When you first step inside the place, this is what you would see:
So golden! Freshly baked French bread and pastries! Their croissant is to die for. Very flakey, buttery, and so, so light that every bite melts in your mouth. The Palmier is really nice, too. It taste kind of like our local otap except it's harder and lot less flakey. You can skip the three-cheese puff. It wasn't anything special, and for P25, it's too small! Most bread in La Vie Parisienne can be quite expensive, but for what it's worth, almost everything we tried were delicious. :)
They also sell cured meat, variety of cheese, and of course, French macarons. The macarons cost P40 a piece. I read somewhere that some macarons that they sell here is actually from Ladurée (probably the bigger ones on your left. Although at P105 a piece, I think it's a little too cheap to be the real thing). We didn't get to try any macarons though. The 'local' macaron's artificial coloring is quite unsightly, to be honest.
Btw, the best macaron I've ever tasted is from Pierre Hermé! The Jardin Dans Les Nuages (chocolate & smoked salt) is my favorite! Mmm.
They also sell seasonings, spreads, olive oil, vinegar and assortment of jams. The smaller ones cost P40 each, the bigger ones cost P200+ if I'm not mistaken. The strawberry jam that we tried was pretty good - sweet but with a slightest hint of tartness to it.
The best thing, and probably the most photographed place in the deli, is their Wine Library:
As a wine ~*enthusiast (LOL no I pick wine by the label design hahaha), this wine library really made my day. The Lhuillier Wine Library has such an impressive stock of wines. Price range is extensive with wines ranging from P200+ to some more expensive ones at P11,000+.
The place is quite small which gives it a more intimate vibe. I especially love the wooden table and stools in the middle of the room. Definitely a great place for small talks with friends, or casual business meetings.
The photo above is the wine library in La Vie Parisienne's Manila branch. It's a lot more spacious, and as you can see, aesthetically, it's designed to act as their dining area, too. Beautiful tables and chairs are placed inside because the Manila branch does not have an outdoor area unlike Cebu.
This is dining area that I was talking about. Such a beautiful place to eat at! <3 There were an abundance of "cherry Blossom trees" - actually plastic trees with pink branches that light up - scattered all over the place making the place look like an outdoor Japanese cafe. So quaint.
On one side, you can see a huge woven hammock. It's cushioned and surrounded by fluffy pillows, so you can lounge around inside the hammock with a couple of friends. I wish I know who made the swing, it's gorgeous!
On to the food...
Aside from bottles of wines and cheese platters, they also sandwiches and coffee. When I went back at night, I saw a couple of people eating pasta (I'm not sure if it's from La Vie Parisienne or from La Maison Rose, the french restaurant located in the same property as the cafe). Here's La Vie Parisienne's menu:
In Cebu, for brunch, we ordered Normandy and Parisienne sandwich. The Normandy was amazing. Considering it's the most basic sandwich in their menu, I was really blown away. Thick pieces of Brie, generous amount of lettuce in a crisp, buttered baguette. Perfection. I wouldn't order the Parisienne again. Mainly because of the cheese (emmental) which we all didn't like. Soft cheese > hard cheese YES??
However, when I ordered the Normandy in their Manila branch this is what they served me:
Saddest sandwich IN THE WORLD. Smaller serving, wilted vegetable, the tiniest slab of Brie, and soggy baguette. :( Such a polar opposite from the one I got in Cebu. How disappointing. I also got the Cafe Macchiato which was nothing special. I would have been happier with a cup of coffee at Mcdonald's.
Anyway. We went back to La Vie Parisienne one night, and the place looks like it was out of a fairytale; all the trees were lit, and it induced such a romantic atmosphere.
The place was packed too, which was surprising considering it was a school night. I saw several group of friends wearing school uniforms, while drinking wine and eating cheese on a platter. How sosyal. Must be nice to have a place like this when I was still in College!
Overall, I would totally recommend coming by La Vie Parisienne! Beautiful place with the loveliest ambiance. The food (and wine!) were great, the price was very reasonable, and the area is just so relaxing.
We did have a bit of a problem with one of the staff there, though. My sister accidentally bumped the table were the bread were, and the staff lingering near the table rolled her eyes and tsked at my sister. LOL, I'm so sorry the croissant moved 1mm. What an assbutt.
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La Vie Parisienne
371 Gorordo Avenue Lahug, Cebu City, Philippines
2604388 / 09479992456