Le Petit Artisan

For the longest time, the only decent bakeries in Manila were of course, the hotel bakeshops, Le Coeur de France and maybe even Delifrance. So, unless you’re a frequent visitor of that little shop at the rear end of the Mandarin Oriental’s tiny lobby or a member of Tagaytay Highlands, we reckon that, like us, you’ve had to settle for the loaves found at your friendly neighborhood SM supermarket or at the French Baker. We’re not saying that there’s anything wrong with these places, because there really isn’t. It’s just that, sometimes, when your mouth waters for that perfect deli sandwich, sliced bread in a plastic bag just doesn’t cut it. Try picturing three slices each of gruyere cheese and peppered pastrami, smothered with Grey Poupon Dijon mustard, sandwiched between – wait for it – Sooper Dooper white bread. Now that would be a total waste of really good Swiss dairy.

It’s a good thing then that Le Petit Artisan has just opened in Greenbelt 5. Never mind the semi-posh location and the owner with a tattoo on his arm that reads “Josy Mahal Kita”, because the breads here speak for themselves. They are so fragrant in fact that you can actually smell them from the mall's entrance. And with shelves stocked with stuff ranging from the most basic baguettes to the harder to find sourdoughs, you can be sure to find just the right kind of bread to sandwich your ham and cheese with. At a little over 100 Pesos per loaf, don’t expect Gardenia quality. The breads here are so fresh and are made with absolutely no preservatives that if you leave your loaf out for two days, you can expect to have cultured some weird life form in your very own kitchen. But then again, Le Petit Artisan’s breads are not for peanut butter-filled midnight snacks made from whatever’s in the fridge; they’re for hearty, chocolate-stuffed French toast, or for turkey and cheddar paninis.

Le Petit Artisan's Bread Shelf :)

What Le Petit Artisan is really known for are croissants. The croissants here are so flaky and light that they are definitely worth breaking diets for. So are the pains au chocolat. Imagine layers of butter and chocolate folded one over the other, then baked until the butter forms an airy croissant, and the chocolate melts within the croissant so that you can make a rich mess out of every bite you take. Sounds sinfully good, doesn’t it?

With loaves retailing at around 150 Pesos each and croissants at 50 Pesos apiece, bread-shopping at Le Petit Artisan is definitely an indulgence. But when you just want to sink your teeth into rich chocolate croissants, 50 Pesos sounds just about right.

Chocolate Croissant is a must try!!

And while we usually include Google maps in our posts, this time we shall leave you, our readers, with simple how-to-get-there instructions: let your nose be your guide.

Rating:  3.5 out of 5 salt & pepper shakers



Address: G/F Greenbelt 5, Makati City