As autumn and the first frosts approach, what do we want? To savor an Earl Gray in a cozy place, while you dip your spoon into a comforting pastry. Good news: the English don’t have a monopoly on tea rooms! Also in Paris we know how to be “welcoming”.
The Tea Caddy, “so British”!
In the ultra-touristy neighborhood of Saint-Michel, between crepe stands and impersonal brasseries, a small refuge has resisted since 1928, behind an outdated façade on the charming Saint-Julien-le-Pauvre street, opposite Notre-Dame. At the end of the Roaring Twenties, Miss Klinklin, an English governess, set up a very “British” tea room there. Behind the stained glass windows, the decoration, along its entire length, has not changed, between the tavern and the pub. Oak beams on the ceiling, dark wooden chairs and tables, wrought iron chandeliers, old maps of Great Britain on the walls and soft lighting… they transport us to another place. And in this joint, curiously, no one thinks of taking out their phone. Friends and couples talk to each other! Organic teas are delicately served in pretty teapots (there are even around ten oddly flavored teas on offer), and scones, raisin scones, layered carrot cakes or apple pies can be enjoyed served warm on delicate china. blue and white porcelain. Made in England, of course.
The Tea Cart, 14, rue Saint-Julien-le-Pauvre, 5my. Open every day, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Pastries about 7.50 euros, tea 6.30 euros, tea tasting 8.25 euros.
Chouchouthé, with ease
Whoever says tea room says a lot of more or less accurate puns. In Chouchouthé, it is justified: we quickly feel that Géraldine Slama, converted into a pastry chef about ten years ago, takes care of each of her clients, mostly regulars of this quiet neighborhood of 12my district, near rue de Picpus. In a decoration in blue tones that does not play the card of fashion but rather simplicity, the presentation of the pastries is worthy of that of a great chef. The lemon tart, chocolate tart and adorable choux buns are all made with precision. Right next door we find the classic buns, cookies and other chocolate cakes. Everything is made in the small glass workshop that can be seen behind the cash register. And it is delicious, especially the Exotique – chocolate mousse, mango and candied passion fruit, crunchy hazelnuts, chocolate cookie – and the flan, dense as can be. At lunchtime, Chouchouthé also offers simple dishes, such as quiche or fish curry, to enjoy on site or to take away.
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