Looking for a taste of home in La Paz? This breakfast café in El Centenario serves up a delicious French Canadian brunch.
By Fern Corraini
What do the following things have in common? poutine, Leonard Cohen, maple syrup, Montreal smoked meat, Rocket Richard, Celine Dion, Bon Appétit Cafe
These are some of our favorite things from the belle province du Quebec in Canada! And lucky for us, Bon Appétit Cafe is located right here in El Centenario.
Chef Lucy and her partner, Nicole, the operators of this popular brunch eatery in El Centenario, opened Bon Appétit four years ago. Bon Appétit serves up beautifully presented food that is always fresh, authentic and almost all made from scratch.
Lucy is the chef and baker, and Nicole attends to the restaurant’s customers. They’ve been partners for 24 years, and they make a great team. They are perfectionists, but in a good way, setting high quality standards for themselves, and for the food and customers they serve. Need proof? There is no microwave in the restaurant.
OK, Lucy and Nicole don’t milk their own cow or grow their own potatoes, but they do smoke their own ham, make their own sausage, bake their own breads and cinnamon buns, and whip up all the delicious sauces.
The menu features a wide variety of international favorites, including Eggs Benedict/Florentine, and several versions of brunch combos featuring eggs, ham, sausage, bacon, roasted potatoes. There are also toasted cinnamon buns with crème Anglais, and my personal favorite, the French Canadian crepe. Unlike anything I’d ever had before, it is a wonder of crispy soft puffiness with just the right amount of buttery caramel sauce, a perfectly poached egg, and crispy bacon and smoked ham. It is an unbelievably good dish!
Lucy and Nicole were both born and raised in Quebec. Lucy was a high school special education teacher with a passion for cooking and baking, and Nicole was an administrator for an IT company with a head for organization and planning. They visited La Paz for a 10-day winter escape back in 2015, and, like many of us expats, fell in love with the peace and beauty of La Paz by day three of their trip, and decided to make their home here.
One of the most important qualities of a good restaurant, and the hardest one to achieve, is consistency. Lucy and Nicole have a stellar reputation in this area, and each dish you order will look and taste exactly the same as the last time you enjoyed it!
Hours and Location:
Hours: Friday-Sunday, 9:00 a.m.-1:00 pm, reservations recommended.
Location: Plaza Centenario, by the 2nd OXXO, on the highway in el Centenario, https://goo.gl/maps/ELHmQDLzgmfMGt129.
For Reservations:
WhatsApp: Message 612 141-3795
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BreakfastDesayunoPetitDejeuner
Bon Appétit also sells Lucy’s fresh-out-of-the-oven crusty white or raisin cinnamon bread on Fridays and Saturdays. Bagels and cinnamon buns are baked on Wednesday. Please order all baking in advance with via WhatsApp message.
