Place de la République in Paris: Boulangerie, Patisserie and Chocolate Recommendations

By: Gali Mashiach and Dana Mor

Paris is one of the most beautiful cities in the world, and we've been there quite a bit, as guides who take culinary tours out of the country, with an emphasis on patisseries. When asked what not to miss in this city, we have many recommendations.

In this article, we chose to focus specifically on Republic Square, which is a central square and a popular accommodation area, where hotels are relatively cheap compared to the rest of the city. If you’ve come here, here are 3 of our recommendations that you shouldn’t miss in the boulangerie, patisserie and chocolate sector. Two of the places we recommend are less touristy – and that’s a shame.

Du Pain Et Des Idees (“Bread and Ideas”)

One of the special places – a boulangerie established in 1875 and located in the 10th arrondissement close to the Place de la République. The main “problem” is that there is only one branch and it is closed on weekends and for much of the summer months, so fewer tourists come to it.

Baker Christophe Vasseur purchased the place in 2002, and decided to keep the original design out of great respect for the historical and artistic value of the place. He felt that the place had its own setting, like a historical monument. In many ways, Du Pain et des Idées is a journey into the past.

Christophe feels that the place allows for a creative freedom that few careers allow: “You can choose to do like everyone else, or you can say: I’m going to make croissant "That you can only find in my bakery."

Indeed, everyone who enters the place feels like they are going back in time, to a fine bakery in Paris that still bakes in the traditional way and with the same technique as 100 years ago.

The secret of the pastries is a very long rising and baking time that is longer than is customary today. This technique was used generations ago. This is why Christophe mentioned in one of his interviews that his bakery is unlike any other. ParisHe has won many awards, and in 2012 was named the best baker in Paris.

The raw materials used are excellent and all come from organic farming and are produced using traditional techniques that ensure quality, taste, and health.

Thanks to the stained glass ceilings and beveled mirrors from the late 19th century, the place was declared a historical monument.

What do we recommend tasting there?

Basically, everything is delicious and special, and you can try a different pastry on each visit. We chose 3 of the classic and most well-known pastries, which of course did not disappoint:

 Escargot Pistache Chocolat Pistachio (available in other variations), consisting of a rolled dough filled with pistachio pastry cream and chocolate chips.

Brioches A La Fleur D'Oramger – Fine butter brioche with orange blossom flavor, according to a North African recipe.

Pain Dez Amis – Bread of Friends – a smoked rustic bread with a brown crust. Christophe used to bake this bread on weekends for friends until they convinced him to sell it in the bakery. Even when he started selling in the bakery, he decided that it would only be sold on weekends.

It's a particularly complex bread. The dough is left to rise and ferment for several days and then baked for an hour. It's the flagship product and one of the most recognizable pastries, and all attempts to imitate it in other bakeries in Paris have failed. 

The place's motto is taken from Marcel Penol's film The Baker's Wife: “I will make you bread like you have never tasted before, and inside the bread there will be love and lots of friendship." 

Address: 34 Rue Yves Toudic
אתר אינטרנט: https://dupainetdesidees.com

BOULANGERIE UTOPIE

Not far from there, if we continue from Republic Square, we will reach UTOPIE Patisserie. It is recommended to arrive as early as possible, otherwise you will spend a considerable amount of time standing in line.

Every now and then, a trend begins for an existing raw material but with a new texture. Black sesame is a raw material that is better known in Israel as sesame (like white or roasted sesame). Tourism to Japan and the transformation of the world into a small, global village has exposed the West to a raw material that is very common in Japan and the East, and that is black sesame paste. It is actually a sesame paste that enriches creams and doughs. The taste is very special, we fell in love with it immediately.

The vision at UTOPIE Patisserie, where the pastry chefs (like Pierre Armat) also began their professional careers in La Dora, is to be accessible and offer quality, fresh products. The owners treat the business as simple and local.

All breads and pastries are based on sourdoughs and long fermentations and organic flours. Their advertising broke new ground when they began producing baked goods and breads from black sesame paste.

What do we recommend tasting there?

First, they offer to indulge in a sandwich made from dough with black sesame paste, which is of course black. It comes with various fillings, each one tastier than the other.

In the sweets section, we would recommend 2 desserts that we fell in love with:

The first – Eclair Sésame – eclairs filled with crème patisserie combined with a cool, smooth black sesame puree – how simple and delicious.

The second – Sésame Citron Vert – a sumptuous, complex, delicious and special pastry on another level. A reconstructed sable made from crisp pastry with white chocolate and sesame seeds, a velvety black sesame mousse, lemon confit with lemon zest and finally a coating of chocolate spray.

Address: Rue Jean-Pierre Timbaud 20
אתר אינטרנט: https://boulangerieutopie.com

If we're already around here, we recommend buying a bottle of wine, walking with all the pastries to the Canal Saint-Martin, savoring the exquisite flavors and observing the magical views of Paris.

And how can you end a pampering meal that includes fine pastries and good wine without dessert? So let's burn a few more calories and walk about 5 minutes, and we'll reach the renowned chocolatier Jacques Janin.

Jacques Genin

After tasting the exquisite pastries of Du Pain Et Des Idees and savoring UTOPIE's patisserie with black sesame paste, we headed towards chocolatier Jacques Janin, which is a 5-minute walk from UTOPIE.

Jacques started his career at the age of 28 when he opened a restaurant. At the age of 33, he began working as a pastry chef and in 2010, he began working as a chocolatier and became one of the best and most respected in the world.

The Valrhona company produces chocolate for him using a recipe he concocted, and this is the raw material he uses to make the pralines and other chocolate products on site. His products are sold, among other things, to quite a few of the city's most prestigious hotels.

What do we recommend tasting there?

The unique chocolate pralines that are sold are packaged like jewelry, with the saleswoman wearing white gloves and placing the pralines one by one in fancy metal boxes. You can also purchase pralines individually, and if you're looking for a worthy sweet gift, this is the place! By the way, if you purchase the pralines during the summer months, they'll provide you with an ice cube.

Jacques makes toffee candies in a variety of flavors. Some of the flavors are classic such as chocolate, coffee, caramel and vanilla, and there are also exotic flavors such as mango, cassis and passion fruit, etc. The candies are soft and do not stick to the teeth. The flavors of the fine butter are emphasized in them, and they are the best we have eaten in Paris in particular and in the entire world.

The highlight is the fruit and vegetable marmalade cubes, which are also packaged in an elegant metal box. They will be happy to let you taste before you purchase.

Don’t miss the excellent patisserie on site: everything you order will delight your taste buds. In this area, we highly recommend you try the lemon basil tart – a refreshing and very unique combination of flavors. This pastry is one of the finest lemon tarts you will eat.

The chef's motto is that the customer waits for the dish, not the dish for the customer, so the pastries will only be prepared when you place your order. Be patient until you receive them – it's worth it. 

If you come to Jacques on a hot day, indulge in the ice cream, which is nothing short of wonderful. The ice cream, which is produced using unique processes, allows for a reduction in the amount of sugar, thus giving expression to the original flavors of the raw ingredients.

And one last tip: If the chef happens to be there when you arrive, ask him politely and he will be happy to greet you and take a picture with you.

Go for it!

Address: 133 Rue de Turenne
אתר אינטרנט: https://jacquesgenin.fr

A few words about Gali and Dana

Gali Mashiach and Dana Mor organize and guide culinary tours with an emphasis on patisserie twice a year in May and October, including a practical chef workshop.

For details: Gali - 054-4487537, Dana - 052-4470750

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