Orée Boulangerie, Fulham

There are plenty of bakeries in London claiming to offer authentic Parisian patisseries, fluffy baguettes and flaky croissants, but few deliver. The new Orée Boulangerie in Fulham, however, exceeds all expectations. Last week I joined a group of fellow foodies for a morning of sampling. Pitching to a table of unforgiving French bloggers was not an easy task, but our expressions softened as the buttery soft pastries were delivered to the table each, smelling more delicious than the last.

The Orée bakery and café stands out immediately, a creamy shade of baby blue with golden cursive writing. Inside, the décor is just as delectable with white marble surfaces, sophisticated furniture and lots of natural light. There is plenty of space for guests to sit and relax with their breakfast. Founder Laurent d’Orey brought the concept to England, after setting up bakeries elsewhere in Europe, and hoped to win over Londoners with his irresistible French pastries – he is definitely succeeding.

The boulangerie prides itself on offering a huge range of gluten-free treats in addition to the standard baked items. Highlights from our breakfast included the ‘escargot’ – a swirled pastry filled with pistachio and white chocolate – and the beautiful egg breakfast dishes, which are accompanied with the bakery’s organic sourdough bread. Those brunch-addicts hoping for something more substantial will enjoy the ‘tartines’, essentially an open sandwich topped with delicious ingredients such as avocado, smoked salmon or ratatouille.

A week later and I’m still relishing my bag of Orée almond financiers, each bite is a reminder of the beautiful baked treats at this wonderful new breakfast hang out.

More information about Orée Boulangerie here.