Paris sweets and expresso
 

I would like to get some recommendations for bakeries, patisseries, chocolate, and expresso places for Paris (including breakfast and any restaurants with good desserts). I have books but they all seem to recommend a different place (except for Bertillion, the ice cream place). Thanks.

Some of my favorite pastisseries/chocolatiers:

Cafe Pouchkine
Jean Paul Hevin
Jacques Genin
Un Dimanche a Paris
La Patisserie des Reves
Michel Chaudun (for his paves)
Hugo et Victor

Cafe Pouchkine, Jacques Genin and Un Dimanche a Paris have seating so you can enjoy your pastry/chocolate with a coffee/tea inside. The Jean Paul Hevin location in the 1st also has seating upstairs, not sure about their other locations.

Enjoy!

There are blogs which go on endlessly on this topic - look at Paris Breakfasts for instance.

If you like rich hot chocolate, go to Angelina cafe. It's across the street from the Louvre. You can also try their famous Mont Blanc, which many people like but I find a bit too sweet.

I have been hearing many good things about Eric Kayser boulangerie, which has several locations. We haven't been there yet but plan to check it soon.

There is also the http://www.parispatisseries.com/ blog.

As far as restaurants, Neva Cuisine has a delicious deconstructing chocolate sphere dessert.

Oh and Jean Paul Hevin, Jacques Genin and Un Dimanche a Paris also serve the thick hot chocolate. I haven't done a comparison though. I find more than 2 sips is too rich for me even though I love chocolate.

If you just ask for un café, also called un café noir or café express, then you will normally get an espresso. The French have excellent coffee.

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"Un café" means espresso in France.

No matter where you are in Paris, there's bound to be a patisserie within a short walk that has better offerings than anything you'll ever find at home. I don't think this is something that needs to be planned. Just look in the shop windows. Of course there are famous places like Ladurée and Hédiard and Angelina and so forth, but really, good patisseries and salons de thé are everywhere.

I dislike Angelina also, and much prefer Amorino to Berthillon.

^^ was just about to say that kerouac! No need to ask for an "espresso" here: "café" will do the job nicely.

As for place recommendations, I'd second the Patisserie des Reves.
Also: 1T Rue Scribe, A Priori Thé

I have personally never been able to get into Angelina's due to it being absolutely rammed/with queues out the front door. I am NOT queuing up for 1 hour+ just to be able to say I've been there when there are so many other things to do in Paris for an hour that are better than standing in a queue. If you see it and it's like that, find somewhere else to go (the afternoon tea selection at the Hôtel Vendôme, which is very close to Angelina's, is also something I recommend).

Have a look at http:// www.chocoparis.com website and blog for listings of Paris chocolate shops and pâtisseries.

The site also has some free self-guided chocolate walk itineraries.

Thank you so much for your responses. I am getting hungry just reading them.

Welcome to Fodors.

Coffee in Paris comes in such tiny cups that my daughter made me take a picture of her drinking it. You may have to become a three fisted drinker.

from what I understand Paris is significantly underwhelming when it comes to espresso (and the entire coffee roasting scene) - nearly impossible to find a high quality shot of espresso.

I was actually quite disappointed when I learned this, since coffee roasting is one of my favorite passions here in Seattle. I will be in Paris in a few months, and while I am not at all complaining to be fortunate enough to spend a few days in the beautiful city, I do wish there was better espresso to look forward too... Nonetheless, the other half of the equation - the cafe scene/experience - is obviously world class. I can't wait to visit the cafes...

In Paris try a dessert which I like a lot :Ile flottante- it is a delicious meringue, floating on a light custard sauce. drizzled with caramel.
We had it at Le relais de l'entrecote and at Le Bistro Marbeuf.

Drink the famous French cocktail Kir Royale.

Have a hot chocolate at Angelina.

What StCirq said. I'd just stop wherever I happen to be when I want to have something. Just keep your eyes open for a place that looks nice and seems popular/busy. Pretty much any local bakery is going to be amazing, any cafe able to make you a decent espresso or coffee. This isn't anything I'd plan a trip around.

In general, if you want good cakes, you should look for a pâtisserie/confiserie rather than a boulangerie, which, although it sells pastries, specialises in bread. For good bread, make sure the boulangerie is an "artisan boulanger" which is a guarantee that traditional methods are used. A long queue on Sunday is usually an indication that it's good! A patisserie will often have it's one "special" so you could try that.

There are such great patisseries and boulangeries in Paris that it comes down to what is close to you.

I love Gerard Mulot in the 6th for pain au chocolat. And I do live Berthilllon for ice cream, many love Amorino. My new fav for macarons is Un Dimanche a Paris, also in the 6th. They also have a restaurant and salon du The.

Below is a great link for some of the top pastries and chocolats by a popular food blogger...worth following.

http://www.parispatisseries.com/2011...8-patisseries/

You would be hard pressed to get bad bread or pastry in Paris-enjoy!

<i>from what I understand Paris is significantly underwhelming when it comes to espresso (and the entire coffee roasting scene) - nearly impossible to find a high quality shot of espresso.</i>

Coffee is roasted and brewed in each country to correspond to local tastes, which is why people are often disappointed by the coffee of other countries (and sometimes they find it much much better than in their own country).

Even Nescafé is different in every country.

Since I don't really care for coffee myself and only drink it "socially," I cannot really debate the merits of robusta vs. arabica or the beans imported from Africa as opposed to the ones from Latin America or Asia. In my various travels, during which I do generally drink coffee with breakfast because that's part of the whole breakfast ceremony, I have found that the coffees that I preferred were in Vietnam, Cuba, and Côte d'Ivoire, all coffee producing countries.