Situated along Naklua road in Northern Pattaya, La Baguette is obviously a French-style (because they "la" almost everything) patisserie and cafe that serves top-notch brunch and desserts. We were there during one god-darn hot Saturday and was relieved to sink our asses down on the cushioned seats in the air-conditioned area. If you enjoy the heat of Pattaya or happened to be there when it's cooler, you could sit outside in their al-fresco dining area. With its delectable specialities they have to offer, it is not difficult to comprehend the crowd-size that mostly includes tourists and locals (from Bangkok).
La Baguette is opened in 1998 by Woodlands Group, which owns a number of restaurants and hotels, including La Ferme and Woodlands Hotel and Resort (located just beside La Baguette). I swear I wouldn't mind eating here everyday during my stay, it would probably take weeks to try out everything given their wide array of breads, crepes and other pastries. Oh, they sell some really cutesy sweets and cookies, which are really perfect for gifts.
When you're in La Baguette, don't leave without trying their signature croissants, which comes in a variety of flavours. For starters, go for their rendition of the French classic Giant Ham Croissant (280 Baht; below) or Almond Croissant. But to be honest, it seriously doesn't matter what fillings it encompass, because the true star of this dish is the pastry. Nicely crusted and flaky, yet soft and fluffy on the interior with a nice buttery flavour. It's completed with salad doused with balsamic vinegar and chips. Potato chips.
Crepes are good, but not as great as their croissants. The Poulette Crepe (220 Baht) was of a generous size, and includes chunks of chicken breast, melted cheese and drizzled with butter sauce. However, the fillings are concentrated in the middle, it would be much better if it's spreaded out for a more balanced crepe. If you would like a comparison, Marche's version is slightly better than this, just that this is like 3x cheaper.
Woohoo, Iced Matcha Latte (105 Baht) and Iced Macchiato (105 Baht) are perfect drinks for a hot and humid day. The former comes with a sugar stick and chocolate as well. My girlfriend totally goes ga-ga over their matcha latte, because to be honest, it is just that good.
What's a meal without desserts? Plus if you love anything rainbow, you would totally dig their Rainbow Crepe Cake (120 Baht). The crepe layers have a slight gelatinous texture which makes it taste like a mix between crepe cakes and the rainbow kueh lapis. Just that it's slathered with fresh cream in between.
Okay, the point is still - it looks freaking gorgeous.
I've read reviews about its appalling services. However, our visit to La Baguette was a pleasant, accompanied by good services and food. Given that it was our virgin trip to Pattaya, La Baguette is not difficult to find at all, as it is located at one of the main roads. Oh, and the toilet in the cafe was sparkling clean. It definitely deserved a thumbs-up from me.
All in all, if I am back in Pattaya, I will be definitely be visiting La Baguette again. Personally, it's the best cafe in Pattaya so far. But again, I have only tried a few cafes in Pattaya.
La Baguette
Tel: +66 (0) 3842 1707
Woodlands Hotel and Resort,
164/1 Moo 5, Pattaya-Naklua Road,
Chonburi 20150, Thailand