Le Pain Quotidien have left their London apron strings behind and ventured into deepest darkest Oxford.
Their sparkling Bicester Village store is a perfect place to dump the bags and take a breath.
Or, if you can’t bear to tear yourself away from the retail therapy, there’s the grab-and-go option.
Here they make all the bread, pastries and patisserie, their tartine, salads and delicious hot dishes.
No matter what time of the day you pop in (the store is open from Monday to Saturday from 8.30am to 10pm and on Sunday from 9.30am to 10pm), there’s plenty to tantalise your taste buds.
If your an LPQUK regular then you’ll know about their love of communal eating and the table here is huge. From Breakfast to brunch, hot breakfast, eggs, and cereal there is something for everyone.
Writers were invited to sample the hospitality as guests of Alain Coumont, LPQ’s founder.
We sampled the avocado tartine which is simple but effective. Mashed avocado is mixed with lemon, cumin, salt and olive oil and sprinkled with super seeds (£7.95).
The Salmon Tartine was great too.
Smoked Chicken Cobb is one of their most popular dishes (£12.45), and I can see and taste why. Strips of crispy prosciutto, organic egg, Stilton, tomato and mixed leaves get tossed along with a mustard vinaigrette.
Another winner is the organic lentil and avocado salad (£10.95) which is a chickpea, raw slaw and freshly shaved fennel offering with a basil vinaigrette.
For those with a heartier appetite, I can vouch for the chicken & veal meatballs served with a creamy mustard sauce with roasted potatoes and French beans (£14.95).
We had mashed potato with a pound of butter, but I’m sure the roasties are equally as good.
A vegetable gratin, roasted butternut squash mash, and seasonal vegetables were extras.
At the rear of the store, there’s a space reserved for baking classes, and I made bread and some wonderful organic spelt and quinoa scones
For dessert, Apple Tarte Tartin (£4.90)
alongside Organic Chia Seed & Coconut Milk Vanilla Pudding (£4.30)
and gloriously moist carrot cake (£4.40).
If you visit, pop into LPQUK where Marcela Janickova and her team will do their utmost to ensure you have a splendid time.
For more on visiting Bicester Village, visit the website.
It’s just 46 minutes by train from London’s Marylebone and the train stops directly at Bicester Village.
