Angelina - The Best Hot Chocolate in Paris
Angelina café serves the world's finest hot chocolate and has been the essential gourmet and refined meeting place for Parisian aristocracy for over 120 years. Angelina is a space of calm that has seen the likes of Proust, Coco Chanel and the greatest French couturiers in the past and today welcomes Parisians, passing tourists and celebrities.
As well as the unforgettable hot chocolate known as "L 'African", Angelina is world famous for its famous dessert Mont-Blanc.
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The History of Angelina Paris
The history of Maison Angelina dates back to the beginning of the 20th century. It was at this time that Anton Rumpelmayer, an Austrian confectioner, after arriving in the South of France, opened several "Rumpelmayer" stores.
After achieving success and fame, Rumpelmayer decided to see if he could conquer Paris. He famously set up under the arcades of rue de Rivoli in Paris. In the 1900s Paris was alive with writers, painters and politicians who met in cafes to debate and discuss world events and the Angelina tea room became one of these meeting places.
I particularly love the fact that Rumpelmayer named his tea room in honour of his daughter-in-law. Since 1903 Angelina has been serving pastries and hot chocolate at 226 rue de Rivoli, Paris and I'm sure will continue to do so for a very long time.
Location: 226 rue de Rivoli, 75001 Paris | 01.42.60.82.00
Hot Chocolate On-The-Go
If you are pressed for time, take away hot chocolate is available at the cashier. It's the same hot chocolate as in the tearoom but certainly without the atmosphere of dining in. I've often grabbed a chocolate on-the-go from Angelina on rue de Bac as it's close to my preferred hotel when in Paris.
Location: 108 Rue du Bac, 75007 Paris | 01.42.22.63.08
Angelina's Signature Pastry le Mont-Blanc
Mont-Blanc (pictured above) is the Maison's signature pastry. Its recipe, created at the beginning of the 20th century by pastry chefs Angelina, has remained the same since its creation.
The exact recipe is a heavily guarded secret but the delectable pastry is made of meringue, light whipped cream and chestnut cream vermicelli. It's a more solid pastry than I thought it would be, and so eating it with a fork and spoon was the best way. I couldn't help but think that the little pastry I was enjoying had such a lustrous ancient history behind it - ahh well, that's Paris for you!
Angelina Salon de Thé and Boutique at Versailles
Experiencing Angelinas at Château de Versailles was another highlight of my last custom tour. At the end of a glorious day exploring Château de Versailles and Marie Antoinette's hamlet, we dined like aristocrats at the Salon de Thé Boutique on the 1st level of Pavillon d’Orléans.
The best part of dining in the Pavillon d’Orléans is being able to access parts of the château that are ordinarily not accessible to the public. You have to have a full museum pass to reach this part of the estate, but after a day of exploring, it is a very peaceful way of soaking up a little more of the ambiance of Versailles before you depart.
This memory is a sweet reminder of the fun we all had together. After spending time with my tour guests in Paris, we headed to Versailles before continuing on to Brittany, Pays de la Loire, Nouvelle Aquitaine then Occitanie.
Location: Château de Versailles, 1er étage au Pavillon d’Orléans, 78000 Versailles | 01.39.20.08.32
Angelina café creates two annual collections which are designed around seasonal ingredients and the chef's inspiration which are eagerly awaited by adoring fans. The Le classiques range is just that - a classic range of time honoured favourites which includes Millefeuille, Eclair chocolat, Paris-Brest, Tarte citron, Demoiselle Tatin, and the quintessential Mont-Blanc. Next time in Paris you might like to add a visit to an Angelina cafe to your itinerary, or you could enjoy a hot chocolate at home to celebrate International Hot Chocolate Day on 30 January.
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