Cakes to cheer you up

Ten years ago, Arnaud Delmontel opened on Rue des Martyrs. In 2006, he won Patisserie of the Year, followed by Best Baguette of the Year in 2007. Michael told me this right when I moved here this past spring and we were catching up over dinner at Hotel Amour, just down the street. Proving to be both a good neighbor and an astute business, Hotel Amour serves Monsieur Delmontel’s bread. So smitten and curious was I that I immediately journeyed to the patisserie to properly explore its cakes and viennoiseries.

I first fell for the patte d’ours (bear claw), a fresh, flaky pastry filled with pistachio almond paste. The pain au chocolat isn’t so bad either. Tasty macarons, too. I’ve sampled many pastries there over the past seven months. But not once have I indulged in one of his exquisite cakes.

Not the raspberry, the cassis or the yuzu cube.


Not the white chocolate, dark chocolate ganache or pistachio.

Not the tarte tatin, tarte citron or the millefeuilles.

Most days, it’s enough to just go in the patisserie and admire. But one of these days soon, I’m going to have to decide which one of these lovelies comes home with me.

39, Rue des Martyrs
9eme

25, Rue de Levis
17eme