Fournil St Nicholas - Saumur

I needed a coffee and pastry as a filler before lunch time and found this small boulangerie. It is opposite Place de la Bilange. I asked for a coffee (with hot milk which was 3.10 Euro and had an Almond pastry costing 1.20 Euro. The coffee was very hot and the pastry was very fresh and delicious. I found this to be one of the cheaper boulangeries throughout my stay in the area, and it is highly recommended. Don't expect them to necessarily speak English (but it helps to know a few words of French so that you get your coffee with milk....!! .

We ate our dinner at this busy boulangerie, ordering two quiches with fresh seafood salad and a couple of large bottles of Perrier (11.80 Euros in total). The service was very timely and the food quite tasty and very reasonably priced. There is a small amount of seating available inside, which was convenient as it was raining at the time we ate. It is a very busy place judging by the amount of people who were being served during the time we ate our meal.

The proprietor was excellent in making us feel welcome and helping us overcome a slight language barrier. We shopped with our eyes which was made more difficult by all the beautiful sandwiches and baked goods. The ham cheese sandwich we selected was perfect for 2 people and we got another to take with us and eat later for an early supper with a small spinach quiche which was also excellent.

First the good point. The staff were friendly helpful. But from then on it was downhill. We had a small travellers lunch to share between the two of use. As you can see from the photo the baguette came in a paper bag rather than on a plate. The taste was only so-so we were given one serviette for the two of us. Finally a first for me in our years of travelling in Europe. The cafe has no toilet for it's customers. You get asked to go to a public one down the street!

This place is open from 6 AM well into the night serving coffee and light snacks. Very pleasant service and very central.