Patisserie des Reves Tea Time - BHV/Marais

There's a new tea salon in town.

Department store BHV has conveniently opened a fun branch of Patisserie des Reves on their 3rd floor. BHV 36 Rue de la Verrerie 75004

It's huge and pleasantly casual.

I love the decor.

All sun shiny yellow with interesting details.

But I have a Bucket Dessert List to check off and Pierre Conticini's prize-winning Saint-Honoré was waiting for the seal of approval.

Who doesn't love tarte citron? One must focus.No distractions allowed.

Stunning glassware is from Silodesign-Paris (cleanse your palates between tastes with good ole l'eau de Paris tap water).

I brought along my special knife from home thinking I'd merely taste one thin slice and leave the rest.

Ha! Impossible.

Successive layers of caramelized feuilletée pastry make the base for two kinds of cream - crème patissiere à la vanille and crème légère both loaded with specs of vanilla bean. And topped with crunchy caramelized choux/cream puffs also filled with the vanilla pastry cream. It looks madly excessive but because it's not overly sweet as you'd imagine, the taste experience is delicate and light.

The Saint Honoré was invented in the 19th century by Simon Chiboust, whose shop was of course on rue St. Honoré. The patron saint of pastry chefs and bakers is St. Honoré by the way. The vanilla filling cream is called 'Chiboust crème' after chef Chiboust.

On to the obsession - Contacini's tarte Citron.

Another light and delicate creation with a topping of guimauve-like Italian meringue. The whole tarte is turned upside down and dipped into meringue. Then swiftly lifted up to get its unusual peak. Then lightly toasted with a blow torch.
There's a video here of the fabrication.

Even kids can do this! Both lemon confit and lemon curd filling are suffiently tart and acidulate so you're not left with a sugary aftertaste in your mouth. This is what sets Parisian pastry far above the rest.

Sweet pink/rose is Patisserie des Reves signature color.

Their packaging is fun and playful. Grownups feel like kids here yet the pastries are sophisticated and sublime.

Somehow we missed the pink ice cream stand at entry...

I have pink on the brain since I saw this hot pink/rose kid's schoolbag in Monoprix(54€).

My schoolbag de reve...

BHV has a more sophisticated version from Marc Jacobs on sale (245€  -30% off) Hmmm..They have a Paris Black version of my pink dream. It will carry sketchbook materials nicely. Oh forgot to try the Patisseries' famous 'Lemonata'!

Go back to BHV again?  

What's on your fav Bucket List Dessert in Paris?