Too Good to Eat
Post by Jenny Bailey
Too Good to Eat: The Most Stylish Desserts in Paris
Paris is heaven for those with a sweet tooth. After all, this is the city that brought us Ladurée macaroons, chocolate éclairs, opera cake and tartelette. With many of the best desserts in the world coming from France, it’s hardly surprising that even back in the 18th Century, Marie Antoinette is said to have uttered the famous words ‘let them eat cake’ when hearing that the peasants had no bread. Fast forward a few hundred centuries later and eating cake is exactly what holidaymakers,should do when they visit Paris, except that they may find that some of the desserts are simply too stylish to eat. Here are five of the most stunning desserts in the city:
This isn’t a typical French dessert, but only in Paris could a dessert wind up looking this stylish. The Zen sold by Sadahuru Aoki features a black sesame pate sucrée base, which is sandwiched with layers of white sesame cream. The monochrome dessert is topped off with a matcha macaroon shell, filled with cognac-infused white chocolate cream. All the flavours complement each other really well, proving that this is one dessert that tastes as good as it looks.
If you’re taking your holidays to Paris during the summer, then you’ll probably want a dessert that’s a little more refreshing. Glacier Berthillon is renowned for its excellent ice-cream, serving up flavours as delicious as amaretto and praline and gingerbread and caramel. However, the ice-cream parlour also caters well to those that are lactose-intolerant with its delicious range of frozen sorbets. They are perhaps most famous for their fig sorbet, but the lychee, cocktail and raspberry and rose flavours are all very tasty and dairy-free.
We couldn’t talk about stylish desserts and not mention the famous Ladurée macarons. These desserts are so stylish that Sofia Coppola cited them as the inspiration for most of the set design on “Marie Antoinette”; Ladurée in turn made all the pastries that appeared in the movie. Whilst the macarons are famously good, some of Ladurée’s other desserts are also worth sampling. The religieuse with its lilac icing is a dessert that you’ll want to photograph rather than eat. It takes its name from its resemblance to a nun’s habit, although some claim that it’s because eating the pastry, made with blackcurrant and violet cream, is a religious experience.
Holidaymakers on cheap holiday deals generally try to save money on their food and lodgings, and the great news is that in Paris great desserts needn’t cost the earth. Angelina’s is said to be the best bakery in Paris – which in my opinion makes it the best bakery in the world – however people don’t come here for the desserts. They come here for the creamy hot chocolate for which the café is renowned. This hot chocolate is even better when paired with a delicious Mont Blanc. This dessert is a mixture of chestnut crème and whipped cream. Rumour has it that Coco Chanel dined here regularly.
No mention of Parisian desserts would be complete without including a classic tart on the list and they don’t get much better than the Framboise Pistache tart served at Pascal Caffet. Ruby- red raspberries sit on top of delicious pistachio crème, which is layered over a deliciously chewy frangipane base and finished with a sweet pastry case. A hint of curry adds to the complex flavours and these marry together to produce a dessert that is unique in terms of both texture and flavour.
When it comes to desserts, there really is no better city in which to indulge that sweet tooth than Paris. Restaurants, patisseries and cafes all serve up a selection of delicious desserts. Locals and holidaymakers will find that whatever they’re craving, be it chewy, creamy, crumbly or even lactose-free, they really can’t get it anywhere better than here.
I’ve never been into the sickly sweet macaroons (British spelling, shocking adjectives, I know, désolé ;~) but that doesn’t mean I don’t love some of the other delights. And one of my favourite extravagances is the sort of custardy tart thing laden with raspberries, probably covered by some sort of shiny sweet stuff. Now THOSE are something else. And don’t get me going on croissants (probably one of the main reasons I’m in France), pains au chocolat, pains au raison, that amazing Swiss drop thing… AND it’s Sunday morning with an hour to spare – think I know what I’ll be doing with it!
I agree: sometimes it’s just a pity to “ruin” the perfection of a Pierre Hermé, Jean-Paul Hévin, Philip Conticcini or Gerard Mulot gateau. But I could think of nothing more I’d like to do at this very minute!
one word: YUM!
Going to Paris for the first time this May and cannot wait to test as many pastries as possible.