20 Little Cities » Pastries http://20littlecities.com Just another WordPress weblog Fri, 11 May 2012 15:05:57 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.2 Blé Sucré: A must-try pastry shop in Paris. http://20littlecities.com/where-to-eat/ble-sucre-a-must-try-pastry-shop-in-paris/ http://20littlecities.com/where-to-eat/ble-sucre-a-must-try-pastry-shop-in-paris/#comments Thu, 09 Dec 2010 20:27:20 +0000 admin http://20littlecities.com/?p=1663 The first thing that amazed me when I walked in Blé Sucré in Paris was the beautiful pastries. The second thing was how cheap everything was. After having worked at luxury hotels such as Le Bristol and the Plaza Athénée in Paris, or the Hotel Martinez in Cannes, Fabrice Le Bourdat opened his own bakery/pastry shop in Paris and named it Blé Sucré (sweet wheat). Blé Sucré is a high end pastry shop with very sweet prices—a first in Paris. The morning pastries at Blé Sucré are a must—the pain au chocolat (chocolat croissant) has been voted the best one in Paris. I have to say that their chausson aux pommes (apple turnover) and pain aux raisins (raisin roll) are as good as they can get. Those are the morning pastries you want to experience when you come to France, the kind that will never taste as good anywhere else. Blé Sucré has a few tables outside where you can eat your pastries or have lunch: the 6.60€ menu offers a sandwich, mini pizza or quiche, with a drink and a dessert (count 6€ for the food to go.) Or you can eat their sweets in the lovely square Trousseau just across the street from them.
The café-restaurant Le Square Trousseau, located a few doors down, serves their croissants and pain au chocolats for breakfast.

And while you are at Blé Sucré buying a morning pastry thinking about all the other things you could try in the bakery, please do ask for one more thing: a bag of madeleines and/or a bag of financiers. Trust me, if there’s a place where you should buy some madeleines and financiers in Paris it’s definitely there. One more thing: do not leave without trying their Raboliot bread—a decadently tender bread made with hazelnut flour, halzelnuts and raisins. It is so good that you will eat it like a pastry—you won’t leave any for later!

Blé Sucré
Square Trousseau
7 Rue Antoine Vollon
75012 Paris
tel: 01.43.40.77.73
Metro: Ledru-Rollin

Tu-Sat: 7am-7.30pm
Sun: 7am-1.30pm
Closed on Monday and in August.

]]> http://20littlecities.com/where-to-eat/ble-sucre-a-must-try-pastry-shop-in-paris/feed/ 0 Du Pain et Des Idées in Paris: A treasure of a bakery. http://20littlecities.com/where-to-eat/du-pain-et-des-idees-in-paris-a-treasure-of-a-bakery/ http://20littlecities.com/where-to-eat/du-pain-et-des-idees-in-paris-a-treasure-of-a-bakery/#comments Sun, 08 Aug 2010 22:11:26 +0000 admin http://20littlecities.com/?p=3391 It is true what they say, Christophe Vasseur’s caramelized apple tartelette is to die for. It is simply the best one I’ve had—it probably came out of the oven a little before I bought it because it was still warm and that only added to my one-of-a-kind experience of apple tartelette consumption. It’s funny how some very simple pleasures can change the course of your day. I think I will forever associate that part of the 10th arrondissement with Du Pain et Des Idées bakery.
Christophe Vasseur is passionate about his trade. At 30 years old he left the corporate world to become the renown baker that he is; he opened his bakery Du Pain et Des Idées in 2002 and was elected Meilleur Boulanger de Paris 2008 (Best Baker of Paris) by Gault & Millau.
At Du Pain et Des Idées all of the breads and pastries are made the most traditional way (here a baguette is made in seven hours as opposed to the average hour and half) and with the best ingredients (only fresh seasonal fruits are used for the pastries.) Three-Michelin-star chef Alain Passard says of Christophe Vasseur’s Le Pain des Amis that it is the best he’s had.

Du Pain et Des Idées
34 Rue Yves Toudic
75010 Paris
tel: 01.42.40.44.52
Metro: Jacques Bonsergent, République

M-F: 7am-8pm
Closed on Saturday, Sunday

]]> http://20littlecities.com/where-to-eat/du-pain-et-des-idees-in-paris-a-treasure-of-a-bakery/feed/ 0 Jacques Genin in Paris: The caramels, chocolates and pastries you don’t want to miss. http://20littlecities.com/where-to-eat/jacques-genin-the-caramels-chocolates-and-pastries-you-dont-want-to-miss/ http://20littlecities.com/where-to-eat/jacques-genin-the-caramels-chocolates-and-pastries-you-dont-want-to-miss/#comments Sat, 20 Mar 2010 21:50:28 +0000 admin http://20littlecities.com/?p=4063 There are the classic caramels, the famous ones au beurre salé (salty butter caramels) from Brittany and then there are the flavored ones such as the passion-mango caramels from Jacques Genin that are absolutely decadent and probably some of the best in the world—I weigh my words. Other flavors are: pistachio, almond, hazelnut, coffee, vanilla, ginger, cinnamon, licorice… They are so soft and buttery you wonder how they manage to keep their shape and you tell yourself you can’t eat more than one but you can’t stop going back to them. His chocolates drive me nuts—oh! the caramelized almond Rochers, mmm the hazelnut pralinés! They are made with the finest ingredients, the flavors are as delicate as the patterns drawn onto their perfectly square shape and their names are as playful as they are appetizing. And then there are Jacques Genin’s pastries: he has mastered the art of the classic French pastries (éclair, Paris-Brest, tarte au chocolat noir, mille-feuille…)
After years of working in his lab and selling his treats to high-end restaurants and hotels, Jacques Genin has finally opened his own shop/tea salon. It is located a few blocks away from the busy area of rue de Bretagne, its trendy cafés and popular shops.

Jacques Genin
133 Rue de Turenne
75003 Paris
tel: 01.45.77.29.01
Metro: Filles du Calvaire

Tu-Sun: 11am-7pm
Closed on Monday

]]> http://20littlecities.com/where-to-eat/jacques-genin-the-caramels-chocolates-and-pastries-you-dont-want-to-miss/feed/ 1 Hot chocolate at La Patisserie Viennoise in Paris. http://20littlecities.com/where-to-eat/hot-chocolate-at-la-patisserie-viennoise-in-paris/ http://20littlecities.com/where-to-eat/hot-chocolate-at-la-patisserie-viennoise-in-paris/#comments Fri, 22 Jan 2010 20:50:04 +0000 admin http://20littlecities.com/?p=3052 This is a perfect place for hot drinks on a cold and rainy day. La Patisserie Viennoise is a quaint, and almost centenarian, tea salon nested right between the University René Descartes and La Sorbonne. Located in Saint-Germain-des-Prés, at the edge of the Latin Quarter, it is often packed with students sipping the decadent house signature drink: a bittersweet hot chocolate topped with a mountain of homemade whipped cream (if you order the small hot chocolate I suggest you ask for half the amount of whipped cream so that you don’t end up with a lukewarm drink.) La Patisserie Viennoise serves traditional Viennese pastries (apfelstrudel, sacher torte, linzer torte…) and salads, quiches and pasta dishes for lunch. When in the neighborhood, do not miss the master chocolatier Patrick Roger located a block away.

La Patisserie Viennoise
8 Rue de l’École de Médecine
75006 Paris
tel:01.43.26.60.48
Metro: Cluny - La Sorbonne, Odéon

M-F: 9am-7pm
Closed on Saturday, Sunday

]]> http://20littlecities.com/where-to-eat/hot-chocolate-at-la-patisserie-viennoise-in-paris/feed/ 0 Stéphane Vandermeersch in Paris: A disciple of master pastry chef Pierre Hermé in the 12th arrondissement. http://20littlecities.com/where-to-eat/stephane-vandermeersch-in-paris-a-disciple-of-pierre-herme-in-the-12th-arrondissement/ http://20littlecities.com/where-to-eat/stephane-vandermeersch-in-paris-a-disciple-of-pierre-herme-in-the-12th-arrondissement/#comments Sat, 26 Dec 2009 22:17:08 +0000 admin http://20littlecities.com/?p=2978 Stéphane Vandermeersch, who worked five years for Pierre Hermé, bakes breads and pastries that make his shop one of the most visited in the 12th arrondissement, and draws crowds from all corners of Paris. While his morning pastries and breads will make people line up at his bakery on the weekend, he is most famous for his Galette des Rois (the Twelfth Night cake that celebrates the Epiphany), he sells about 4000 of them each year, and if that wasn’t enough he has also been crowned the master of Kouglof, and his Millefeuille (an unpretentious delectable classic French pastry) has been voted number one in Paris! Now go, run, race to Vandermeersch!

Stéphane Vandermeersch
278 Avenue Daumesnil
75012 Paris
tel: 01.43.47.21.66
Metro: Porte Dorée

W-Sun: 7am-8pm
Closed on Monday and Tuesday.

]]> http://20littlecities.com/where-to-eat/stephane-vandermeersch-in-paris-a-disciple-of-pierre-herme-in-the-12th-arrondissement/feed/ 0 Patisserie Le Triomphe: The quintessential Parisian croissant. http://20littlecities.com/where-to-eat/patisserie-le-triomphe-the-quintessential-parisian-croissant/ http://20littlecities.com/where-to-eat/patisserie-le-triomphe-the-quintessential-parisian-croissant/#comments Wed, 16 Dec 2009 21:21:12 +0000 admin http://20littlecities.com/?p=2923 I will take the metro at dawn and endure the early morning dense crowd for croissants from Le Triomphe, even if some of Paris’ croissants voted “best of” can be found a few blocks away from my place. They are what I would call the quintessential Parisian croissants and Le Triomphe makes them how I like them best: no fancy sweet glaze on top, flaky on the outside, doughy inside, buttery but not greasy, just the right texture and flavor. It’s this kind of croissant that makes a Frenchman homesick when he is away from the motherland and has a tourist rush to a bakery on his arrival to France. Le Triomphe pastry shop has three stores, two in Paris (I went to the one in the 20th arrondissement) and one right outside of the city limits. I tried some of their pastries too and they are absolutely delightful. I will go back for more of those too. Thank you A. & D. for pointing me in the right direction.

Le Triomphe
Le Triomphe 20th arrondissement
95 Rue d’Avron
75020 Paris
tel: 01.43.73.24.50
Metro: Maraîchers

Tu-Sat: 7.30am-7.30pm
Sun: 7.30am-7pm
Closed on Monday

Le Triomphe 12th arrondissement
23 Rue du Rendez-Vous
75012 Paris
tel: 01.40.02.08.79
Metro: Picpus

Tu-F: 8am-2pm / 4pm-7.30pm
Sat: 8am-7.30pm
Sun: 8am-2pm
Closed on Monday

Le Triomphe Vincennes
117 Avenue de Paris
94160 Saint Mande
tel: 01.43.28.03.16
Metro: Saint-Mandé

Tu-Th: 9am-2pm / 4pm-8pm
F, Sat: 9am-8pm
Sun: 9am-1pm
Closed on Monday

]]> http://20littlecities.com/where-to-eat/patisserie-le-triomphe-the-quintessential-parisian-croissant/feed/ 0 La Petite Rose in Paris: Fine chocolates and pastries near the Parc Monceau. http://20littlecities.com/where-to-eat/la-petite-rose-in-paris-fine-chocolates-and-pastries-near-the-parc-monceau/ http://20littlecities.com/where-to-eat/la-petite-rose-in-paris-fine-chocolates-and-pastries-near-the-parc-monceau/#comments Tue, 08 Dec 2009 17:26:31 +0000 admin http://20littlecities.com/?p=2817 La Petite Rose in Paris is a great place to get some high quality pastries and chocolates. Along with Blé Sucré’s their mendiants are my favorite. The chef Miyuki Watanabe worked with renown pastry chef and chocolatier Gérard Mulot before opening her own shop a few blocs from the Parc Monceau and the Nissim de Camondo museum. La Petite Rose has a few tables in lieu of a tea salon and is located right next to the metro station Villiers.

La Petite Rose
11 Boulevard de Courcelles
75008 Paris
tel: 01.45.22.07.27
Metro: Villiers

Th-Tues: 10am-7.30pm
Closed on Wednesday

]]> http://20littlecities.com/where-to-eat/la-petite-rose-in-paris-fine-chocolates-and-pastries-near-the-parc-monceau/feed/ 0 Bistrot Beyrouth: The best Lebanese pastries in Paris. http://20littlecities.com/where-to-eat/bistrot-bayrouth-the-best-lebanese-pastries-in-paris/ http://20littlecities.com/where-to-eat/bistrot-bayrouth-the-best-lebanese-pastries-in-paris/#comments Sat, 24 Oct 2009 20:04:47 +0000 admin http://20littlecities.com/?p=2536 If you are looking for Lebanese pastries in Paris, Bistrot Beyrouth is where you want to get them from. Baked to the perfect golden crisp and with the right touch of honey so the sweetness won’t make you hit your sugar wall instantly, the Baklava (layers of fillo pastry and cashew nuts brushed with butter), Bookaj (pyramid-shaped pastry with cashew nut filling in layers of fillo pastry and topped with pistachios) or Lady fingers (crunchy ground cashew nuts tightly rolled into fillo pastry), to name a few, will make you go back and order more. Count 5€ for an assortment of 6 pastries. Also, Bistrot Beyrouth serves an amazing rose-flavored infusion served with fresh mint leaves and aniseeds—it is their version of the traditional Lebanese café blanc (white coffee) and is a perfect hot beverage to accompany the pastries. The food is good (they serve a Lebanese-style burger with homemade French fries that I have to try) and the service is great. The service is non-stop from noon until midnight and the food can be ordered to go.

Bistrot Beyrouth
103 Rue de Charonne
75011 Paris
tel: 01.43.70.23.92
Metro: Charonne

M-Sat: 12pm-2am (Food is served all day until 12am)
Closed on Sunday

]]> http://20littlecities.com/where-to-eat/bistrot-bayrouth-the-best-lebanese-pastries-in-paris/feed/ 0 L’Autre Boulange: voted #1 in Paris for its flan. http://20littlecities.com/where-to-eat/lautre-boulange-voted-1-in-paris-for-its-flan/ http://20littlecities.com/where-to-eat/lautre-boulange-voted-1-in-paris-for-its-flan/#comments Mon, 13 Apr 2009 14:07:43 +0000 admin http://20littlecities.com/?p=1707 L’Autre Boulange opened over 25 years ago, it is owned by a jovial man with a handlebar moustache who has always baked with organic flour and a traditional wood oven. The man loves his job and his flan has been voted number one in Paris. His pastries are reminiscent of your grandmother’s—the one who bakes with talent using basic ingredients and simple recipes. At L’Autre Boulange the pastries are consistently good—I think often of the Tarte Tatin there—and are very comforting. L’Autre Boulange also makes good sandwiches for under 5€; the rosbif (that is French for roast beef), pickled dill and mayo sandwich on corn bread is delicious. For 7,10€ you can get a sandwich+drink+dessert, a perfect lunch to eat in the Jardin de la Cité Prost right around the corner.

L’Autre Boulange
43 Rue de Montreuil
75011 Paris
tel: 01.43.72.86.04
Metro: Faidherbe-Chaligny

Tues-Fri: 7.30am-1.30pm / 3.30pm-7.30pm
Sat: 7.30am-1pm
Closed on Sunday, Monday and in August

]]> http://20littlecities.com/where-to-eat/lautre-boulange-voted-1-in-paris-for-its-flan/feed/ 0 Rose Bakery in Paris: healthy tasty food in lively neighborhoods. http://20littlecities.com/where-to-eat/rose-bakery-in-paris-healthy-tasty-food-in-lively-neighborhoods/ http://20littlecities.com/where-to-eat/rose-bakery-in-paris-healthy-tasty-food-in-lively-neighborhoods/#comments Sat, 07 Mar 2009 09:30:12 +0000 admin http://20littlecities.com/?p=1393 Franco-British couple Mr. and Mrs. Rose had a child. They called it Bakery. A Rose Bakery was born in London. Then they decided to move to Paris and they gave birth to a second, and recently a third, Rose Bakery. Rose Bakery is the name of their very successful—hence the new addition to the family—bakery/restaurants. The third Rose Bakery restaurant is in the hands of chef Kaori Endo, a 34 year-old Japanese cook who just published a book of recipes and who will be on T.V for eight cooking shows. At Rose Bakery they use quality ingredients, lots of organic and carefully chosen goods for their savory tarts, quiches, healthy salads (lentil salad, carrot salad, potato salad, baked beans, duck pot-au-feu…) and their delicious desserts (carrot cake, cheesecake, vegan fruit cake, lemon cake, green tea-raspberry cake, banana nut bread, scones, muffins, brownies…) They serve breakfast during the week and brunch on the weekend (eggs, pancakes…). In other words, Rose Bakery is a perfect place for breakfast, lunch, brunch and afternoon tea and pastries. It’s healthy, good, pretty and it is located in two great areas of Paris.

Rose Bakery 3rd arrondissement
30 rue Debelleyme
75003 Paris
tel: 01.49.96.54.01
Metro: Filles du Calvaire

Tu-Sun: 9am-6pm (kitchen closes at 4pm)
Closed on Monday

Rose Bakery 9th arrondissement
46 rue des Martyrs
75009 Paris
tel: 01.42.82.12.80
Metro: Notre-Dame-de-Lorette, Pigalle

Tu-Sun: 10am-6.30pm (kitchen closes at 4pm)
Closed on Monday

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