The original location is in Old Compton Street, along from the original Caffé Nero. Madame Valerie was a French lady who was both vast in stature and in fame. She hung out and gambled with the 1920s Bohemian set, and she made delicious pastries. The surroundings are not elegant – they are very Spartan and reminiscent of post-war Britain, but you aren’t there for the surroundings. You are there to fill your face with the most wonderful cakes and pastries imaginable. The chain is also good, but the branches are in more salubrious surroundings (such as Marylebone and Cromwell Road) and are more elegant.