Paris Pastry Hop
I don’t know if any other sweet treat beats a French pastry. On my French must-eat bucket list, pastries, any shape or kind, are always near the top. And I say pastries, plural, because this must-eat encompasses so many tasty options that I know I have to have at least a few to suffice. Eclairs, pain au chocolat, macarons, meringues, beignets... how can I pick just one? This is also coming from someone who fell into a 'beignet a day' habit while studying abroad. I wondered why I wasn’t losing weight even though I was walking more than I ever had before.
Before arriving in Paris, we had spent a few days in Nantes, France already embarking on our pastry adventure. I might have slowed down in Paris, had we not been staying near a street with three amazing pastry purveyors. Sealing the deal, we witnessed multiple food tours guiding groups of foodies around the neighborhood, and stopping in front of some of these. With the tours as inspiration and after a long day of site seeing, we stopped at three along the way back to the hotel and created our own personal pastry tasting. The easiest part of this pastry hop, they are all within two blocks of each other. You can try all different kinds of treats without having to go very far.
A Note on Boulangerie Culture
Boulangeries, or bakeries (in English), are a staple of Parisian and French culture. To this day, locals will line up in their local boulangerie on their commute home. Two of the places noted below also make and sell baguettes, so when we stopped in at the end of the day, we were out of the norm ordering pastries instead of the rest of the crowd asking for baguettes. This routine is something so different from life back in the US, so whenever I experience that moment, I get a little giddy inside. It reminds me I’m in a different place, and that French people and baguettes are a stereotype for a reason. I love observing the habits of other cultures, and hearing the constant baguette orders in the evening makes it clear I’m seeing just that.
If you find yourself in a boulangerie at the end of the day, take a moment to notice the other patrons and what they’re ordering. They’re usually exchanging a euro coin or two for a freshly baked baguette to take home for the night. They usually get a fresh one each evening, and you’ll know why if you’ve ever kept a baguette for two days. While you’re at it, join the fun and get one for yourself too. It’s a great addition to some evening site seeing (bread and wine to watch the Eiffel Tower light up?) or getting ready in your room before heading out (a snack to tide you over to a later dinner).
Why Do a Pastry Tasting?
I’m not sure if I really need to answer this question, but only to serve as a caution that you will be tempted to eat all of the pastries. This is a post giving you permission to try a few more than you might have if you were at home and not playing tourist. Be a little decadent, treat yourself, and order a couple. It’s fun to try the different tastes, textures, flavors, sights, and smells. Just like you would with any tasting, pay attention to all of the senses and enjoy!
Paris Pastry Hop Stop 1 - Eric Kayser
The most well-known, with twenty-plus locations throughout the city, as well as international storefronts, it also had the most variety. Solidifying the popularity, there are actually two storefronts on the same block (one is sit-in and the other is takeaway) near where we stayed. On our first day, we opted for traditional chocolate eclairs. They were everything I hoped for and more. My favorite part was the rich chocolate custard filling. To top it off, we took them to go, hopped on the metro, and enjoyed them with a view of the Eiffel Tower in the background.
For the day of the pastry tour, we went for a raspberry and praline meringue. If you’re not familiar with French meringue, prepare yourself. They’re crunchy and airy at the same time, and much harder than the meringue that tops pies. The meringues at Eric Kayser had great flavor and quickly dissolved into a rush of liquid sugar with every bite. The closest thing I can compare it to is a hard version of cotton candy, but with a wide variety of flavors.
Overall, Eric Kayser is the perfect spot to fulfill your pastry dreams with tarts, cakes, macarons, and beyond. It’s the perfect stop on any pastry tour throughout the city. You could even put together a ‘pastry tasting’ with the variety they have in their own shops.
Paris Pastry Hop Stop 2 - Aux Merveilleux De Fred
We stopped in purely based on looking through the window. Their shop is simple, but elegant inside. They sell one thing, but in different flavors and different sizes, and it’s the main feature of the storefront. I had never seen or had anything like it. It’s basically a ball of mousse with shaved chocolate on top. The dessert is so light and airy that when she handed me the box over the counter, it almost felt like there was nothing in it. We got the smallest one they make which could be finished in two bites, but one bite wouldn’t be as messy.
I dream of these now. I don’t have many regrets in life, but I still wonder what the other flavors would have been like. If you stop here, do yourself a favor and try a couple.
Paris Pastry Hop Stop 3 - La Maison D’Isabelle
With a sign outside celebrating the best croissant in Paris, we knew we had to stop. They are located close to our nearest metro station, so we walked by it multiple times a day. Sadly, we weren’t strategic and came at the end of the day. So of course, they were out of the famous croissant but had many other wonderful items to choose from. Like Eric Kayser, they had a bounty of variety when it came to pastries. Tartes, eclairs, cakes, you name it. We’ve recently fallen in love with an almond croissant from a place in our neighborhood in San Francisco, so we had to try one at La Maison d’Isabelle. We were so excited about all of the choices and opted for not one but two to add to our pastry tasting. We rounded out our full tasting with a chocolate religieuse: fluffy pastry crust filled with chocolate moose and topped with chocolate glaze. Both were delicious, but the chocolate religieuse was my favorite. Again, another pastry shop where you can’t go wrong, but too much to choose from!