Cafe 1912.

Hidden away behind the walls of the Alliance Française, Cafe 1912 offers the perfect respite from the hurried highways of Bangkok. With floor to ceiling windows shaded by a lush garden, it is a blend of sleek French design and urban tropical style. Bordeaux and I visited Cafe 1912 earlier this week, while running an errand in the neighborhood of Sathorn. There were two stations serving lunch: a cafeteria style counter serving hot European food, and a much more appealing bakery and espresso bar offering freshly baked breads, a wide range of pastries, coffees, and deli sandwiches. We each ordered sandwiches on baguettes: I ordered salmon, and Bordeaux ordered the grilled chicken. We savored them slowly, sipping strong lattes and listening to the murmur of francophonic conversation in the cafe.

There would have been no excuse for not trying the pastry, so since we were too full from lunch, we selected a chocolate roll and an apple danish, and took them in a to-go bag. We enjoyed the pastries later at home over coffee. While the apple pastry was delicious, and satisfied my craving for autumnal flavors, the chocolate roll was undoubtedly the winner, with dark, rich chocolate wrapped in a perfectly flaky croissant.