Who can say no to a delicious éclair? Light, mouthwatering choux dough filled with delectable cream and iced with a thin layer of deliciously flavored chocolate — pure heaven for anyone with a sweet tooth. That is precisely why Chocolate Éclair Day, celebrated every year June 22nd, exists.
What better way to celebrate this decadent French desert than by visiting the place where it was invented? Sounds like a perfect excuse to go to Paris! Spend some time touring some of the city’s best bakeries to experience these delicious deserts along with many more of the specialties Parisian patisseries are so famous for.
The name “éclair,” the French word for lighting, was bestowed upon this sweet treat as a result of the glistening gloss of the pastry once the chocolate glaze has been applied. The practice of making pastries and chocolates is an art form honed for centuries in the bakeries of Paris and taking a tour of these little shops is a great way to satisfy your cravings while you explore the city.
Local patiserie in Paris. Photo: Hugo Felix | Dreamstime.com
The éclair is definitely a highlight of the Parisian patisserie lineup, but it is not the only sweet the city is known for. While you are exploring the city’s sweet shops, prepare your palate for delicious sweets, candies and pastries of all types. Here are some of the tours that will show you the best of the best:
Secret Food Tours offers a Chocolate and Pastry Tour that takes you through the streets of Paris. This tour runs the gamut of Parisian sweet shops with visits to several shops in the Montmarte neighborhood. The tour runs approximately 2.5 hours every day except Mondays and some holidays and stops at five to six different locations. Stops will include a macaron shop, a bakery, a candy shop, a chocolate shop, an ice cream parlor and a creperie. Samples along the way are the best part of the tour but you will also learn about the history of the city and the confections they are so famous for.
The Let Them Eat Cake Pastry Tour takes guests on a two-hour romp through the streets of the Marais neighborhood. This tour visits stops dedicated to chocolates, pralines, macarons and the “best éclairs in Paris.” As with the Secret Foods Tour, this excursion sends you on your way with a belly full of sweet samples. Plan to purchase goodies along the way as the sweets you encounter will be some of the best in the world and great souvenirs (edible ones, that is!) to take with you as mementos of your trip.
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