rue Francois Miron map, Noël BHV, Patisserie des Reves

You're late...you're terribly late said Alice to the White Rabbit.

The White Rabbit is a close cousin of mine...BHV  has AGAIN SPLENDID DECOR for Noël.

The theme is 'Noël So British' and the store is chock-a-block with liberty prints, Beefeaters and tea pots.

As always BHV has witty windows

You may very well think you landed in London..

Lots of tea-pouring animation in the windows. Especially at Christmas the French love British products like 9 O'clock dinner mints..or is it 8 O'clock?

British umbrellas and very nice wrapping papers, ribbons and all manner of paper items on the 2nd floor.

Bear was invited to the Patisserie des Reves tea salon on the 3 rd floor

To taste Philippe Conticini's 2015 Buche de Noël

Three especially delicious Christmas gateaux with accompanying flavored chocolates.

The far left is praline, hazelnut base and an insert of lemon cream.

Middle buche is a classic chocolate and vanilla cake.

Far right a classic roll cake that tastes completely different with cheery jam and vanilla mousse.

All the cakes are delicate and light, perfect after a big Christmas dinner.

Pastry chef Philippe Conticini came around and chatted with each of us at length - a warm and charming man.

Conticini started many trends in the pastry world including his famous glass globes and his prize-winning Paris Brest and St. Honore

Pink, pink, pink - a fun emporium of sweets from your childhood.

Just a short walk from BHV on rue de Rivoli is November's map street, rue Francois Miron. This short street is filled with historic Medieval buildings and fine epiceries.

What ever you're looking for you'lll find in Izrael at No.30

Pandora's book couldn't contain more goodies

The cornerstone os the street is Boulangerie Au Petit Versailles du Marais at No. 27. Baguette and croissant winner many times over, they have terrific lunch items and a cafe inside and out to enjoy their edibles.

I love these 19th century boulangeries the best of all.

Autour Saumon at No. 60 has several boutiques in Paris offering the creme de la creme of coeur de saumon and other seafood delicacies like caviar and herrings. An elegant restaurant is attached to the epicerie. So that's a taste of November's Map letter (all shipped out at last) If you wish to give a French Gift, please don't wait until the last minute. Bear does not make hand-deliveries unfortunately.

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?

Ines de la Fressange on rue du Bac

For her December shopping diary Ines de la Fressange of Parisian Chic walks down rue du Bac 75007... I too walked down rue du Bac my last evening in Paris...
It's full of wonderful Frenchie facades...

Loaded with potential leche-vitrine/window gazing...

This tiny print shop, Olivier de Sercey has extremement fine stamps at 220 euros(!)..

Ines adores the handmade Italian home goodies at La Paresse en Douce at 97 rue du Bac...

Moi aussi, especialment these made-to-order cashmere slippers...

You'll never go hungry browsing on rue du Bac. Why not grab an 'animal cracker' style box of macarons at Dalloyau - 63, rue du Grenelle round the corner?

Chocolat Chapon is well worth immersing yourself in chocolate at 69, rue du Bac...

Plus their adorable crockery can serve up your tea or chocolat chaud...

Mais la creme de la creme on 93, rue du Bac is Patisserie des Reves bien sur!

It's a child's playland of pastry for grownups...

I bought this irresitable tarte douce a l'orange...

Plus the 'Limonada', a creamy, lemony ball. The pastries are perfectly packed to withstand the Metro crush. Not that they made it further than 10 steps away...miam miam

Exactly nextdoor this little dog kept watch on the comings and goings on rue du Bac. Ines can't resist saying bonjour.

Don't miss Ines' video here