Maison Kayser is a Parisian boulangerie that opened its first modest store in the city’s 5th arrondissement in 1996, and has since expanded at extraordinary pace: there are outposts in countries as far-flung as Senegal, Cambodia and South Korea. Its first London bakery (finally) opened this year in Marylebone.
Offerings include the traditional (baguettes and brioches) and more unexpected breads such as its latest, made with turmeric. It’s made from pâte viennoise dough with walnuts and hazelnuts. The turmeric gives the inside a sunset colour.
The USP
It’s a bread that tastes more like a cake, which is surely the ultimate sales pitch. The dough is meltingly sweet, though the turmeric gives it spice, and the nuts provide a satisfying crunch. You’ll want to tear hunks off and eat it by the handful, though if you aspire to a more civilised set-up, slice it and cover each slab in salted butter (jam or marmalade would likely be a little too sweet).
The drink
A black coffee feels appropriate. The bitterness of the coffee will offset the cakiness of the bread. You could get one on-site but for a superior brew saunter to nearby Workshop Coffee. It’s an oasis in an otherwise frenzied area where you can get brewed-to-order coffee made in an Aeoropress. The staff are laid-back, so won’t mind you picking at your loaf.
Visit maison-kayser.com.
MORE ABOUT