When I lived in Sydney, weekend brunch was one of my favourite things to do on the weekend and it was a ritual for my friends and I. Usually we would meet around 11am, have a bite to eat then realise that noon had come and gone so, of course, the drinks menu would come out. Tales were told, secrets were spilled and by the time brunch was well and truly over, plenty of wine had usually been spilled.
In France, I was on the hunt to bring back the ritual of the ‘Weekend Brunch Club’, however, after much searching for suitable cafés, I started to think that the ‘breakfast café’ that is a phenomenon in Sydney is not so popular in the south of France. What use is brunch when you can rosé lunch on the beach?
After many months of looking, I eventually stumbled across Le Pain Quotidien in Cannes. Their menu is simple and fresh, and there is something for everyone. Their ground coffee is the perfect morning wake-up call and, of course, there is the endless selection of bakery delights.
The choice varies from organic breads including wheat, rye, walnut, five grain and raisin, along with a selection of jams, honey spreads (including white and dairy chocolate, which is too delicious not to taste). Then there are the waffles, frittatas and granola, which is also organic. The service is delightful and they also speak English, which for most of us expats down here is a relief.
They are in the middle of town – just off rue d’Antibes and opposite the Palais – so whether you are with friends and want to sit in the morning sun and catch up on the week’s events or perhaps you like to people watch while reading the newspaper, this it definitely the place to nestle in on a morning.
There are two main reasons why I love Le Pain Quotidien. They serve the most soya lattes, which is a rare find in France and being a Sydney-sider a morning coffee is a must for me. The other reason, of course, is when come 12pm, the breakfast delights are put away and the lunch and wine menu comes out, so you can continue to sit and enjoy your surroundings for the rest of the day.
For anyone who wishes to find out more, head to Le Pain Quotidien. It is a great place to try if you are looking for the perfect brunch place on weekends or week days!
