Paul

Croissants and proper coffee sit-down in DXB Terminal 3

In DXB T3 near the mid-range dining cluster, Paul runs as a French bakery‑brasserie with a visible pastry counter and full table service. It sits post‑security in the Emirates terminal, so you can park your bags, order at the table, and still keep an eye on the nearby gates. Figure on a rating around 4/5 from Google reviews, with most praise going to the croissants and espresso drinks.

Pricing lands firmly in the $$$ bracket: one reviewer clocked two pastries and two coffees at roughly AED 100. Individual pastries usually fall in the AED 15–25 range, while quiche, salads, and baguette sandwiches run about AED 40–70. It’s airport‑level Paul pricing, noticeably higher than city branches around Dubai Mall or Festival City.

Order-wise, regulars stick to butter croissants, pain au chocolat, quiche, and baguette sandwiches rather than heavier hot mains. Coffee quality sits a notch above the big chains elsewhere in T3, so a double espresso or cappuccino pairs well with a single pastry if you’re watching both time and budget. Portions on sandwiches are decent enough to pass for a full meal before a long Emirates sector.

Watch out for slow service once the morning and late‑evening banks hit, especially with staff juggling dine‑in and takeaway. Several reviews mention waiting 20–30 minutes for simple pastry and coffee orders around peak Emirates departure waves. Another consistent complaint: pastries lose their edge later at night, so that same croissant at 22:30 won’t match one bought at 07:30.

What regulars do: they aim for an early stop in the 06:00–10:00 window for fresher racks and better selection, then grab extra baguettes or pastries to eat on board instead of the standard airline breakfast tray. Practical tip: if your connection is under 60 minutes, skip table service, pay at the bakery counter for takeaway, and eat at your T3 gate while boarding starts.