Farine
Add: Ferguson Lane, 1/F, 378 Wukang Lu, near Tai’an Lu / 武康路378号1楼， 近泰安路
Tel: n/a
Hours: 7am-8pm
Price: [pastry] 25-40 RMB [viennoiserie]14-20 RMB [coffee] 30-40 RMB
Website: www.farine-bakery.com
Visited: Jan 2015
Franck Pecol knows how to create little corners of France here in Shanghai. I was a fan of his Franck and Le Petit Franck when I lived in Shanghai a few years back, and soon after I moved to Paris I heard that he opened an excellent bakery called “Farine”, also located in the same block. Apparently he produces the best baguettes and croissants in town thanks to imported ingredients from France and artisanal know-how. Perfect, I thought, this means that when I’m back in Shanghai, I will have a little piece of something to remind me of the good old days in Paris.
Farine is “flour” in French. “In flour we trust,” as is written on the wall, seems to be the mantra at the shop. On an unrelated note, I like this slightly eery and awkward-looking baker boy in the window.
The space is small, with a display of pastries, viennoiseries and breads on the right, counter and coffee machine at the front center, and some bar stools on the left. There is an outdoor communal table out on the patio for days with pretty weather, which are unfortunately not so common right now in Shanghai.
My afternoon at Farine consisted of Cappuccino (40 RMB), Lemon Passion Tart (35 RMB), Chocolate Caramel Tart (40 RMB). I loved the lemon passion tart, its cream perfectly smooth and smooth. The chocolate caramel tart is dense and rich, a good choice for those looking for something heavy. I heard that one of the bestseller is the chocolate banana tart, but alas they were out on the day of my visit. I also took home a croissant (14 RMB), which was quite nice especially after being slightly heated up in the oven.
In Paris, we are spoiled with easy access to amazing breads and pastries. In fact, within a five-minute walking distance of my apartment, there are about five bakeries with guaranteed good quality. The products from Farine are more or less what you will get in France albeit at a much higher price (imported ingredients, you know), and I know that when I move back I will be one of those people queuing up for an authentic croissant or baguette.
Agree with you here. In fact I am NOT very impressed with their quality, given the price tag: 160 yuan for a loaf and it is worse than the ones I used to get at the little store next door when I was living in Paris.