Customer Reviews

The Patisseries of Paris: Chocolatiers, Tea Salons, Ice Cream Parlors, and more

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a lovely little fairy tale of a book, and whether you are a foodie, an armchair traveler, a world traveler, or someone who needs romance, this book will supply it in spades. When you see the book, you will notice that it is small, designed to look like a box from a patisserie or chocolatier, and the colors are muted and soft, like a 21rst century impressionist painting seen through a layer of clouds. I loved the writing. It is intimate, honest, amusing, and charming, almost like having your best friend talking to you, and filling your head with incredible pictures. You will almost be able to smell, taste, and hear the sounds of the places you are reading about. I will probably never go to Paris, but I fell in love with France in high school when I studied the language, so I love reading about all things French. If you are lucky enough to go to Paris, a quick perusal of this book will tell you the best places to eat, see, and experience. I do not recommend a quick perusal, however, because this book at it's best, is like a fairy tale in food. It is charming, concise, anecdotal, and romantic, because hey! It is Paris. When your head is filled to bursting with wonderful imagery from the writing, take a moment or ten or twenty to enjoy the beautiful photographs. The really lovely thing about this book is that the writing and the photos go together so well. One does not detract from the other, but it enhances and completes the other. I must say again how much I loved the writing. I really enjoyed the behind the scenes aspect of some of the shops, and especially "A Day In The Life of a Patissier". I can not recommend this book highly enough. It is absolutely wonderful, and I feel as though I have just had a blissful experience and not gained an ounce! The word evocative comes to mind; I can almost see myself sitting at one of those darling little tables, looking chic, tragically beautiful, and sharing sweets with a devastating French actor. That may not be your dream, but it is mine, and I won't say what happens after he pays the bill, and looks soulfully into my eyes, and warns me not to touch the last croissant.

I love that this book is devoted to Paris' Patisseries, chocolate shops, and tea shops. When you go to Paris, these are special treats for the eyes and taste buds. Even if you are not traveling, it's a luxury to read the description of each shop's specialty and salivate at the photos.

This book lists the vendors by Arrondissement; and there is an index by business type and alphabetical listing. There are beautiful photos and a description of each shop.

Since the book is small (pocket size), the prints are tiny, I wish they used a bolder font. Also, you have to read through the text to find out what the author liked the most about each shop. The reading is great, but if I'm in one Arrond. and trying to figure out which shop to visit, it would be great to have the special dishes highlighted under each shop, to make them easier to find. Maybe make more use of a sidebar to highlight that info?

This cocoa-dusted treasure hits that mythical sweet spot between practical, trusted travel guide and gorgeous, dreamy (if petite) coffee table book. Full of the kind of beautiful photos and evocative lyrical prose that you'll never find in any guide and jam-packed with all of the actionable, expert advice that's missing from all those exquisitely photographed gift books, this one has it all. Organized by arrondissements, you're meant to flip to the neighborhood you're visiting to find the author's recos for the best macarons, tartes or baguettes nearby. If I were visiting France soon, that's just what I'd be doing. Cramming bookmarks between the pages, grabbing a map and taking off before the sun came up. But for now, curled up on my couch in New Jersey, I'm literally reading this like a romantic novel. Cover to cover. Dreaming of Paris...

A fun guide I finally got to see at the British bookstore, W.H.Smith on rue de Rivoli. The luscious pictures and detailed descriptions make you want to run all over Paris and not miss a single patisserie. Sadly a few places have since closed like Carette. Why any pastry shop should ever close in Paris is beyond me!

I escort groups to Paris annually and am planning on conducting a "Pastry and Chocolate Tour" on our next visit.
This book has done my work for me - great selection of patisseries, choclate and Ice cream shops with insightsul tidbits about each one.
GOOD JOB !!

My sister and I recently returned from 2 weeks in France. While in Paris we visited several of the recommended patisseries and totally enjoyed the wonderful offerings. We actually planned some of our sightseeing and shopping around the location of a few of these. Good idea for Paris!

I bought this book to help me plan an upcoming trip to Paris. The author gives a brief overview of many top patisseries in Paris, complete with suggested pastries, tips on what time to visit, etc. It's a great overview and has definitely helped me identify a few must-see places. The book itself is petite and cute, although I wish there was a bit more information on each place, and also more photos. Still, a great and fun travel book.

This book was a fantastic travel companion for our "food tour" of Paris. The only con was that the information regarding Lenotre was incorrect. We planned to enjoy tea there primarily because of the pastry buffet...unfortunately there was no such buffet. In fact, our waitress told us this was only offered during the month of December. The lesson, of course, is to call ahead before you plan an afternoon around a recommendation from a book. If you are a foodie, however, this book is a MUST!

The author's enthusiasm is palpable-beautifully photographed and conveniently arranged according to arrondissements. The index is very helpful since it's divided into shops with seating, what is open on Sunday, glaciers, etc. I was delighted to learn about " A Day in the Life of a Patissier" and explanations of the various types of coffee, ice creams and more. Since I have been to quite a few of the shops highlighted I found the reviews extremely accurate; one exception is Angelina that I found to be totally without charm and was not overly impressed with the pastries or hot chocolate. This is a book that I will definitely pack along with "The Plan" and Pudlo's restaurant reviews.

Patisseries of Paris is one of my favorite books about Paris. It's about 4 x 6 in size, and almost an inch thick. Not the sort of guide book that you'd put in your pocket, but the perfect size for reading on the couch while drinking your tea or coffee. The pictures are very artistic, and the book is beautifully designed. I read it cover to cover before our trip to Paris, and even obsessively created a google map of all the patisseries in the book so I could find them on my phone while wandering (it's on my website in my amazon profile). Patisseries of Paris is definitely worth purchasing if you love sweets and Paris!