Patisserie Valerie

264 High St, Lincoln LN2 1HW

A short review by the Three Munchketeers of Patisserie Valerie in Lincoln.

Ben: I’ve been to PatVal’s quite a few times in the past but never in a lunch time break. It was quite quiet but this resulted in swift service from friendly staff. I pushed the boat out and had something of the set menu, 2 courses in fact. I ordered the salmon starter and meat pie main. Something must have gone a little wrong as I received the tomato soup instead of the salmon, however it was still very nice — and the pie was excellent, highly recommended and only £10 for the two courses. I’ve had the coffee from PatVal’s in the past it is up there with the best in Lincoln. From it’s decor to it’s food Patisserie Valerie shouts quality, a very nice lunchtime retreat for those who have the time.

7.5/10

Mole: I’m afraid to say I want a little underwhelmed by Patisseries Valerie. I found the decor hugely dated, especially the tables! I felt like I was in a B&B rather than a reputable high street patisserie. That said, this was less of the case when I swapped sides of the table to look towards the front and main bar. The lavatory doors didn’t quite have the same appeal. I have poached eggs & bacon on toast, this was actually rather good, perfect poached eggs, but lacking in presentation. Service was prompt and done with a smile, but as Ben mentioned a little bit of confusion somewhere down the line. I think I would have had a different experience entirely if I were either having a cake in the window, or sat out on the lovely terrace on a summers day. So… good food, great cakes, fantastic tea, but lacking in anything else for me. Sit in the front gazing out the window and you’ll have a lovely time.

6.5/10

Mike: From the outside this little patisserie looks amazing with its selection of cakes and mouth-watering treats. Once inside however, I felt like I’d been cast back to an 80s Little chef restaurant and not the authentic French feel I was looking for. The cakes look great, however, with it being a lunch-time, I had a mozarella, tomato and avocado sandwich, which was nice enough, despite the lack of avocado. Perhaps cake would have been a better option and perhaps this is what this venue should be used for, because for me, as a lunch-time option, I was somewhat underwhelmed. For me, a venue like this needs more character and needs to be more quaint and French. If lunch-time food is to be on offer, it needs to be more interesting and less road-side pit stop. Apologies to the cake lovers who put this venue in high regard!

6.5/10