Sweet Food Tour in Paris
Introduction
Ernest Hemingway wrote about Paris that "If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life, it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast." Many words have been written about Paris. Many nicknames have been bestowed upon it. The City of Light, the city of romance, a city where you can—and should—get lost.
But more than anything, Paris is a city of croissants, of chaussons aux pommes and macarons, of bakeries opening early in the morning, where the aromas of butter and yeast serve as the neighborhood alarm clock. It's no wonder UNESCO decided to recognize French cuisine as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity.
The city is packed with pâtisseries, bakeries, and chocolateries, making it nearly impossible to choose. In the following article, we will take you on a tour among the boutiques considered to be the very best.
Warning: It is not recommended to read this article on an empty stomach.
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Des Gâteaux et du Pain
Claire Damon is a woman in a men's world; her desserts are quite complex and mostly feature fruits rather than chocolate or spreads packed with praline or caramel. This was the first pâtisserie we visited, and it was marvelous. Most pâtisseries in Paris don't have tables or seating, encouraging you to eat your treats in a charming, picturesque park or even on a bench in the middle of the street. And so we did. The pâtisserie is located at 63 Boulevard Pasteur.
Salted caramel tart and Pear Muscovado – shortcrust pastry with pear sugar – a perfect breakfast.
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Pierre Hermé
For me, the next place was obvious. Just like the Eiffel Tower is to the average tourist, so is Pierre Hermé to pâtisserie lovers. The place is a pilgrimage site; it's tiny and intimate, the staff always wearing a smile, and how could they not, surrounded by all those chocolates!
In Paris, there are several Pierre Hermé boutiques; we visited the one located in the stylish 6th arrondissement, at 72 rue Bonaparte.
The masterpiece of Pierre Hermé.
The important thing about Paris is that there's always somewhere to go and always something to eat, and the two work wonderfully together. Paris is wonderful to explore on foot rather than underground via the metro (although it is very efficient and convenient). Eat, walk, and then eat some more. Perfect, right?
Michalak Pâtisserie
From Pierre, we moved on to Christophe Michalak. He is handsome, successful, a TV star, and creates cakes that make people wait in line in 3-degree cold. We chose a special one called MISS K. An elegant dessert consisting of a choux pastry filled with salted caramel cream, topped with another small choux, and finished with caramel cream over everything. It was over far too quickly. Christophe recently opened a pâtisserie branch where you can buy all those wonderful cakes that until now were only served at the Hôtel de Ville, located at 16 rue de la Verrerie.
Regal, isn't it?
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Jacques Genin
From there, we continued to Jacques Genin. His boutique, located at 27 rue de Varenne, spans two floors. On the ground floor is a café, and upstairs is the laboratory where all the magic happens. Jacques visited Israel in February and was hosted at the "Danon" culinary school, where he gave two workshops that left everyone craving more. In Paris, I ate his lemon and basil tart, considered by many to be the best in Paris. The tart is quite small, and to the eyes of a greedy, chubby Israeli it might look modest, but the lemon curd is so good and so rich that it is the exact portion you need.
Carl Marletti
On our last day in Paris, we visited two very special pâtisseries. One is Carl Marletti's; his shop is located at 51 rue Censier, where the famous Rue Mouffetard market begins—a destination well worth a visit in its own right. Marletti is known for his outside-the-box desserts. He plays with textures and flavors.
Dessert on the right: tart with figs - shortcrust pastry with pistachio, roasted figs, and mascarpone cream with vanilla.
Dessert on the left: The Censier - praline, dark chocolate, puffed rice, and popping candy. Yes indeed, popping candy!
La Pâtisserie des Rêves
The final pâtisserie on our trip was Philippe Conticini's. In simple translation: "The Pâtisserie of Dreams." As simple as that, and just as accurate. The boutique is located at 93 Rue du Bac, right next to several other highly recommended pastry shops; nevertheless, something about it catches your eye. Maybe it's the pink display windows, maybe it's the name taking us all back to childhood, but from the moment you step inside, you feel like you are in a dream. In the center of the room stands a very large display counter with samples of the desserts on sale; each dessert sits under a large cloche and appears twice—a full-sized version and an individual version. You order and grab. The packaging is pink, the spoons are pink, adjacent to it is an enchanting garden with statues and lush green trees, and you genuinely feel like you are living inside a dream.
On the right – a wonderful Saint-Honoré dessert, and on the left – a tart with mango and passion fruit, coated with white chocolate.
I know what you are thinking. How much can one eat, right? Well, I have only one answer for you: as much as possible!
The world is divided into two types of people: those who live like there's no tomorrow, and those who count calories.
Eat today, and eat a lot.
BON APPÉTIT!
More articles about food in Europe:
♦ Cooking Class in Rome
♦ Balsamic and Ferrari in Modena, Italy
♦ Food Tours in Barcelona
♦ A Delicious Vacation in Budapest Restaurants
♦ Tour of Chocolate and Cheese Factories in Switzerland
By: L. Eldar, Culinary Correspondent