French Pastries and 10 Top Patisseries in Paris

The pastries.  That's my answer to about any question one asks me about Paris.  "Why did you go to culinary school in Paris?"  "Why do you visit Paris during every trip you make to Europe?"  "What's the first thing you do when you get to Paris?"  "What's your favorite thing about Paris/France?" "What does France do better than Italy?" The last question got me in trouble with a few Sicilians.  My answer to all of these questions is the same -- the pastries.

My very first trip to Paris, 13 years ago, had me gawking at every pastry window, thinking you needed magical powers to make such perfect little gems. I lived, studied pastries in Paris and worked in a Paris patisserie, so you would think the magic of these windows had disappeared. Not so, they still stop me in my tracks and have me gazing at them like most girls gaze at the windows of Dior, Chanel, Louis Vutton, and Tiffany's. My most recent trip to Paris, this summer, was not very different than my first, I'm still peeping into pastry windows.

One thing on my travel "bucket" list is to attend the Meilleur Ouvriers de France (Best Craftsman in Paris) pastry competition.  The competition is fierce, exhausting, and takes every iota of your will and tenacity.  Those that "win" (achieve a predetermined score) are known as one of the best pastry chefs in all of France.  The winners show off the blue, white and red collar on their chefs' jackets for the rest of their lives, identifying them among the elite of French pastry chefs. Although I've yet to be able to see it live (I do realize it's practically impossible to view it unless you're already an MOF), today I will be able to see it on film.  The documentary Kings of Pastry comes to the San Francisco Bay Area today. 

In my giddiness and as a pre-celebration of sorts, I thought I'd share my list of ten top patisseries in Paris.  They're beyond the obvious Pierre Herme and LaDuree, and the grand maisons of Lenotre, and Fauchon.  These pastry chefs make pastries that look like jewels and taste like ecstasy.  Along with the list, you can take a virtual peak into the vetrines of Paris patisseries.

 

Sugar and Chocolate Showpieces by Chef Nicolas Bernardé - MOF 2004

 

Ten Top Patisseries in Paris:

Laurent Duchene - 2 rue Wurtz - 13th arr. - Metro: Glacière
Won the MOF title in 1997  - This small neighborhood patisserie makes some of the best pastries in the city.

Pain de Sucre - 14 rue Rambuteau - 3rd arr. - Metro: Rambuteau
My Suggestions:  Millefeuille, Etat de Choc (state of chocolate), and of course their famous marshmellows (guimauves) .

Patisserie Sadaharu Aoki - 35 rue de Vaugirard - 6th arr. - Metro: Rennes and 3 other locations in Paris.  My Suggestions: Any of the domed pastries, Matcha Eclair, Tart au Citron

Hugo & Victor - 40 boulevard Raspail - 7th arr. - Metro: Sevres-Babylone
This patisserie opened at the beginning of 2010.  Instead of haute-cuisine, think haute-pastry.  Everything is exquisite, but the triangular-shaped tarts make me think of American pie. My suggestions: Caramel millefeuille (Victor), and anything chocolate, caramel, or vanilla - the three "featured" flavors.

Carl Marletti - 51 rue Censier - 5th arr. - Metro: Censier-Daubenton
All his pastries look too good to eat, but eat them anyway. He’s a master at pate a choux; éclairs, religeuse.  I also recommend the Dome Noir, Dome Blanc, and the L'Orizaba.

Arnaud Delmontel - 57 rue Damremont - 18th arr. - Metro: Lamark-Caulaincourt
Vibrantly colored pastries. My suggestions: Mara des Bois, Adagio

Patisserie de l’Eglise - 10 rue du Jourdain - 20th arr. - Metro: Jourdain
Named the best patissier and chocolatier of 2010 by Gault-Millau Guide

Patisserie des Reves - 93 rue du Bac - 7th arr. - Metro: Sevres-Babylone
Pastry shop of dreams lives up to its name. My Suggestions:  The tarts and gateaux of the season, but especially the Tart au Citron and the Tart Tatin.

Arnaud Larher - 53 rue Caulaincourt - 18th arr. - Metro: Lamarck-Caulaincourt
Won the MOF title in 2007.  Make sure to also try the macarons and chocolates boutique at 57 rue Damremont.

Gerard Mulot - 76 rue de Seine - 6th arr. - Metro: Mabillon
When I lived in Paris, my apartment was right across the street from this patisserie.  I gawked/examined/tasted most of chef Mulot’s creations.  My favorites are the tarts citron, orange and chocolat and the Troubadour (a caramel mousse sensation).  My favorite macaron flavors are orange-cannelle, nougat, and citron.

 

Entremet Passionata

 

Box of Chocolate Macarons from Jean-Paul Hevin

 

Plaisir Sucre - Chocolate and Hazelnut Pastry

Pastry Case Featuring a Snail Macaron

Pastry Window of Laurent Duchene

Strawberry Fraisier

Saint Honore

Pastries at Sadaharu Aoki

Called Heavenly Chocolate and it is

Light Lemon Tart

LaDuree Macaron Tower

 

If you still have a sweet tooth after these photos, you can go to my Flickr page to check out even more Paris Pastries in Photos

 

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Who's going or has seen Kings of Pastry? What is your favorite Parisian Pastry?  What Paris patisserie would you add to this list?

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Related Posts:

Paris Pastries Binge 2011 - Pierre Herme

Paris Pastries Binge 2011 - Some of the Best Pastry Shops in the City

Paris Walks for Food Lovers: Rue de Seine and Rue Bonaparte

Easter Chocolates in Paris Windows

Chocolate Eclairs: My Mom and Learning How to Make Them

Journey Through the Pastries of Paris - Part 1

Journey Through the Pastries of Paris - Part 2

A French Fraisier to Celebrate My First Blog Birthday

Meyer Lemon Tart Topped with Lightened Lemon Cream 

Cooking Classes for the Culinary Traveler in Paris

L'Epicuriste - Dining in Paris

 

 

 

Comments

[Paula]

What fun photos!!!!

[Gigi Spinazze]

Hi, just found you, lucky me! I was searching for thester to see Kings of Pastry. I live in Saratoga, Ca. Can you help? Must in be in San Francisco somewhere or closer????
Thanks,
Gigi

[Kathy]

Gigi - I'm glad you found me! Right now the only screening in the SF Bay Area is in Larkspur at The Lark. There is a planned screening in San Francisco but the date is "TBD." I drove from the East Bay to see it. It was well worth it. It's a great look into how much work goes into competing in the MOF. Also, if you love pastries and learning about how they're made/assembled, this is a great film.

Here's the link from the Kings of Pastry website showing all the screening locations and dates:
http://kingsofpastry.com/screenings/

[Corinne @ Gourmantic]

You are killing me with this post! I want one of each. And now Mr G is looking over my shoulder...

How did you manage to photograph Sadaharu Aoki's patisseries? We had to be very discreet!

[Kathy]

Corinne - I was killing myself putting this together. I'm ready to go back today.

At Aoki's I just asked to take the picture, and they said ok! I couldn't be discreet because my friend and I were the only two there at the time (it was the patisserie on rue Vaugirard). We had also bought several pastries, so maybe that had something to do with it. I was shocked they said yes, also.

[Jen Laceda]

Pastries are my weakness - especially the French kind! I love Gerard Mulot! His millefeuilles are to-die for! I will have to bookmark this for my next trip to Paris!

[Adam]

How about Des Gateaux et du Pain and Jean-Paul Hevin? Fine to leave off Pierre Herme and Laduree, since they're already so well known. btw - If you like in-shop photos, check the Sept. 10th post on my blog for an insane number of Pain de Sucre shots. I didn't want to be evil and post a link to it here, of course.

[Kathy]

Adam - Two more great Paris patisseries - thanks for the comment. I stop at Jean-Paul Hevin every time I'm in Paris. I do think of him more as a chocolatier than patissier, but he has some of the best chocolate pastries and chocolate macarons (the macarons above are from Jean-Paul Hevin).

Here's the link to Adam's post:
http://www.parispatisseries.com/2010/09/10/patisserie-pain-de-sucre/

[Esme]

You have some great choices. Gerald Mulot is my all time favorite patisserie-so much so that I bring back croissants and pastries from his shop each time I go. Pain de Sucre is also quite good-I did not try anything at Hugo and Victor-everything was behind glass. I could not get a good look at them. I like seeing rows and rows of pastries not just one.

Tarte citron is my absolute favorite-of course, chocolate eclairs and who can resist the strawberry frasier.

I also like Poulaine for a simple apple tart-I know it is a boulangerie but those tarts are as tarts should be.

[Angel]

I'm seriously considering a career change, I have been pondering becoming a Pastry Chef for the past year or so. I have looked into Le Cordon Blue in Paris but not sure if that is the best school there! Suggestions?

[Kathy]

Angel - Ahh, quite the popular question.

I chose Le Cordon Bleu Paris for several reasons, professional and personal, which included:
1) I wanted to learn French pastrymaking in Paris
2) I wanted to do an apprenticeship in Paris
3) I wanted to live in Paris

For me, Le Cordon Bleu was the best choice. Looking back, I would do it again. I can't say that Le Cordon Bleu in Paris is the best choice for everyone, though. They're teaching style is both quirky (especially from a former U.S. teacher's point-of-view) and exacting. They teach to people who plan to go on and make French pastries. If you plan on making wedding cakes, or any other American-type desserts, this school is not a good idea. Instead of wedding cakes, we made croquembuche, chocolate and sugar sculptures.

Here are names of a few other schools:
In Paris -
Ferrandi - http://www.egf.ccip.fr/international/
LeNotre (the one for professionals) - http://www.lenotre.fr/en/formation_cuisine.php

In the U.S. (I've heard good things about these schools, but am not familiar with their curiculum)-

Notter School of Pastry in Orlando, FL -
http://www.notterschool.com/

The French Pastry School in Chicago, IL -
http://www.frenchpastryschool.com/

The French Culinary Institute
http://www.frenchculinary.com/

If you can, I would strongly suggest 3 things:
1) Sit in on classes at any of the schools you're interested in attending to see if you like/feel comfortable with their format.

2) Ask a restaurant/pastry shop if you could "stage" (intern for a short period)for a day/weekend/week to see what it's like. After pastry school, you will still need to work about 4-7 yrs as a pastry assistant (earning a very low wage $9-14/hour) before advancing to assistant pastry chef and then pastry chef status. Long and night/weekend/holiday working hours are the norm in this business.

3) If you haven't already, definitely see "Kings of Pastry." It gives very good insight into the French pastry chef's thinking and way of making pastries. Notice how they work - clean, organized, meticulous - and how they analyzed and scrutinized every pastry. Even as a lowly student, you're held to the same standard. For me, this was one of the most beneficial parts of studying in Paris.

[Kathy]

Angel - Here are a two blog sites that might also be very helpful:

Jesssica's Dinner Party - She is currently a pastry student at Le Cordon Bleu and blogs about it.
http://www.jessicasdinnerparty.com/

Paris Patisseries - Adam analyzes pastries in Paris, one pastry at a time.
http://www.parispatisseries.com/

[Bill Pearson]

Excellent photos, my vote is for Laurent Duchêne.
http://goodfoodshops.blogspot.com