tea salon le Marais

Put the macarons on hold, Paris has fallen in love with waffles from Lille. Coralie Grassin investigates…

There are a thousand sweet secrets in Paris, from the simple tarte au pomme to macarons. The French know their cakes and would cross a whole city to get the very best éclair.

For waffles, they now rush to Le Marais where Meert, a very traditional pâtisserie and tea room founded in Lille, opened its doors a few months back.

Now, these waffles are not the ones you are used too and are more specific to the north of the country. Close your eyes and imagine a sandwich made of two very thin yet very tender oval waffles with a melting Madagascar vanilla filling in between. A childhood treats you do not want to let go of.

They are still handmade with hundreds being sold every day, wrapped in golden paper. People of all age step in – some pick up one as an emergency fix, others a whole box.

One of the pleasures is carefully opening the precious wrapping, enjoying the aroma. There also is the temptation of the limited edition flavour, the summer special offering a sweet strawberry cream with a hint of mint. The trick (if you made it home with them) is to keep them in the fridge – the consistency gets even more velvety.

Even the boutique is an experience in itself, bringing back the nostalgia of candy stores of the 19th century – glass jars filled with delicacies, wooden shelves with adorable boxes.

Here you can indulge in exotic marshmallows (lime, apricot, passionfruit), amazing chocolate slabs that will be cut on demand, flavoured caramel and cakes to make your heart melt.

Around Christmas, try their amazing spiced gingerbread and speculoos. Be warned: a look at the shop window and you will be hypnotised…

For more info and locations, visit: www.meert.fr

Meert, 16 rue Elzévir 75003 Paris

All photos by Coralie Grassin

Coralie writes the blog Tea Time In Wonderland

Coralie Aude Grassin discovers the delights of Paris’ chic, historical quartier, Le Marais…

A few things to do in the neighbourhood – a splendid place to stroll around with buildings made of golden stone, sculptures above the doors, shops, cafés and restaurants aplenty:

– Walk through the historical Jewish quarters – the main street is the rue des Rosiers. Stop at the traditional pâtisseries for a cake, bagel, or beautiful bread…

– Alternatively, enjoy a brunch or afternoon tea at Mariage Frères. I love their colonial decoration, beautiful wooden cases sheltering hundreds of different creations…

Pictures are not permitted but look closely at the reflection in the teapot to have a glimpse of the tea room with its glass roof!

We chose the classical brunch (32€). There is enough to be shared by two: a pot of tea of your choice, a freshly squeezed fruit juice, toasted brioche with their refined tea jellies, scrambled eggs with matcha tea, pink prawns brochette, spring rolls of smoked salmon, and a home made pastry (we chose the chocolate mousse cake with a filling of wild strawberries – unforgettable).

– Are you a museum fan? Try the Musée Carnavalet for a glimpse of the history of Paris – fascinating.

– Go street art hunting! You will find lots of surprises on the walls. If you do not know where to start, try with these Space Invader mosaics very popular in that neighbourhood.

– Let yourself be seduced by the perfumes of the Artisan Parfumeur on rue des Francs Bourgeois. Each of them are like a poem. Try those based on tea and blackberry!

– You will feel like knocking at all the doors – many have those gorgeous knobs…

– Look out for the 1900s pastry shops and bakeries. Though most have been transformed into shops, their handpainted illustrations are grade II listed – worth stopping!

Stay at Hotel du Petit Moulin, a luxurious city hideaway in the heart of Le Marais, designed by Christian Lacroix.

Where are your favourite places in Le Marais? Have you stayed at Hotel du Petit Moulin? Share your experiences below…

Coralie Aude Grassin writes the blog, Tea Time in Wonderland.

The Best Waffles in Paris at Meert

Guest Post: A Guide to Le Marais, Paris