I am now on a much needed cleanse after an indulgent tour of the best patisseries Paris has on offer. We are really spoilt for choice in Paris; even just the local corner patisserie has exceptionally high standards.
I also love to visit the restaurants found in the lobbies of the top hotels to order some of their outstanding creations, although this tends to be a lot more expensive than a take away petit gateaux or pastry. Id like to share with you some of my favourites here, in no particular order.
Le Meurice Hotel
Executive Pastry Chef Cedric Grolet
228 Rue de Rivoli, 75001 Paris, France
Cedric has won my heart and my tastebuds with his Hazelnut Petit Gateaux available in the lobby restaurant of the hotel. This particular treat boasts layers of chocolate, hazelnut, caramel and croustillant. My second choice would be his almond éclair; a perfectly smooth and delicious almond cream topped with glaze and flaked almonds. Cedric is a magician with all things sugar and you wont be disappointed with anything from his menu.
Liberte Patisserie
Pastry Chef Benoit Castel
39 Rue des Vinaigriers, 75010 Paris, France
This was my first visit to Liberte and I was impressed with its semi-industrial charm. The products are simple favourites that dont disappoint. I tried the Tarte Tatin and Caramel Choux – I cant choose which one was best so my recommendation would be to try them both! The bread is also incredible and not to be overlooked.
Salon de Thé Patisserie Des Tuileries
Pastry Chef Sebastien Gaudard
1 Rue des Martyrs, 75009 Paris, France
Sebastiens style is classic French. Following in the footsteps of his pastry chef father, Sebastien has embraced his heritage with a full range of delicious pastries, petit gateaux and
tea cakes. My favourite is his Pistachio and Cherry Petit Gateaux, it has a traditional finish but tastes beautiful. You can go upstairs and enjoy a full tea service while eating your pastries.
Jacques Genin
133 Rue de Turenne, 75003 Paris, France
If caramels, chocolates and fruit jellies are your thing, I can highly recommend this store. It also has delectable éclairs and mille feuille. The Mint Ganache enrobed in dark chocolate is the most popular but I also tried most of the caramel range and loved them all.
Des Gateaux et Du Pain
Pastry Chef Claire Damon
63 Boulevard Pasteur, 75015 Paris, France
This modern and sleek patisserie offers a combination of tarts, petit gateaux, bread and pastries. My recommendation is the Caramel and Mango Saint Honoré, a modern interpretation of Saint Honoré that is delicious.
The Peninsula Hotel Paris
Executive Pastry Chef Julien Alvarez
19 Avenue Kléber, 75116 Paris, France
One of the worlds most talented pastry chefs, Julien Alvarez, is tucked away in a pastry kitchen at the Peninsula developing spectacular creations for the restaurants and lobby. I was fortunate enough to devour his Caramel Religieuse in the lobby restaurant; two choux puffs filled with crunchy and smooth textures of caramel. Just as it was served it was covered with a hot chocolate sauce. One of the loveliest products I have ever tasted!
Éclair de Genie
Christophe Adam
14 Rue Pavée, 75004 Paris, France
The éclair genius, Christophe Adam, has captured a unique market with his innovative and perfectly executed éclairs. Christophe regularly changes the styles and flavours of his éclairs to keep up with current trends. Its hard to choose from the array of flavours and colourful finishes but in the end I chose a Vanilla Éclair and a Salted Caramel Éclair; both had amazing textures and flavours.
Galeries Lafayette Gourmet
40 Boulevard Haussmann, 75009 Paris, France
If you are short on time in Paris you can visit Galeries Lafayette, which has an upscale food court hosting many of my favourite patisseries, including Éclair de Genie, Liberte Patisserie, Alain Ducasse Chocolat, Dalloyau Patisserie and Sadaharu Aoki Patisserie.
For the ultimate Parisian food tour I highly recommend Ute in Paris. Ute does food tours of Paris and she can get you in behind closed doors of kitchens that youve only ever dreamed of.
Her informative tours take all the stress out of navigating your own way through Paris. Visit www.uteinparis.com for all the details. There are so many amazing patisseries and chocolate shops in Paris but apart from the fact that I just didnt have the time to fit in them all in, I would have come back a diabetic if I ate many more pastries and cakes!
But I highly encourage all pastry lovers to venture out and sample the endless selection of mouth-watering delicacies this wonderful city has to offer.