Ah Paris, you wonderful purveyor of perfect pastry! The choices for satisfying your sweet tooth here are abundant. I have a long list of places all over the city where I'm happy to meet up with friends for my favorite time of day, l'heure du goûter, but there are only a few spots that I revisit on the regular for their delectable offerings. I've selected a few of my favorite addresses where I often go for their outstanding cakes and pastries made on site and with love, bien sûr!
Bontemps Pâtisserie
Bontemps is located in Le Marais just across from the pretty Square du Temple. I pop in here to pick up cakes for tea or dinner parties when I'm not feeling up to baking at home. My favorites are the glazed lemon cake squares (miam!) and the kugelhof-shaped cake covered in gianduja. The shop is owned and run by Fiona and Fatina, sisters who are always on hand to serve up their exceptional sweet offerings with a smile. Don't forget to grab a handful of their mini sablés with a variety of indulgent fillings like passion fruit and Madagascan bourbon vanilla.
Glazed Lemon Squares
Bontemps
57 Rue de Bretagne
W-F 11AM-2PM 3PM-7:30PM
Saturday 10AM-7:30PM
Sunday 10AM-2PM 3PM-5PM
Closed Monday/Tuesday
P +33 01 42 74 10 68
Broken Biscuits
Broken Biscuits is located on a quaint passage in the 11th arrondissement near Square Gardette. Chris Wilson and Christine O'Sullivan have created a space that's perfect for a pastry pit stop in Paris. I've come here for both afternoon tea and cake and to feast on bowls of their handmade granola for breakfast. The café always smells of butter and freshly baked goods which is just heavenly and their recent acquisition of the sweetest mini Marzocco means you can now get a cappuccino to accompany your scones or carrot cake. They provide pastries for a number of specialty coffee shops throughout the city including two of my favorites, Honor and Fondation.
Chocolate and passion fruit on a coconut biscuit base.
Carrot cake with cream cheese frosting
Broken Biscuits
10 Passage Rochebrune
W-F 8:30AM-6PM
S-Sunday 10AM-7PM
Closed Monday/Tuesday
Mamie Gâteaux
Mamie Gâteaux resides on the Rive Gauche just behind famed department store Le Bon Marché. I discovered this cakey gem back when I first moved to Paris in 2012. It's been much celebrated over the years for the beautiful cake selection and after tasting the chestnut cake dusted in powdered sugar I was a believer as well. I don't make it here too often but when I do its usually for a pot of cherry blossom tea and a slice of carrot or chestnut cake. Everything is made on site and there's even a small antique shop attached selling French country bowls and glass jars filled with brightly colored candy. J'adore!
Carrot cake and cherry blossom tea
Mamie Gâteaux
66 Rue du Cherche-Midi
T-Saturday 11:45AM-6PM
Closed Sunday/Monday
+33 01 42 22 32 15
Ten Belles
Ten Belles is one of the few specialty coffee shops in Paris churning out their own daily cakes and pastries. I can never resist peeking into the kitchen to see what wonderful delights Anna Trattles and Isabelle Auzou are whipping up for the day. Bakewell tarts, clementine cakes and peanut butter brownies are a few of the treats you can gleefully grab to accompany your filter or flat white. In summertime you can pick up some cakes and coffee to go sit canal-side in perfect Parisian bliss.
Rhubarb and frangipane tart
Isabelle and a tray of frosted clementine cakes!
Ten Belles
10 Rue de la Grange aux Belles
M-F 8AM-5PM
S-S 8AM-6PM
P: +33 01 42 40 90 78