|
Whether strolling through the back streets of the Marais or chasing the sales at the "grands magasins," the tea rooms of Paris offer the most pleasant and stylish way of warming up quickly. Mariage Frères Founded in 1854, this famous establishment is to tea in Paris what Berthillon is to ice cream. A fragrant wave of dozens of different teas strikes you as soon as you step into this atmospheric establishment located in a tiny side street in the Marais. Passing a quaint cashier's booth, you come first to a shop where a vast selection of the finest quality teas is for sale from tin drums that line the wooden counters. (100 gms of an excellent tea such as lapsang imperial goes for 35F.) Also on sale are food items jams, chocolates and candies all flavored with tea, as are all the dishes served in the back room restaurant/ salon de thé,which has a colonial air thanks to the potted palms, rattan flooring and linen-clad waiters. The à la carte menu includes dishes such as an extraordinary fillet of duck with a smoked tea sauce served with polenta and girolles mushrooms (90F). Of course afternoon tea is not neglected and is served between 3-6:30pm. You can opt for an assortment of fine sandwiches, a mini croque-monsieur, cake and tea for 125F. Individual cakes such as madeleines,superb financiers,scones and muffins go for 40F and a slice of one of the offerings on the delectable "colonial trolley" costs 44F. There is also an upstairs tea museum open on demand, and a tea cellar, which is closed to the public. Mariage Frères , daily, 30, rue du Bourg-Tibourg, 4e, Metro St-Paul, tel: 01.42.72.28.11. Marais Plus This small tea room has the combined relaxed feel of a good friend's kitchen in the country and the boho feel of the '70s, complete with amusing pictures of cows on the walls. There is one entrance on the rue Payenne that leads to the nearby Picasso museum, but the main one is on the rue de Francs-Bourgeois and is shared with a beautiful toy shop. The salon specializes in rustic homemade pies with crumbly pastry and soft, melting interiors as well as cakes and brownies, all priced between 30-35F. Anyone nostalgic for a delicious pecan pie outside the Thanksgiving season can find it here as well as various types of cheesecake. Along with a good assortment of tea for 25F, including blackberry and exotic names like Orient Express, they also offer an unusual range of coffee, infused with flavors such as lemon, mint or anise for 15F. Honey milk for 25F is a pleasant addition to the menu. Marais Plus , daily, 20, rue des Francs-Bourgeois, 4e, Metro St-Paul, tel: 01.48.87.01.40, Epices et Delices This comfortable neighborhood hangout boasts a wide and quiet terrace unusual for the Marais which gets the afternoon sun, and a secluded, elevated back room with a view onto a little park that's perfect for an intimate tête à tête.The wooden tables and chairs and a pretty curved bar that dominates the entry are all watched over by a spectacular collection of '60s lamp shades and teapots. The establishment offers a limited range of tea from Mariage Frères for only 18F a pot and has a small but fresh assortment of cakes and tarts, including a generous slice of warm tarte tatinserved with crème fraîche,that normally cost between 30F and 35F. A good-value fixed priced formula offers a slice of cake or tart with tea for 46F. I highly recommend the tarte amandine aux framboises,one of the nicest I've had in a long time. The almond tart is also available with a lemon glaze. Epices et Délices , daily, 53, rue Vieille du Temple, 4e, Metro St-Paul, tel: 01.42.71.14.14. Ladurée Along with Angelina's on the rue de Rivoli, this is the most famous salon de théin Paris and certainly the most opulent. Established during the reign of Napoleon III, its excessively ornate detail recalls the work of Garnier. Ladurée is fabled for its wonderfully light and delicate macarons,which come in many flavors, and two sizes (22F for large or 7F for small macarons). So highly reputed are they that a critic once regretted that Proust did not use them as his bridge to memory instead of a madeleine. Ladurée also is known for its Faubourgchocolate cake, reasonably priced at 23.50F. Teas range from 31-35F, while infusions are 18.50F. Try the rich coffee or chocolate viennois for 36F, an excellent accompaniment to more traditional pastries such as millefeuilles, babas, religeusesor gâteau St-Honoré,all around the 22F mark. La Durée is a magnet for the chic clientele on the rue Royale, along with every visiting top model and actress, so it can be a problem securing a table. The best times to go are either just after opening (8am during the week and 10am on Sundays) or quite late in the afternoon. Ladurée , daily, 16, rue Royale, 8e, Metro Madeleine, tel: 01.42.60.21.79. Florès Once one of the most atmospheric courtyards in Paris, the Village Royale looked like a set from a 1930s René Clair film before it fell victim to a characterless renovation in the early 1990s. However, the pedestrian precinct does boast a cheery, upmarket tea room heltered from the traffic. Watched over by a platoon of gas heaters, the terrace of Florès is warm enough to sit at on even the chilliest of winter afternoons. While the ground floor is fairly functional, the upstairs salleis cozy and private. Their specialty is wickedly thick hot chocolate which is served plain (27F), viennois(32F) or frappé (33F). The tea is of course from Mariage Frères and goes for 26F. Among their pastries are tarte tatin(30F) lemon tart (25F) or chocolate tart (30F). The terrace is reserved for lunch from noon to 3pm, when a fine assortment of salads and light dishes are on offer. Florès , Village Royale, 25, rue Royale, 8e, Metro Madeleine, tel: 01.40.17.02.19, closed Sun. Peny Conveniently located on the place de la Madeleine so as to attract all the customers who can't find a free table at Ladurée, Peny is a pleasant poor country cousin that does have amiable staff and an upstairs sallewith a nice view. Its array of tarts and cakes, which includes amandineand a selection of red fruits, go from between 30-35F, while viennoiseriesstart as low as 12F, thé parfumé is 28F, a large hot chocolate 28F or chocolat viennois30F. Peny, daily, 3, place de la Madeleine, 8e, Metro Madeleine, tel: 01.42.65.06.75. |
|
