Michele

Maison Bertaux | 45y

Long-time Saturday girl Michele has been at Maison Bertaux since 1975. Born just round the corner from the cafe, she was studying at RADA in the 70s, needed some part-time work, and noticed a couple of adverts in shop windows one morning as she wandered through Soho. She decided to go for the one for Maison Bertaux and can still be found in the legendary cake shop 45 years later.

She says the area hasn’t changed hugely but there used to be more arty and dancer-y types around, and more hubs of art. 

There was nothing in terms of decoration when she started, and she’s collected all the bric-a-brac and art over the years that now clings to the tiny cafe’s walls. The only object that remains from the early days is a framed staff group photograph hanging from the middle of the mirror, keeping watch over everyone and connecting old and new London.

People still flock to the London institution, the city’s oldest patisserie, for the cakes and pastries, all still cooked on site: “They’re all good but my favourite’s the coffee eclair.”.