Panorama Gourmand Belleville

By popular demand, in other words, my current mood, I would like to share with you guys another boulangerie, but not just another boulangerie in Paris. This is a cafe that has a killer view of the city just a stone throw away, and you may think, oh great, another random cafe in the Montmartre area. But no, let me surprise you, if you don’t know this awesome, yet hidden place already!

The spot is called Panorama Gourmand Belleville, it has a killer selection of the desserts, hot dishes, sandwiches, and oh yes, freshly baked breads. And just to make a connection to the name of the bakery, it’s located in the 20th "arrondissement" with the closest metro station being Pyrénées, but Jourdain (both line 11, brown) is just a slightly longer walk. The exact address is 10 Rue des Envierges (you can click here for a view on Google Maps) - if I were you, I would definitely ask Google Maps for help on this one. We discovered this place since we were walking around the area with a local, hence how we came across this place. If you’re not gonna be a local or are not familiar with the area, chances are high that you will find your way!

Anyhow, we will later talk about the Gourmand part of their name, but let’s first look at the reference to Panorama. I did mentioned earlier that this boulangerie has a killer view of the whole city. Now that I gave you the exact address, you know for sure that this place is no where close to the Montmartre area. I was told by our local that this is the hidden gem of Paris and that this neighborhood is not exactly where tourists would be walking around.

Well, let me confirm, that with no tourist holding maps and selfie-sticks walk around here, the cliff to see the view was super quiet. There was no one actually, since the local residents see the view day in and day out. We are not exactly locals, so we were super hyped to see such an amazing, panoramic view, of this beautiful place we now call home.

Here’s one of the many pictures I took, just to give you a glimpse of how beautiful the view is. From here, you could easily see la Tour Montparnasse as well as the icon of this great city, la Tour Eiffel. It’s always unfortunate that a (phone) camera can’t capture the moment as well as our own eyes, so I guess this leaves it for you to check out this place on your own!

Now that we have clarified the Panorama part of the name, let’s move on to the Gourmand part. Well, the reference is very clear. When you step inside this bakery, you will see that it’s everything a boulangerie should be, and more. My perception of a boulangerie is basically what we English speakers refer to as a bakery. Here, you could expect to get really good, artisan-style freshly, baked breads, of so many types and variations.

On top of that bread and the unique aroma they bring, you can also get the usual French pastries and viennoseries, namely croissant, pain au chocolat, apple turnover, raisin bread, chocolate swirls, and the list just goes on almost forever. If you’re not into baked goodies, you can also opt for their really good-looking cheesecake, eclair, millefeuille, tarts, and everything else.

In addition to everything a baker should have, they also offer hot meals, like this one here that I snapped a very bad photo off - it was a bit awkward for me to start taking pictures of everything in the shop.. thank you for your understanding! So for only €6. 00 you can get yourself a quick and proper lunch for pork with some rice, to be consumed at room temperature or they could warm it up for you. They also have a few cold pastas here to add some options to your meal. Oh, they also have drinks, and quite a few bottles of wine you could also get. Now this is what I call a boulangerie and more in one spot.

Here are some pictures I took, with the prices for the individual item, and the awkward/blurry picture of the pork and rice:

What they don’t have here though - and I don’t blame them - are proper seats. You could see that this is a small place that does well for its size. It’s located right in the corner, with a nice bar/cafe on one side (I will discuss this place in just a minute) and a kids playground on the other. I had to buy my pain au chocolat and bring it to another place, the bar a few steps away, in which I forgot the name of. The staff here was also really friendly, and was happy to discuss their items with us. She knew that we’re clearly not native French speakers, and was understanding in explaining the way they make their items here. Overall, a fantastic place to get something to snack on.

Going back to the bar, it’s very easy to see if you’re standing at the entrance of the boulangerie, since it’s literally on your right hand side at the end of the street, before the view. This was where we took our buys from the boulangerie to enjoy with a cup of hot chocolate and coffee. The bar team member was very nice and understanding in letting us eat items from outside - maybe because they have a good relationship with neighboring Panorama Gourmand, who knows.

Although I just ordered a simple black coffee, this place is known for its use of organic and healthy products. I was told that their teas and drinks are carefully selected for the experience of the consumer. I was in a group of a few people, with one of them slightly picky with they had to drink. The bar was once again comprehensive of the situation and offered a few alternatives that resulted in a win win situation. My friend’s hot chocolate also looked really good and instantly made me regret just getting a boring black coffee. Her's was a generous serving, with cream on top!

The atmosphere of the place is also something to enjoy, with its combination of red and black walls with brown wooden tables. I saw a few people working here, some with their computers, so it’s possible that they might have wireless internet here as well. Nonetheless, this is a great spot to grab a drink and enjoy the dynamics of life through the windows.

As I mentioned earlier and will mention again, this spot is a hidden gem in the city. I think it’s just a matter of time before people like us find this place and come here regularly. Since this is outside of the chaotic center of Paris, one could really see how the local residents live, with kids laughing and kicking away their game of football in the park. You will also see locals hanging out at the bar in the later afternoon, enjoying the spectacular panoramic view of their city.

• Accessibility: 7/10
• Price: 8/10
• Selection: 8/10
• Staff Friendliness: 10/10
• Work Friendliness: 9/10 (in light of space and environment, not counting on the availability of the wifi or power sockets)
• Cleanliness: 9/10
• Overall: 8/10

Like always, I managed to find the official Facebook website of Panorama Gourmand in Belleville, in case you want to follow them for any announcements and offers.

If you like the content of this post, or just want to check out some pictures that I take on my adventure, feel free to like and/or follow me on Instagram at oat93, cheers!