Au Bon Pain - A literal Pain

Au Bon Pain means “the good bread” in French; however it was more meaningful for me in English. At least the word pain was exactly what it meant.

The café is a place of confusion. There are two payment counters, each at ends of the shop. One is for cash and other for Card. Both display a different menu. If you have identified few things to eat at cash counter and want to make payment by card, and by the time you reach card counter you are not able to recall name, as the names are in French and likely to be forgot. Now, when you look up to order you will see a new menu, won’t be able to find the dishes you identified. Now, head back to other counter and try to memorise and come back to card. Isn’t it a too much, when you are looking forward to sit at cool and calm café.

They have made the arrangements that one can plug in a laptop and can focus on work with a cup of coffee. But these seats are just opposite the payment counters, where the queue will be formed and people will be discussing their orders. So focus in this disturbance is a challenge.

People eat and leave, the next customer grabs the seat and then a long search starts for someone who can clean the table. We had to ask three times to get our table cleaned. Staff seems to be very demotivated and performing their duties like a life less machine.

Café reminds me of Hindi phrase ‘Unchi Dukaan, feeka pakwaan’. Dishes are beautiful to look at, however the high expectations set for taste fall from cliff. We ordered Keema Kouign-amann, Poha Bagel Sandwich and open face margherita. Sad to say, but none met the expectation. I had the same thought before placing the order and now it has even stronger. Who on the first place had this idea of mixing Poha and Bagel, they don’t complement each other as both are bland. I ordered thinking that might be they have added some tangy sauce which makes this adventurous combination exciting. But no, they simply put both together and serve. Keema Kouign-amann, though not a victim to sarcasm but was also failed to earn respect. High salt suppressed the taste of keema. Open face margherita though was not an open failure. Taste like beauty should be skin deep. Very attractive on face, but had a very bland taste. Seemed all salt was consumed for keema and nothing came in share for poor margherita.

Why to visit? Not able to find any good reason.

Where it is? Cyberhub, Gurgaon.