Carette - A Paris legend that is still in! Best hot chocolate...yup!

Carette, is an institution and rightly so! 

For more than 80 years this art deco temple of tea and sweets has held center court in the famous Place du Trocadero and now it has opened a second outlet in the Place Des Vosges.

It is the pre-eminent cafe par excellence. It has a rare quality in Paris today - astonishing service; kind, caring - motherly waitresses. Some have been here for more than 30 years and they are still happy to serve!!! The food remains fab!

The view looking out from the well heated terrace after a Autumn shower....

They have several specialties which you must not miss. The finger tea sandwiches would satisfy the most discerning pinkie waving Englishman.  The Egg salad, chicken and chive and tomato sandwiches are simple genius. The menu is heavy on salads and the plat de jour always is hyper fresh home cooking.

Today I tried this starter:

Endive and Roquefort salad, this was clever in that the endive was shredded and placed in the endive quills, the walnuts were fresh, from this years season,  just harvested, the perfect bitter foil for the rich blue cheese.

Carette's Onion soup is text book Paris, I guess the capital does not have any particular food specialty of its own beyond Steak Frites and Onion Soup but this is the reference. In fact I'll be honest it was placed before me and I dove right in forgetting to snap it pristine as delivered...so this picture is three soup spoons later!

It is harmony, caramel, umami, lush veal stock, glistening onions, great bread and of course melting cheese - bubbling brilliance.

The inside of Carette is such a turn on,  macaroons, marshmallows, Paris Brest, St Honore, Tarte aux Citron, all taken to the apogee of the art.


Let me take you through this perfect St Honore - A crusty burnt sugar topped crisp chouxs, piped with vanilla cream then topped with a fleck of gold leaf. This makes me happy!

I guess you are wondering what about the Hot Chocolate.....Wait no longer... I saved the best for last.

Well I must say I mulled over whether Carette or Angelina's provides the best cup of Parisian Hot Chocolate, in fact it has been an issue of some reflection for a while now. They are both so good, in fact Angelina's has made a business of its elixir but Carette does it for me, less sweet, more chocolatey, lingering on the lips and it dances the jig with the whipped cream!

Want some?

http://www.carette-paris.com/uk/

4 Place Du Trocadero
75016 Tel (33) 0 1 47 27 98 85

25 Place des Vosges
75003 Tel. (33) 0 1 48 87 94 07