March Tour: Sweet madeleines, savory pâtes and all kinds of deliciousness in between

Just as there are many under-the-radar restaurants that pepper the 11th and 12th arrondisements—Bistrot Paul Bert, Le Square Trousseau, La Gazetta, to name a few—there are also some killer sweet spots straddling le Faubourg Saint Antoine.

Start your sweet explorations with the most notable on the list, Blé Sucre (7, rue Antoine Vollon), founded by ex-Bristol patissier Fabrice Le Bourdat. The patisserie is petit but it has a massive selection of viennoiseries, cakes, chocolates, breads and other douceurs that make the decision of what to try very painful. I ended up settling on the madeleine, which—moist and light; dense but crispy along the ridge; coated with a thin layer of sugar glacage—seemed like the right choice.

A couple blocks to the east, La Ruche à Miel (19, rue d'Aligre ), a North African patisserie/salon de thé offers a small selection of very small sweets. The Cigare, for example, flavored with almond and orange, is shaped like a cannoli, but can be put away in a mere three bites. Maybe that’s why the giant pâtes de dattes caught my eye. Heftier than an American Pop Tart, it was as savory as it was sweet, with a course and exotic texture that I found addictive.

Venture north into the 11th, where the scent of chocolate will greet you inside Pause Détente (98, avenue Ledru-Rollin). There's a whole case of bonbons in the back—milk and dark, ganache and praline, vanilla, cassis and mint—but to get there, you have to pass all kinds of other delights, including macarons, viennoiseries and beautiful, elaborate gateaux.

Finish with a tinier, but no less lovelier, piece of gateau at Cupcakes & Co (25, rue de la Forge Royale). With over 20 varieties, split amongst buttercream and cream cheese frostings, fruity and savory toppings, and several cake flavors—all made with natural and organic products—it’s next to impossible to choose just one treat. Coffee and hazelnut? Poppy seed with orange cream cheese frosting? Vanilla bourbon cake with glazed figs and pine nuts? An impossible choice, indeed, but one we could all be so lucky to have to make.

February Tour: In the heart of chocolate darkness

Before I moved to Paris, I had only a vague understanding of the city’s layout and, more important, its sweet spots. Now I can feel (and taste) my way around. And whenever I have to do an errand in the first arrondisement, I prepare myself for lusting after things I can’t afford on rue St-Honoré, but taking solace in the fact that I can at least splurge on something sumptuous: chocolate—in solid or liquid form—at one of city’s, nay country’s, best chocolatiers.

Let’s start with the old master. Nestled between the luxury boutiques flaunting fine lingerie and crazy haute talons, Michel Cluizel (201, rue St.-Honoré) has been making chocolate since 1948, though his daughter Catherine now manages the store. Among the delights for you to discover: a wall-mounted fountain spewing molten chocolate, giant bowls filled with truffles and macarolats (a chocolate version of the macaron) and 99% cacao chocolate bars. Pas mal!

Further up the street is Jean-Paul Hévin’s modern and refined tea salon/chocolate shop (231, rue St-Honoré)—top 3, if not my very favorite, chocolatier. Dainty macarons and pretty cakes welcome you along one wall (or you can indulge upstairs in the tranquil salon de thé), but the bonbons are hidden in the back. With cocoa sourced from Venezuela, Ecuador, Colombia and Madagascar, and ingredients like cinnamon, caramel and champagne whipped into the dark chocolate ganache, they’re nothing if not sublime.

The selection at Pierre Hermé’s 4 rue Cambon boutique is more limited than at rue Bonaparte, but don’t despair. While you won’t find towering cakes like the Plenitude or Isaphan, you will find all the incredible macarons and chocolates your heart might desire.

Finish off the decadence by sitting firmly on your butt at Angelina’s (226, rue de Rivoli). You might have to battle some tourists and none-too-friendly waitresses for a seat, but a pitcher of their chocolat Africain more than makes up for it. It’s rich and chocolaty, smooth and velvety, thick enough to coat your tongue, and almost thick enough to stand a spoon up in it. It’s, oh what’s the word… heaven?

January Tour: A hop, skip and a cupcake

One street, three must-eat sweet spots. But since three seems a bit of a gyp compared to the gluttony of other months (well, it is January my friends, the month of great, big healthy intentions), all you have to do is pop around the corner for one last take-home indulgence—the icing on the cake, if you will.

Start at 35, rue Rambuteau. If you know your chocolate makers, you’ll know this is Pralus not by the claret red storefront but by the rainbow of colors of the chocolate pyramids (why they’re called pyramids instead of blocks, I’m not sure, seeing as they consist of 10 squares) and pink-spotted brioche (the famous “praluline”) in the window. The chocolate bars’ colored wrappings correspond to the origin of the cocoa beans. Aqua is from Cuba, violet, from Ghana, mustard yellow is from Indonesia. The pink in the brioche is from the (dyed) Piémont hazelnuts and Valencia almonds that are roasted, crushed and then baked into the sweet, buttery brioche. With either treat, it’s not the colors but the taste that matters (duh), and the flavors are indeed vibrant and delicious.

Speaking of color, a few doors down (23, rue Rambuteau) is the brash cupcake maker, Berko. They weren’t the first to seize the American trend in Paris, but they’re certainly the loudest. Crimson red, hot pink, florescent green, polka dots, gumdrops, chocolate swirls, cookie chunks—these cupcakes cause strollers to suffer from whiplash on the sidewalks every day. Other treats are equally colorful (and sinful), including cheesecake, custardy tarts and caramel-doused shortbread bars.

Jump to the other side of rue Rambuteau, where another patisserie creates sidewalk bottlenecks. Pain de Sucre, which was opened in 2004 by two pastry chefs, is the haute patisserie of the street. Great big, square tarts of rhubarb and raspberry are accented with rosemary; tablettes of chocolate are studded with wild strawberries or whole hazelnuts; and the perfect rows of macarons include flavors like elderflower, lime, chocolate mint and cherry-pistachio.

To bookend this short but sweet tour in chocolate, turn right onto rue des Archives for a visit to Jadis et Gourmande (39 rue des Archives). More gimmicky fun than serious artistry, this Parisian chocolate shop (one of five in the city) has chocolate Eiffel Towers, chocolate plaques that spell out P-A-R-I-S as well as delicious disks of milk and dark chocolate that are topped with dried fruit or nuts.

December Tour: Chocolate, more chocolate and even more chocolate—say Hallelujah!

’Tis the season for offering great, big, decadent boxes of chocolate. And one little stretch on Faubourg Saint-Honoré in the eighth arrondisement serves up a gorgeous selection of the best bonbons.

Starting with Neuhaus (189 Faubourg Saint-Honoré). For over 150 years, this Belgian chocolatier has been peddling its pralines, and they happen to be some of my favorite treats in the world. So rich and creamy, so nutty and thick, each one is a magnificent dessert. If only I could stop at one…

It’s not much easier to resist the temptations at Patrick Roger’s fourth boutique in the city (199 Faubourg Saint-Honoré). House specialties include chocolate-covered caramelized almonds, cubes of rich praline nougatine, and pristine bonbons made with cheeky ingredients like basil, oatmeal, tonka bean and Creole rum.

Keep going up the street to the granddaddy of Parisian chocolate shops, La Maison du Chocolat (225 Faubourg Saint-Honoré). While you could sink your teeth into a sumptuous chocolate éclair, chocolate tart, or chocolate macaron, hop in line and order up a customized box of ganaches and pralines. And don’t miss the plain truffles.

After all that exertion, reward yourself with a lovely dessert across the street at Mariage Frères (260 Faubourg Saint-Honoré,). The Happy Day cheesecake is made with their classic Wedding Imperial tea and caramelized apples. The Russian Kiss is panna cotta with Russian Kiss tea, dark chocolate mousse and a gelée d’orange. But, given the season, I’d go with the Hallelujah!, a dark chocolate fondant cake infused with their special Christmas teas.

November Tour: Rue Montorgueil’s Embarrassment of Rich-Riches

I don’t mean to boast, but I chose my neighborhood well. At the one end of rue Montorgueil, you have Deliziefollie. At the other, Eric Kayser. And in between, it’s a sheer embarrassment of riches.

Let’s start with Deliziefollie (7 rue Montorgueil), the Italian gelateria. They have dozens of decadent flavors to ogle, from the savory (hazelnut) to the spicy (cinnamon); from fruity (mango) to boozy (rum raisin) to just plain sweet (strawberries and cream). And if a frozen dessert on an autumn day doesn’t cut it, you can get a piping hot Nutella crepe from their stand out front.

Just a couple doors up, Charles Chocolatier (15 rue Montorgueil) is a heavenly oasis of artisinal treats. The long-standing chocolate shop (since 1910) offers lovely dark chocolate bonbons and tablettes, plus killer hot cocoa.

Does Stohrer (51 rue Montorgueil) have the best chocolate éclair in the city? Despite the obscene number of times I’ve been in this gorgeous little patisserie—a historic gem, founded in 1730 by King Louis XV’s pastry chef, Nicolas Stohrer—I still haven’t tried one. Although Stohrer has received city’s best honors from Le Figaro, I can’t seem to get beyond the puits d’amour, tartelette aux figues or Neptune cake, which is like a giant Rocher chocolate.

I know Paul (63 rue Montorgueil) is a chain, and I can be a world-class snob when it comes to chains. But besides their heavenly baguettes, Paul makes a perfect pit-stop for pain au chocolat, tartes aux citrons and those pepito loafs that are chock full of chocolate chips and sweet pastry cream.

My love for dried pineapple is no secret. Nor should it be a surprise that A la Mere de Famille (82 rue Montorgueil) is my supplier. Beyond their luscious bins of dried fruit is a cute little store filled with caramels, marzipan, lollis, marshmallows and chocolates.

My incredibly rich mocha birthday cake this year came from Maison Collett (100 rue Montorgueil) so I have a soft spot for this patisserie.

Despite having all these delicious options, I will often walk by them to get to Eric Kayser. Another master breadmaker, Kayser also knows his sweets. With goodies like the chocolaty Opera cake, beautiful raspberry pistachio cake, and strawberry bressane—a round, flat pastry topped with cream, sugar and berries, from the Bresse area of the Rhône-Alpes—wouldn’t you?

October Tour: Saint-Germain’s rich and dreamy chocolate trail

In honor of the Salon du Chocolat (which I didn’t go to this year) this month’s walking tour takes you to some of Saint-Germain’s best chocolatiers. After all, you can toss an M&M in any direction in the sixth arrondisement and hit a world-class chocolatier—especially now that Patrick Roger has opened two new boutiques there.

Start at one of them, 91 rue de Rennes, and see what magical window displays the creative chocolate genius has whipped up. After admiring the fantasies and inhaling the smells, select a few of his unusual bonbons to sample—perhaps the Jamaica, made with ground Arabica coffee beans; the Jacarepagua, a blend or tart lemon curd and refreshing mint, or the Phantasme, made with oatmeal.

A fun and under-appreciated spot awaits just around the corner. The tiny and whimsical Jean-Charles Rochoux (16 rue d'Assas) is cluttered with chocolate figurines and sculptures—everything from fist-sized bunnies, squirrels and alligators to imposing nude busts. While Rochoux works in his basement kitchen, a lovely vendeuse, donning a lace glove, will pluck the pralines, nougats and truffles of your choice. Don’t miss his signature Maker’s Mark truffles.

A quick jaunt east, you’ll find Christian Constant (37 rue d’Assas), a small but slick shop filled with decadent cakes and fragrant teas. In a case tucked along the right-hand wall, you’ll find delicious chocolates with spicy and floral notes such as saffron and ylang ylang.

On your way back into the heart of the shopping district, skip the long line snaking out of Pierre Hermé (72 rue Bonaparte). While his macarons and cakes are to die for, his chocolates, try as I might, aren’t as good as the others. Instead, make your way to another Pierre—Belgian chocolatier Pierre Marcolini (89 rue de Seine).

Marcolini’s boutique is as elegant and refined as a luxe jewelry store. Study the display cases to choose your bonbons of choice. My recommends: the Pavé de Tours Fondant, an uber thin milk chocolate, filled with sugared almonds, hazelnuts and puff pastry cake, and the Coeur Framboise, dark chocolate ganache with raspberry puree, enrobed in white chocolate.

Is there anything better than chocolate??

September Tour: Giant palmiers, fleur du lait gelato and a double shot of chocolate

The residential eighth and seventeenth arrondisements get bad raps for being stuffy and boring. But right where the two neighborhoods meet is a sensational oasis of sweetness that’s pretty exciting, if you ask me.

Case in point: a small gem of a salon de thé/bakery/chocolatier, La Petite Rose, is just a couple doors down from one of the dozen + city locations of the famed patisserie Lenotre (11 & 15, blvd de Courcelles, respectively). This modest spot currently has beautiful fresh fruit tartlettes (apricot, raspberry, apple). Or you can save your pastry appetite for a millefeuille at Lenotre and leave La Petite Rose with a pretty pink and brown box of chocolate bonbons for later.

Once you cross the boulevard to rue de Levis, you enter the 17th arrondisement—and a long stretch of sweet possibilities.

At the tip of the street (6, rue de Levis), the charming Beaux Arts façade of Le Moulin de la Vierge will beckon you inside the pocket-sized bakery that packs in all of the classics: individual baba au rhums, tartlette aux noix and the palmiers the size of your head.

There are only twelve gelato and sorbet flavors at Pozzetto (21, rue de Levis), but still, you’ll have a hard time deciding. How could you not with options like fleur de lait, gianduja, peach and melon?

Personally, it’s all but impossible to walk by an Arnaud Delmontel (23, rue de Levis) and not get something. I devil dog dare you to look in the window and skip one of his bright and shiny fondant-frosted cakes or lemon-raspberry financiers.

Once you leave rue de Levis and go a little further into the 17th, you’ll be rewarded with a double shot of chocolate. The sustainable, artisinal chocolate salon, Puerto Cacao (53, rue de Tocqueville) offers multi-course chocolate indulgences (a pot of hot cocoa to wash down that chocolate-drenched tartine?). Or you can pop across the street where La Petite Chocolatière supplements its chocolate bonbons with freshly made macarons.

August Tour: A Sweet Peak at the Ninth Arrondisement, Part I

The ninth arrondisement is largely unknown to tourists and under-appreciated by locals. But that’s all changing. So enjoy this neighborhood, and its abundance of sweets, while the sidewalks and shops are still unclogged.

Start at A la Mere de Famille (35 Rue du Faubourg-Montmartre). The old-timey tiled floors and wood paneling will make you feel like you’ve stepped back in time to 1761 when this lost-in-time candy and chocolate shop opened. There are house-made chocolates and caramels and cakes, but since they have the best dried pineapple in the city, I’d put my centimes to the fruits secs.

Carry on north up rue du Faubourg-Montmartre, which will bring you to rue des Martyrs, a heavenly street of fromageries, poissoneries, caveaux, produce markets and beaucoup de boulangeries. Pop in to #15 for a quick sugar fix—Karamell, a Swedish candy store, offers all manner of gummies, suckers and chocolate bonbons by the piece.

Keep hoofing it up the hill (today, you’ve got to burn extra calories) to Arnaud Delmontel (39 rue des Martyrs). One of the best breadmakers in the city, Delmontel also creates gorgeous cakes and pastries. My favorite? The big, flakey bear claw filled with pistachio and almond paste.

Still hungry? Keep climbing. At 47 rue des Martyrs, Caramella is waiting to serve you dreamy creamy ice cream in adventurous flavors like peanut butter and jelly and good old standbys like chocolate.

Along the way, did you notice Rose Bakery across the street? We’re saving that for Part II.