Afternoon Tea at Le Dali, Cedric Grolet, Hotel Meurice

When Meryle Evans invited me for a special tea at Le Dali restaurant. one does not refuse.

The salon de thé is sumptuous, elegant yet pleasently intimate.

We ordered the Dali's Tea Time menu

With lovely foie gras sandwiches, scones, jams and a long list of unusual teas, even bleu tea.

But we were here especially for top pastry chef Cédric Grolet's absolutely amazing desserts.

Every few months a special fruit is featured in the salon, deconstructed to it's purest form.

February you can catch The Lemon. We were lucky to have an expert guide for our tea.

M. did the honors cutting The Lemon like an action movie

Chef Grolet, in dialogue with hotel chef, Alain Ducasse have created a dessert with the least amount of sugar and salt. Their objective - to attain the purist experience of lemoniness.

Subtraction is key. Everything is lemon, rather than adding in any other flavors.

A thin white chocolate shell protects a layer of lemon mousse. 

In the center a confit of lemon and something called 'lemon caviar'

From Australian finger limes. An utterly unique experience in the mouth.

Last month's dessert specialty was noisette (hazelnut). Now you can taste it as a mini tartelette.

Coco Jobard discovered the noisette.

On to the dessert of the district, the classic gateau Saint Honoré, created just a few blocks away by Maison Chibouste around 1850.

Too beautiful to eat

Almost...

Then a return to the traditional 'wheel-shaped' Paris Brest adorned with hazelnuts and hazelnut pastry cream inside. By this time Meryle had fallen by the wayside and was resting.

Until pastry chefs came around with hot-from-the-oven trays of divine melt-in-your-mouth honey madeleines. 

Irresistible. They do this several times during afternoon tea service. Miam

Thank you Merle for a spectacular tea at Le Dali!

My pumpkin was outside waiting to take me home...

I'm still floating on air.