meal; never checking to see how the food was or if we wanted anything.
The food was OK. The smoked salmon was excellent. The croissant was decent, if a little overdone in spots. But the dark leaves in the lettuce mix on the sandwich — the clamshell type you can buy at any supermarket — were spoiled. If I wasn’t with business contacts I would have sent it back.
Blame for the poor service is shared by management. They’re responsible for training and education.
The experience fell short of the expectations set by Paul’s brand image and the very nice dining room. I wouldn’t take a client or business prospect there again.

I really wanted to like PAUL. The décor is beautiful, the staff is attentive, but the pastries were old and tasteless. It was clear that the 2 pastries I ordered (raspberry Yule log and strawberry something), although beautiful, had been sitting in the case so long that they were stale tasting and rubbery. For the premium price I paid (over $ 6 per pastry) I would have expected a lot better. Very disappointed.

The food my coworker and I had for lunch was very bland, almost tasteless. The seevice was very slow. It didn’t look busy enough to cause the slow service. I was very disappointed.

I REALLY wanted to like this place. So much so that I have tolerated below average food and absent-​minded service three times now in hopes that it would just get better. Sadly, it hasn’t.
The space is charming and beautiful, but that is where the «good» ends. The food is very mediocre and overpriced. The quiches don’t taste fresh and judging by how my stomach has felt after eating them, I don’t think they are. Or at least they are not kept at the right temperature. The pastries look good, but taste just okay.
The service is in some ways overly attentive to the point where they silently stare at you while you are deciding what to get (um, awkward), but then very slow, as you end up waiting 10 – 15 minutes plus for your food.
I don’t know. this place COULD be amazing. But, they have a lot of work to do.

You’ve got to be kidding. This place is lame. Pastries are lame. Space is gorgeous and lovely, but no specific reason to come here because the food just isn’t so good. Next.

From the outside, this place is adorable and oh-​so-​charmingly Parisienne. However, the food and coffee is meh. You’d think that they’d nail it on the pastries and coffee, but I found them both overpriced and mediocre. Americano tasted like normal drip coffee — it had none of the strong, aromatic flavors of espresso. The Croissant Amande was okay, a bit too sweet and quite soft. I’ve had better at American cafes. Also, we did sit down and the service was nice, but really SLOW. And the server kept asking which order belonged to who (for a party of 10).

Upon entering, to your left is their full service restaurant with waiter service and you have to wait to be seated. The sign is hidden by the condiment stand. On your right is free seating café style. I had a chocolate croissant, chocolate donut and coffee. It’s ok not spectacular. The sandwiches look in the counter looks great. Will definitely come back. A good place to get a bite while you are at downtown crossing.

Fantastic macarons and just okay flan. I need to come back to try more though because literally everything here looks like it came out of a Fancy Living magazine. I can’t remember being so impressed by a bakery before. Leave it to Paul (which is a chain from France, not just an American place that makes ‘Murican versions of French food). The décor of the bakery is beautiful with plenty of seating. It’s actually a real restaurant too although I didn’t have a sit down meal. Employees were friendly and patient. I can’t wait to come back (for more macarons!!!).

Came here in the early afternoon on a Wednesday. Pretty good place to hang out with friends. Number of tables available for sit in. It’s more of a «seat yourself» situation. Once you ordered, you will be given a table number tag and they will hand deliver the orders to you when it’s ready. I got the cappuccino and my friend got the earl grey tea. Even though the small cappuccino is fairly reasonable (I think it was under $ 3) but I didn’t like that they don’t have latte art on it. Taste was typical. nothing to wow about. But I wouldn’t mind coming back just to hang out…

For a restaurant that tries to exude elegance this place sucked. This was an odd seating experience, and the food wasn’t all that great.
My friend ordered a hot tea and a pastry and got a ticket to sit in the nicer side with the couches. I ordered a sandwich and a pastry and was asked to sit in the other side. What? It was clear that we were together and we both ordered in. I wasn’t asked to leave when I sat with her but it was a little suspicious.
The pastry in my Napoleon was burnt black. The cake was huggee but absolutely inedible, and they used a dark baking chocolate that isn’t suited to Napoleons imo. Really lackluster super hard olive bread for my caprese sandwich, and I regret paying as much as I did for it. Paul gets no love from me.

We first experienced Paul in Nice, France, (oui, it is a chain there…), the coffee there was fab! They also have a little market inside for snacks and pastry to go as you grab your train. Lovely!
I stopped in today stateside to see if it was similar and it was. Not as large a market, but nicely appointed. Plenty of tables and some beautiful looking soup and salads– a perfect luncheon spot!
Pastries looked so great– but I picked up a sandwich to go and some tiny pain au chocolat for my hubby who’s hard at work. (I’m secretly hoping to remind him it’s time for another trip to the South of France.)
Enjoy!
TIP:
If you arrive around lunchtime, the place gets busy-​the line does move quickly.

The baked goods looked great, the macaroon I got was delicious and HUGE! The place was busy and seemed upscale, a little overpriced for my taste. The latte was just OK, the milk was really foamy.

Some average bakery with over-​priced drinks and food. Nothing too exciting. Definitely not worth the money.

Great pastries, very upscale atmosphere, lots of seating-​not much to complain about! This little café off the lobby on the BNY building is a great spot to meet someone for coffee and a pastry

French bakery finally came to Boston! Wish they had more choices in bread but I guess this place serves as snack/​afternoon tea or fast grab-​n-​go lunch place. I have tried chicken/​avocado sandwich twice and I love the sweetness kick in bread. As for pastries/​desserts, their crusts are delicate.
Customer services are great and staffs are friendly and helpful. The atmosphere is relaxing and fancy-​like. I’d have given them four stars if they have a changing table.

Unless you know where to look, you’d never find this place just walking by.
We had coffee and pastries but opted for something besides Mike’s for our last stop before departing Boston.
The coffee was really good, service was good, and the pastries were to die for.

What an amazing surprise… On our visit to Boston, we had no idea this place existed until we walked by. The next morning, we stopped and ordered a sampling of pastries and savory croissants.
Thoroughly impressed.
The space is gorgeous, and seems to be exactly what it needs to be. My only gripe would be that the prices are quite high, although how can you complain about money when the food is THIS good?

This place is pricey, but I’ve never had anything I didn’t like here. I stopped in for a few macaroons and a beignet and spent $ 15! My best friend told me this is a chain restaurant as they have them all over France. How exciting for us to have one in Boston!
This time around the macarons were a bit too sweet. Flaky and rich, but too much on the sweet side. I should’ve had them with tea to offset the sweetness. The macaroons here are the equivalent to maybe 3 or 4 traditional size macarons.
Their sandwiches are pretty good. This is a nice spot to check out for lunch. I’ve gone around 3 times already and will surely go back.

I love anything French and this place is adorable. I enjoy the ambiance and the French greeting as you come into the establishment. Lots of great things here. Not only do the pastries look enticing, but the coffee drinks are delicious as well.
Pros:
–Good selection on baked goods. This is a 125-​year-​old French bakery chain new to the states.
–The staff is friendly, albeit a bit scattered.
–The establishment is clean.
–Plenty of seating.
–The prices are extremely reasonable.
–Great location near a number of shops, restaurants and businesses.

Welcome to Downtown Crossing’s newest oasis. Step through those double doors and teleport across the Atlantic into a place that feels like the epitome of a French experience — or at least does so to my American eye. The glossy checkerboard flooring, soft classical music, high ceilings, bright lighting, open space, and elegant yet rustic furniture makes you immediately forget you that their is a sketchy convenience store across the street with an even sketchier food court a stone’s throw away. PAUL is a nice addition that’s truly helping revitalize the neighborhood.
The chocolate beignet and quiche lorraine were both incredible and brought my taste buds to life. The beignet was fluffy, filled with rich, creamy chocolate, and topped off with powered sugar. It was just the right amount of sweet and got better with every bite. The quiche lorraine was perfect — it melted in my mouth and delicately balanced the buttery egg texture and flaky crust. To my surprise, the quiche lorraine also came with a small salad that nicely complimented the dish — particularly the arugula.
There are two sections of the restaurant. The primary section is a place-​your-​order-​at-​the-​counter section where customers can opt for either take away or sit down Panera style — room temperature selections and necessary silverware are given you to at the cashier on a tray and drinks + warm food are brought to your table. Tucked away in the back corner is the full service sit-​down section — named Le Restaurant de Paul — where customers can sit back and truly enjoy the PAUL experience with waiter service.
PAUL has a calm, relaxed, upscale, but not pretentious vibe and I sure hope it stays this way. It would be an absolute shame if it became something similar to Caffè Nero, another European café just a few blocks down Washington Street, where it’s so busy and overcrowded that the integrity of the ambiance and experience are lost in all the noise.
My advice is take 30 minutes out of your day — before you go into work, during lunch, mid afternoon, or whenever you can find — take a seat, have a beignet with a coffee, and enjoy the PAUL experience.