La Gourmandise Patisserie

Okay, shut your eyes and pretend you're in France. The sun is shining, the waves are rolling and people around you are in navy and white stripes. You can smell freshly baked bread, croissants, coffee and macaroons.

Now, open your eyes and face reality. You're in Aberdeen. You're on Thistle Street, to be more precise. The sun might be shining, the waves are rolling (but you can't see/hear them), people may be wearing navy and white stripes. But that freshly baked smell is still there! And it's coming from Aberdeen's one and only French patisserie, La Gourmandise, run by a lovely little French man - in navy and white stripes!

La Gourmandise is everything an authentic French patisserie should be. It's small, a bit faded, and has vintage pictures on the walls. The shop isn't sparkling clean and the paninis are already made up, but that's okay, cos it's a rustic French patisserie and that's how rustic French patisseries work. La Gourmandise's croissants are perfection - small, buttery and LOADED with calories. And the almond croissants and pain au chocolat are the real thing. And the macaroons - the macaroons! You're talking to the girl who spent her entire summer trying to master the little blighters but these ones are OH SO perfect and delicate and flavour-filled. A box of these and I'm yours. Stop in for a filled baguette for lunch, or head in at 7:30am when the bread is fresh and the coffee is hot. (It's hot all the time but you know what I mean.) 

There's nowhere to sit in and peruse French art or fashion books, but Union Terrace is a hop, skip and a jump away so you can stretch out in the sun and pretend you're actually in France. And with treats from La Gourmandise, you'll be booking your next holiday to France the minute you step out of the stop. Bon appetite!

La Gourmandise

63 Thistle Street

Aberdeen

http://lagourmandise.co.uk/