Service: Very friendly and smiling
Facilities: Very clean. Beautiful washroom.
Prices: Reasonable
Strong points: A true cafe where to relax and enjoy a good light meal any time of the day.
The Croque-Monsieur’s first recorded appearance on a Parisian café menu was in 1910.
It was probably the first true fast-food snack served in French cafés and bars.
Originally a Croque-Monsieur is a hot ham and cheese sandwich sometimes served with Bechamel or Mornay sauce on top.
But frankly speaking, I prefer Patina’s version which is both more elaborate and lighter than the Parisian one!
And it certainly looks more appetizing!
And it was fulfilling enough!
And the generous portion of baby leaves and other leafy vegetables made for a very healthy and well-balanced lunch!
Patina serves it with a crunchy slice of superior bread first covered with Mornay sauce, then a thick slice of delicious ham before topping it with a slice of yummy hard cheese.
It is then toasted (slow food!) to attain a crunchy bite all around and top with a soft inside.
The last touch is added by sprinkling it with ground spices and finely chopped herb out of the oven!
Next time I will introduce its counterpart, a Croque Madame!
PATINA, Café & Brasserie
Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Tenmacho, 17-9
tel.: 054-266-9500
Opening hours: 10:00~20:30 (last orders)
Holiday not decided yet
Non-smoking but for a small table away from the other patrons at the end of a long hall before the washroom
RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES
My White Kitchen, 47 Japanese Farms Through The Eyes of Its Rural Communities, Foodhoe, Chucks Eats, Things that Fizz & Stuff, Five Euro Food by Charles,Red Shallot Kitchen by Priscilla,With a Glass, Nami | Just One Cookbook, Peach Farm Studio, Clumsyfingers by Xethia, PepperBento,Adventures in Bento Making, American Bent, Beanbento, Bento No, Bento Wo Tsukurimashou, Cooking Cute, Eula, Hapabento , Happy Bento, Jacki’s Bento Blog, Kitchen Cow, Leggo My Obento, Le Petit Journal Bento & CO (French), Lunch In A Box,
Susan at Arkonlite, Vegan Lunch Box; Tokyo Tom Baker, Daily Food Porn/Osaka, Only Nature Food Porn, Happy Little Bento, The Herbed Kitchen, J-Mama’s Kitchen, Cook, Eat, Play, Repeat, Bento Lunch Blog (German), Adventures In Bento, Anna The Red’s Bento Factory, Cooking Cute, Timeless Gourmet, Bento Bug, Ideal Meal, Bentosaurus, Mr. Foodie (London/UK), Ohayo Bento,
Must-see tasting websites:
-Sake: Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World
-Wine: Palate To Pen, Warren Bobrow, Cellar Tours, Ancient Fire Wines Blog
-Beer: Good Beer & Country Boys, Another Pint, Please!
-Japanese Pottery to enjoy your favourite drinks: Yellin Yakimono Gallery
SHIZUOKA GOURMET 
Haha! You know what? From my trips to UK, Italy, Spain, my life in Switzerland and frequent trips to France, I consider the French by far the most efficient and polite in restaurants, bars and hotels (although of course there are exceptions), so I can only imagine how extraordinary the Japanese service is!
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LOL
The reason for the ggod service in Japan is that the tips were never on in this society!
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Someone has told me already about it 😉 And even though I have never been to Japan I greatly admire the Japanese for this.
(I must tell you that from my experience leaving big tips doesn’t guarantee a good service, in France or anywhere in Europe 😉 )
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LOL
I’m afraid you are right!
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“Service: Very friendly and smiling” – ha, so pretty much the exact opposite of France then? 😀
You know, I’ve never had a good Croque-Monsieur in Paris, Robert-Gilles! They all seem to be pre-made, rubbery, microwave-heated things these days… just revolting. Got any tips on good locations to have a nice one?
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Service has always been a problem in France! Some “guides” could do well to survey that aspect in their critics andvaluation!
Good croque monsieur can be doneonly at home. I would suggestyou offer a recipe for 5 euros! LL
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Aaaah, now there’s a great idea. Thanks!
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I knew yu were going to agree! LOL
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