I had a bad feeling when I approached this one. Except for the two registers, the shop was empty. Everyone knows that where there is good food, there are people. Maybe because Belle Pastry is a bit hidden: not really on the waterfront, but not really in the center of downtown. I entered the place and was immediately charmed by the presence of palmiers

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in the vitrine. They’re my favourite biscuits. The music also was ravissante. Classical music. And even if French people listen to classical music less than they used to, it was enchanting to hear this delicate remembrance of the time when we ruled the world with our European music and you had not yet perverted our ears with Justin Bieber.

I ordered a croissant and a baguette and noticed on my receipt that the address mentioned was not Seattle but Bellevue. The register explained me that there are two shops, one in Bellevue and this one, on Spring Street, which opened in July. The baguettes are all prepared in the Bellevue shop, and then delivered here. En revanche, the croissants are baked here.

And it was good. Absolutely good and delicious. A true croissant, with the same taste as those I’m used to eating in Paris. If Le Fournil is too far for you, go straight ahead to Belle Pastry because you will enjoy it. And the same goes for the baguette. So far, it is the best baguette I’ve ever tasted in an American bakery. At lunch, I made myself a sandwich jambon-beurre and it was so good.

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After this delightful moment of enjoying the food, I went to the counter to congratulate the owner of this place. She has Vietnamese origins but she is French. And the chef is French, too. This is the evidence that only French people can make proper pastries. You can try to copy, but you will never be our equals when it comes to good food.

This place rocks. It earns a A-.

Good points:
• The taste
• The kindness of the owner. It’s so rare in France!
• The fresh water with menthol leaves

Bad points:
• The fact that I was the only one inside. I don’t like when it’s overcrowded like in Le Panier, but I need other people because I love laughing at them.
• The croissants were very good but not as big as Le Fournil’s ones.