Pret a Manger: Now in Paris… And I Simply Love It

Rating: 88/100

Total: 88/100

What a lovely concept – I love Pret a Manger. I first came across Pret last year during a visit to London. In my opinion, this place has changed the way we view fast food. You can walk in grab a healthy sandwich, juice, some fruits and walk out… giving a whole new meaning to fast food. While in Paris and facing the hotel, I see ‘Pret’ – wow they are now in France? Pret creates handmade natural food avoiding the obscure chemicals, additives and preservatives common to so much of the ‘prepared’ and ‘fast’ food on the market today.

I simply love it! A very nice place where fresh food is displayed on shelves and fridges around the restaurant with bags of chips placed in wooden boxes on the floor. The menu includes sandwiches, filled baguettes, soups, salads and coffee. Pret also prepares desserts, such as American muffins, cakes, and croissants. Lately they integrated the fruits station to enjoy more healthy bites.

Pret opened in London in 1986. College friends, Sinclair and Julian, made proper sandwiches avoiding the obscure chemicals, additives and preservatives common to so much of the ‘prepared’ and ‘fast’ food on the market today. The two of them had woefully little experience in the world of business. They created the sort of food they craved but couldn’t find anywhere else.

Using natural ingredients and avoiding preservatives and obscure chemicals is sacred to Pret. Their sandwiches are freshly made throughout the day in each and every Pret kitchen. This fact is what makes Pret special.

This morning, my wife entered Pret and grabbed three sandwiches as well as some chips, desserts and drinks. The ambiance around the place and the positive vibe will just make you smile. The freshness of colors and design as well as the dedicated staff will make your experience special. I love how every member of staff has a different logo on his apron: “Hot section chef” or “Barista” or “Pret Team”.

Pret a manger in few lines:

The place is perfectly well lit
They serve fresh, quick, healthy, delicious, creative, aromatic and read to devour items
Easy to use: Walk in front of the fridge and grab your favorite items. They can be toasted and heated depending on what you like
The packaging is so innovative and creative. You have to see it to understand
Salty, sweet, cold or hot… I loved everything I ate
Pret has its own soft drink brand and natural canned juices

Scottish Smoked Salmon: Malted wholegrain bread, Scottish smoked salmon, lemon juice, butter, Pret special seasoning) Awesome. Inside the crunchy fresh bread is the ingredients layered one on top of the other, butter, non-oily and premium salmon and some greenery. The sandwich has an interesting Wasabi flavor and a nice subtle sweetness aftertaste

Chicken Sesame Sushi Wrap: Tortilla wrap, British chicken, nori, broccoli, red pepper, ginger, spinach, sesame seeds, roasted sesame dressing… This super-tasty, super-crunchy wrap comes with a Far Eastern touch. Roasted sesame dressing covering flame grilled flat bread covered with a sheet of roasted nori roll. Inside is a rich mix of sushi ginger, red pepper and charred long stem broccoli. Like biting in a maki wrap explodes the flavors of Japan followed by a rich filling combining sweetness and freshness. The crunchiness of the lettuce, the softness of the chicken and the red peppers with tasty sesame sauce. Delicious

Vegetable Crisps: Thinly sliced carrots, beetroot and parsnip, fried until crispy and popped in a bag with a hint of salt. Real vegetable flavors of vegetables with their heavenly crunch

Sea salt & Cider vinegar: Potatoes, sunflower oil, maldon sea salt, cider vinegar seasoning

Chocolate Mousse: A plastic cup containing layers – a degradation of colors starting with the dark chocolate, then a layer of milk chocolate, topped off with a final layer of sour cream. Pure indulgence!

Red Fruits Muffin: Imagine a delicious blueberry muffin with blueberry compote filling. It’s quite incredible how much blueberries can be packed into this muffin. Add to that the healthy factor as it is loaded with hundreds of seeds and cereals. You have to see to believe. Moist and tasty, this muffin is superb!

Avocado and Pine seeds wrap: Tortilla wrap, avocado, freshly sliced cucumber, freshly sliced cucumber, freshly sliced tomatoes, whole leaf spinach, Italian matured cheese, sprinkling of pine nuts

Orange drink, 100 Cal: Orange, raisins and mandarin

While sitting on the sidewalk and enjoying my sandwiches, one of the employees passed by distributing water bottles to everyone. How cute was that!Next time I’m in Paris, I’ll surely visit Pret again. The experience, setup and of course the food were just great!