30
Juin
If it is to delight the taste buds, or to warm our hearts, the sweet treats have genuine therapeutic virtues; and also because good moments stem from simple pleasures; Magnates Place is sharing its gourmet selection, which we recommend you to go savour until the last crumb if you are passing through Geneva or Paris.
Le mille feuille at Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues (Geneva)
The millefeuille (French pronunciation mil fœj) is a French pastry invented in Paris in 1867 at the Seugnot bakery. Today it became a classic that we can find almost everywhere.
Discovered a little bit by coincidence (no, coincidence do not exist), while celebrating my anniversary at the Izumi restaurant situated on the 6th floor of the hotel, the mille-feuille, revisited by the pastry chef Jean-Marie Roget, is a brilliant stroke of genius, an authentic gourmet love at first sight right from the first bite.
Indeed, the dessert is a majestic harmony between the subtle delicateness of its puff pastry and the smoothness of its airy texture vanilla cream. In what concerns the fruity touch, the sourness of red fruit blends in marvellously.
Part of the hotel’s bar des Bergues offer, presented each afternoon on a dessert trolley that also tempts you with a medley of other delicacies, like the pine kernel cake, an authentic Genevan pastry specially revisited by Four Seasons Geneva.
This cake between a “moelleux” and a shortbread biscuit proposes with refinement, exotic flavours mixed with almonds and pine kernels spiced up by the bitterness of a bitter orange coulis.
What else? La crème de la crème of mille-feuille, a gourmet rendezvous not to miss for the world!
We will say no more…
Special thanks to Sandra Engel, associate director of sales at Four Seasons Geneva.
Quai des Bergues 33, 1201 Geneva
The crepes of Muller Factory
Muller Factory is a Genevan family business whose most known shop is situated at Globus Food in the downtown.
It is renowned for making the best crepes and waffles. The batter, made as you would make it at home, is excellent.
You can also find a delicious caramel with salted butter sold in pots, equally homemade, ideal for spreading on a slice of bread or to eat with a spoon for the gourmands.
Inside
How do you choose between a Swiss chocolate waffle and its whipped cream and a scoop of homemade lemon sorbet? The heart hesitates because the specialities presented are all very appetizing, but above all made with natural and local products. One thing is sure though, they are a treat! Find all these specialties in the tea house on la place du cirque (a stone’s throw from the Bel Air Square).
What else? Ideal for the adults and for the children, the clientele is mostly local.
Place du cirque 4, 1204 Geneva
Afternoon Tea at Hotel d’Angleterre
This is beyond a doubt one of my favourite afternoon teas! In order to enjoy it you need to go to the Windows restaurant, situated on the quays of the Mont Blanc.
Like its name implies, the restaurant, due to its picture windows, offers to its guests a magnificent view of the Jet d’Eau and of Lake Geneva: picturesque landscape to savour a genuine tea time in the best English tradition.
The finger food is mouth-watering. A special mention goes to the chicken with mayonnaise covered with almonds. Simply gorgeous!
The mini sweets mix sour with shortbread like and chocolaty flavours. A tea menu rich in spices, but also in fruity flavours is available in a subtle pairing of food and tea.
The scones are exceptional: served warm with a delicious Gruyere cream and its authentic homemade strawberry coulis, we reach the heights of culinary refinement.
What else? Everything is irreproachable. The view of the lake is magnificent even on a rainy day.
Quai du Mont-Blanc 17, 1201 Geneva
Le St Honoré at Mandarin Oriental (Paris)
The Saint Honoré is one of the French’ favourite pastries, created in 1847 by Chiboust, Parisian baker located on rue Saint Honoré.
The Mandarin Oriental hotel, established on the famous rue Saint Honoré, seized the opportunity to pay tribute to the holy patron of bakers, by revisiting the grand pastry creation of the 19th century.
Le Saint Honoré from Mandarin Oriental Paris
Everything that you might want is there: tender choux buns filled in with a delicate vanilla cream and coated in a crunchy caramel, which is very far from the one which sticks on teeth.
Its golden puff pastry, in what it is concerned, melts in your mouth with great delicacy.
What else? The restaurant’s garden is a genuine haven of peace in the heart of Paris.
Don’t miss it the Cake shop!
251 Rue Saint-Honoré, 75001 Paris
The cream puff of Sébastien Gaudard
Sébastien Gaudard, a Parisian baker widely known and appreciated by the inhabitants of the »ville lumière » and by food lovers in general, obtained the 2015 prize of the best king cake.
The historical bakery is located on the rue des Martyrs and a second one opened its doors recently on the rue des Pyramides with a tea house upstairs.
Speak of the devil, once you find yourself in the boutique tea house your eyes are drawn to the display case of the little marvels (when there are some left).
I let myself be tempted by the cream puff: small, round and extremely gourmet. It has everything to please. I sit down on the 1st floor, it is the moment to enjoy. Chou(ette), yummy!
What else? A necessary gourmet break when passing through the Tuileries neighbourhoods.
1 rue des Pyramides, 75001 Paris
Special thanks to Hotel d’Angleterre Geneva, Mandarin Oriental Paris, Hotel des Bergues Geneva for your collaboration.
