Climbing the Mont Blanc
I don’t mean the 4808m one, in the French Alps that is the highest mount in France but the scrumptious pastry made of a heart of meringue, whipped cream and chesnut paste. For over 110 years this recipe has been the best seller of Angelina, one of the finest tea rooms in Paris located right accross from the gates of the Tuileries gardens. Under the shade of the arcades designed in the early 1800s, scene of the elegant wanderings of trendy Parisians along the centuries, an Austrian candy maker opened in 1903 a beautiful tea room named after is step daughter, Angelina. Soon, writer Marcel Proust, fashion icon Coco Chanel and the highest society of the Belle Epoque gathered every day at Angelina’s. It soon became THE place to be. Not only the place was famous for fine teas, various pastries and the glorious Mont Blanc but also for the African, an exclusive recipe of hot chocolate served with whipped cream. The recipe is still a well kept secret in the house that no one should ever reveal.
The place has never changed, the decor is still the same with its murals representing the bay of Nice, the bay of the angels, and landscapes of the French Riviera in cream and gold panellings. It never ran out of fashion over the years and generations of children remember, just like me, going there with their grandmothers. Angelina is part of our commun memory, part of Paris’ DNA and definitely a place not to miss when visiting.
Angelina
226 rue de Rivoli 75001 Paris
www.angelina-paris.fr
Price range: €€
