We like our brunches to be restorative, as well as decadent. And though Patisserie Poupon is rather more the latter than the former, we’ve found that a large glass of their freshly squeezed orange juice is usually enough to justify a couple of their extra buttery baked goods.

Patisserie Poupon resides on a stretch of Wisconsin Avenue that’s just far enough beyond Georgetown’s commercial fray to feel relatively tranquil. Most patrons stop in for a croissant or two to go, but an estimable brunch can be enjoyed in the small seating area and sliver of patio adjacent to their coffee bar.

When you’re dealing with high butter content, it’s best to engage in portion control. That’s why we appreciate the fact that Patisserie Poupon has chosen a more modest format for their quiches. Instead of the typically dense and monstrous slabs of quiche that are often served elsewhere, their quiches are practically dainty little tartlets.

Don’t mistake the slice of fresh tomato that decorates their tomato quiche as an indicator of more fresh tomato within. Instead, their tomato quiche has a pizza-like quality, with the tomato component doing it’s duty as a thick and lusty sauce. Their spinach quiche has tons of fresh spinach flavor to counter the richness of the cheese and pastry. And though their bacon quiche sounds heavy, it’s surprisingly manageable. The wonderfully smoky flavory of the bacon blends well with the cheese. Patisserie Poupon also offers two other quiches among their regular rotation -- asparagus and mushroom.

You can add a salad to each quiche for just a little bit extra, though be prepared to perform a little ad hoc whisking with your fork, as their dijon vinaigrette tends to have separated while languishing in its container. Once this little task has been performed, however, this homemade dressing has a nice bit of tang to it.

Their soups can also be worthwhile. Their french onion soup, which was a special on one particular Saturday, had us practically battling over its custody. The soup was crowned with slices of their fresh baguette, and the cheese was partially submerged in the light chicken broth -- a welcome alternative to the thick oven-browned drapery that one typically finds elsewhere.

The bundle of prosciutto peeking out of one of the baguettes of their sandwiches seemed tempting, but we’re typically leery of any sandwiches that aren’t made to order. We’ve been disappointed too often at other establishments by sodden bread and wilted lettuce. And most of the prepared salads seem a bit tired, though a number of other regulars seem to be enjoying an appealing enough presentation of tomato and fresh mozzarella.

Patisserie Poupon has an enticing array of ambitious cakes, tarts, and marzipan figurines, but it’s best to stick with high turnover items like their fresh pastries. We were stoked to try one of their apricot tarts, but were disappointed to discover that it’s crust was steeped with the hideous essence of refrigeration, so much so that it was rendered inedible.

Fortunately, none of their pastries are similarly afflicted. And we should know -- we’ve sampled a number of them, from their pain raisin, studded with raisins and swirls of flakiness cloaking an abundance of sweet pastry cream, to their star-shaped pear danish, to an apple danish with almond cream. Any of them is a perfect complement to their strong cappuccinos and the conclusion to a brunch sublime.

Patisserie Poupon
1645 Wisconsin Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20007
(202) 342-3248