As a native of culinary melting pot Malaysia and the daughter of a restaurateur, UG student Natalie Voo knows her food. Every other week, she reviews Groningen’s student-friendly dining scene. This time: Croissanterie Pigalle.
Look, as someone born and raised in Asia, I’ll be honest: European sandwiches are a bit of a mystery to me. They’re kind of like the quiet kid in class — nice enough but I’m not exactly dying to be their friend. I grew up with hot lunches that usually involve noodles or rice, packed with flavors, so when I bite into a European sandwich for lunch, it feels… well, minimal.
That said, I promised an unbiased review of Pigalle, so here goes. We ordered the smoked salmon sandwich and the smoked chicken ‘spécialité de Bourgogne’. They were fine. Really. Simple, classic, fresh. Were they life-changing? No. But it’s rather difficult to mess up a sandwich. I did feel like the filling was playing hide and seek, especially for the price — a bit of a ‘where’s the rest?’ moment.
Custard and quiche
Then came the cream croissant. I expected fresh cream, but nope, custard. It was decent, sweet but not too sweet, so no complaints there. The real star is easily the 5-cheese quiche. The crust had this perfect little crunch, and the filling was rich, fragrant, cheesy goodness.
Service was friendly, but the waitress was a bit stumped by my questions. Not a deal-breaker, just a bit of a head-scratcher. All in all, I have definitely had more mind-blowing brunch experiences in Groningen, but Pigalle has that classic, simple, everyday vibe going for it. And if the sun’s out, their terrace is definitely the place to be.
Pigalle, Stoeldraaierstraat 17
A brunch spot near the Harmonie building that serves affordable sandwiches and pastries. For two people we spent €41.80.
Ratings
Food: 7/10
Presentation: 7/10
Service: 7/10
Ambience: 8/10