Nov 2nd, 2016, 11:16 AM

Bagels "Like Home" in the 7th Arrondissement

By Daniel Catalan

Image Credit: Like Home Facebook

Since the Like Home eatery opened on rue Malar three years ago, it's been a hit with students and locals.

Throughout my years of living in Europe, I have scoured the streets for bagels to evoke fond memories of the old country.

Hailing from upstate New York, bagels were a staple of my upbringing. None of my bagel findings abroad were able to fill the circular void in my heart — until now. I was ecstatic when I stumbled upon the Like Home bagel shop located conveniently between the Combes and Grenelle buildings of the American University of Paris campus.

I've been routinely perching myself there between my classes ever since.

Like Home.jpg

Image Credit: Like Home Facebook

Owners Marjanne and David are personable, bilingual, and go above and beyond to make their establishment "cozy and jolly." Their regular customers are members of the AUP community, tourists and locals alike.

Marjanne takes a lot of pride in the fact that she has never had to advertise and that most clients come either via word-of-mouth or are passersby enticed by the bakery aromas.

like home 3.jpg

Image Credit: Like Home Facebook

The couple met fifteen years ago while working in an upscale restaurant. After falling in love and having a daughter together, they dreamed of opening their own establishment and being their own bosses. In 2013, the dream manifested when they opened Like Home on rue Malar in the 7th arrondissement. It was an instant success.

In the beginning, they weren't aware that AUP was around the corner from the location they'd chosen — until Americans began to flock there like bees to honey.

bagels.jpg

Image Credit: Like Home Facebook

David bakes the bagels, made fresh each day, as well as prepares the variety of sandwiches. Most of the offerings are vegetarian friendly and can be catered to dietary restrictions. David crafted the recipe for the bagels himself and laughed when he told me that during their first three months of business, he and Marjanne sampled countless bagels per day in order to perfect the process by trial and error.

Thanks to their hard work, customers have a choice of several sandwiches on plain, sesame seed, poppy seed, whole wheat or everything bagels. My personal favorites are the classic salmon, cream cheese and avocado on either a sesame seed bagel or the chèvre sandwich which contains goat cheese, caramelized onions, tomatoes and honey.

Marjanne handles the mouth-watering cookies, crumbles and cakes displayed on the counter. Their rich chocolate cake and their Oreo cookie with Oreo chunks on the inside are all warm and soft, the cookies provide a morale boost that help me power on through my day. Their special offers a bagel sandwich, a coffee, and a large cookie for €8.50. I strongly recommend this establishment to AUP students who are seeking an accessible snack during their window between classes.