Five Paris Chocolate Shops
"Chocolat" author Aleksandra Crapanzano shares her favorites
Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day which means many cultures around the world will buy and consume more chocolate over the next few days than they do all year. But in France, and Paris especially, quality chocolate is a year round pleasure. To be sure, sales spike at Easter and Christmas but le Saint Valentin, from what many of chocolatiers have told me over the years, is a blip; they come out with some limited editions items available all month long but these items are rarely more special than their permanent lineups.
So where do you go when the craving strikes on any day of the year? I have my favorites but I wanted to hear from author Aleksandra Crapanzano whose illustrated recipe book Chocolat: Parisian Desserts and Other Delights, a follow-up to Gâteau, is an ode to the seductive and always delicious world of chocolate. Here, she shares five of her favorite stops (a non-exhaustive list!) and, most importantly, why she thinks they’re worth your euros.
For the aficionado
Jade Genin
33 Av. de l’Opéra, 75002
While Cédric Grolet may be a media and Instagram darling, it is Jade Genin’s shop just a few steps away from Grolet’s Cédric et la Chocolaterie that will wow adults unimpressed by Grolet’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory-esque extravaganza. Jade is the daughter of Jacques Genin, one of Paris’s most brilliant chocolate makers. (This is to say nothing of his exquisite caramels!) When he told me to go try his daughter’s creations, I thought it was out of paternal pride, but, on his urging, I went, and Jade is indeed a huge talent. Try one of everything. Jade may be young but she is already a master.
Lindsey’s note: the pyramids are her signature item but don’t leave without trying the rochers!
