Bagelstein - Aix-en-Provence

I am rating the food as poor, not because it was but if you are stating that you have bagels - you better have bagels and not just round bread with a hole. That was my 12 year old's take on her bagel sandwich. As we are Americans but do not live in the U.S. we are always looking for a place to have a real bagel when we travel. Unfortunately this was not it. We eat bagels regularly when we visit family in the U.S. (east and west coasts), and make homemade bagels the old-fashioned way. I think I know what a bagel should be. This, unfortunately was not it. As bread it was fine. Sandwiches were okay, although pricey. I imagine it is the novelty of it all. The choices were good, you can pick what you want in your "bagel" and they had a deal with a drink which was cheaper than getting each element separately.The place itself is cute, lots of funny stuff to read, clean, service was fine, the place to eat outside was fine.Just, wish they had a good bagel.....(sigh)

Went here as we were struggling to find vegan option in Aix. Fortunately, you can construct your own bagels, making it an easy vegan option. I had a plain bagel with all the vegetables, and their pesto is all vegan, so pesto went on there too. Not massively cheap, but cheaper than a brasserie, and they have plenty of options to eat and drink, so I don't mind paying the price for it. Staff also know their ingredients and allergens very well, making it all the easier, and their English was very good, which was helpful as my French is poor!

We stopped here to have a quick lunch while visiting the town. It has been a nice surprise: really good value for a tasty different way of having sandwich. Good idea.

Being used to very good bagels in the UK, these are OK, if you are hungry. They toast them, but as the bagels are too floury, they could do with a lot more toasting. Very friendly nice staff, you could not fault them.The muffins they sell look very yummy, but again, being completely spoilt by very good moist muffins in the UK, it's like someone completely misjudged the amount of flour that should go into a muffin, and you can taste it too!

This was my fourth trip to this Bagelstein location and they did not disappoint! Located in a great area of Aix, it is always busy but there is plenty of room to sit and enjoy your bagel. The staff are very friendly and inviting. The owner/(or manager?) was in the store this past time, and she was very lovely and helpful! I speak French, but my boyfriend who was with me did not. He had no problems ordering and the staff were really helpful in both English and French. They explained the entire process to my boyfriend in English and made sure he was completely satisfied with his choice. Last but not least.. The bagels are AMAZING. They are not like North American bagels (that tend to be heavier and chewy). These bagels are hard on the outside but light in the middle. They pair perfectly with the cream cheese (I love the light cream cheese) and veggies/meat. I will most definitely be back for more!