A Sunday in Paris

Nestled in a quiet, cobbled-stone alley off of busy Boulevard St. Germain des Pres, Un Dimanche à Paris is my latest discovery of yet another fine salon de thé in Paris. Barely a month old, this ultra chic chocolate boutique not only offers specialty chocolates but it's also a pâtisserie cum salon de thé cum restaurant cum lounge cum culinary venue for private events all at the same time.

I stumbled upon this latest concept store by Pierre Cluizel, son of the famous chocolatier Michel Cluizel  while taking a late afternoon stroll in my favorite Parisian neighborhood just last week. The modern store façade really stood out against its old, medieval-like surroundings, with its sleek interiors and brightly-lit display cases of gourmet chocolates and exquisite pastries beckoning passer-bys to enter, take a peek

 or linger on to sample their delectable offerings at their salon de thé, which was what I ended up doing.

A glimpse of the pastry kitchen located along the hallway prior to entering the salon de thé

I love their attention to details.....steep for 5 minutes, watch as the yellow sand trickles down the hourglass and DO NOT POUR until the top bulb empties.....

The chocolate orange eclair was one of the best eclairs I've had in a while, the delicious puffy choux filled with lusciously smooth chocolate créme pâtissiere infused with orange flavor and a thin layer of orange confiture.

Un dimanche à Paris. I can't think of a better way and place to spend a quiet afternoon in Paris.