Pain & Cie
Breads and Spreads
Espresso
Having heard interesting things about Pain & Cie, an artisanal boulangerie known for a simple brunch offering a basket of fresh bread matched to a vast number of jams, butters, toppings, and spreads intended to be mixed and matched to the customer’s delight, a foreigner simply could not help but stop by for the all-you-can eat experience that saw all sorts of novelties offered with a cup of coffee for just 8.50€, the chance to experience some of Europe’s curiosities at a mere fraction of what it would cost to purchase a container of just two or three.
Owned by a middle-aged baker, and frequented by both locals and tourists alike, the scene at Pain & Cie is a rather tranquil one during the early morning hours, but quickly filling with patrons around 09:00 with nearby parking at a premium those looking to best experience a sampling of accoutrements without having to wait are encouraged to arrive early, the warm bread an added benefit, though the woman seated at a table adjacent mine tells me that the supply is baked fresh throughout the morning, the same apparently true of a selection of sandwich rolls featured with meats and other items later in the day.
Admittedly tempted by croissants and other viennoiserie, but sticking to the original plan of a sliced baguette plus rounds of rustic whole wheat paired with several types of Kwatta as well as Cookie Notti plus housemade jams, honey, Pate d’Arachide, Choco Meli, Stroop, and Praline spread plus several types of butter and soft cheese suffice it to say that the value of a meal at Pain & Cie is well justified by the quality of the baked goods as well as the coffee, but for those intrigued by the toppings the cost is almost entirely inconsequential, the best bites from this vantage offered by the White Kwatta with Cappuccino Cookie Notti spread on a piece of baguette followed closely by Praline Butter and Dark Choco Meli that tasted like bitter yet balanced Nutella atop toasty whole grains.
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g187265-d1100380-Reviews-Pain_Cie-Lyon_Rhone_Rhone_Alpes.html