The French Bastards is the bakery-pastry shop that's brightening up the Oberkampf district. We went along to discover the place, run by Julien, Emmanuel and David, three young bakers and pastry-makers, and discover their sweet and savoury creations. We tell you all about it.
On the savory side at The French Bastards, you'll enjoy breads of course, including the house signature baguette, the Bâtarde, homemade salads (cabbage, arugula, raisins, pine nuts; iceberg, chicken, parmesan, croutons) and generous sandwiches prepared on site from carefully selected seasonal ingredients.
With the exception of the traditional baguette, the flours used are organic and the breads are made with natural sourdough. The restaurant offers a lunch menu at €9.80 including drinks and €11.80 including dessert. You can eat to your heart's content, with generous portions.
The bakery-pâtisserie makes a point of using as many well-sourced products as possible. The PDO butter comes from Poitou-Charentes, the ham is from Prince de Paris, the chicken is free-range and label rouge, the mozzarella di Campana comes from Sicily, the mayonnaise is homemade, and so is the cream cheese, from Brillat-Savarin... In short, it's all good stuff!
The French Bastards' focaccia with sun-dried tomatoes is also a must, a delight of gourmet flavors.
On the sweet side, The French Bastards is divided into two parts. On the viennoiserie side, the bakery offers classic (but oh so delicious) croissants, pains au chocolat, apple turnovers and pains aux raisins, alongside cookies, brownies and gourmet cakes. With a semi-inverted puff pastry and top-quality ingredients, we've got you covered!
But you'll also discover more original viennoiseries such as cruffins, a muffin made from croissant dough filled with caramel or lemon, and topped with meringue; and above all the incredible babkas, Polish chocolate brioches that we were able to devour straight from the oven, an experience we highly recommend!
When it comes to pastries, The French Bastards is not to be outdone, far from it! Gourmets will be delighted to discover a fine selection of classic pastries (éclairs, vanilla or praline flans) as well as pastries imagined by the house, such as the astonishing lychee hibiscus signature tart, a Mont-Blanc revisited with coconut and chestnut, or a refreshing clementine-pistachio tart.
The restaurant also offers a fine selection of teas from Palais des Thés and an excellent blend from Arbre à Café.
So, if you're craving something sweet or savory, The French Bastards is the place to go!
Please note that it's been over 4 years since our last visit, so the place and experience may have changed.
Location
The French Bastards
61 Rue Oberkampf
75011 Paris 11
More information
Open Monday to Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. and weekends, 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Closed on Thursdays
