Angélina’s Tearoom and Pâtisseries

Angelina’s Tearoom on rue de Rivoli across the street from the Tuileries is a Paris institution dating back to the Belle Époque when Austrian Antoine Rumpelmayer opened it in 1903. Initially it was called Rumpelmayer’s and you’ll see it mentioned in many biographies of the elite and fashionable from that time, like those of Gertrude Stein, Marcel Proust and Coco Chanel.

It was was designed by Édouard-Jean Niermans, who is also famous for the Moulin Rouge, the Brasserie Mollard, the Folies Bergère and other Belle Époque buildings across France. The name was later changed to that of Angelina, his daughter-in-law, and the name has been maintained ever since, along with its beautiful interior.

You can find all sorts of fine confections, like Paris Brest, Millefeuille, Eclair and Tarte Citron:

but its signature pastry is the Mont Blanc:

made with meringue, whipped cream and topped with chestnut cream applied to look like vermicelli. Typically served with its renowned hot chocolate, chocolat l’Africain chaud, thick as a melted chocolate bar and made with a proprietary blend of cocoa from Niger, Ghana and the Ivory Coast and accompanied by a generous cup of whipped cream, it’s rich and decadent with the texture of soft velvet and an unforgettable taste.

You can purchase branded bags or tins of the hot chocolate mix, tubes of their chestnut cream and sometimes even find their ice cream in their store, Monoprix (large ones), or the Galeries Lafayette le Gourmet building (basement) across the street from the main Haussman building.

Jeremiah Tower Cooks (2002, p.277) lists this as the recipe for Angélina’s chocolat chaud:
“1 cup heavy cream
4 ounces very best quality bittersweet chocolate
1 tablespoon superfine sugar
pinch salt
1 cup milk
Put the cream, chocolate, sugar and salt in a metal bowl over barely simmering water. When the cream is hot to the touch (but never boiling), gently whisk the chocolate until it is thoroughly mixed. Take the bowl off the heat and whisk the mixture for 2 or 3 minutes. The mixture can be stored covered in the refrigerator for up to one week, but don’t add the milk until ready to serve. Then heat the milk (without boiling) and whisk in the chocolate mixture until it is hot and frothy. Serve immediately in demitasse cups. Serves 2 to 4.”

The famous chocolate expert David Lebovitz (Living the Sweet Life in Paris) states that “contrary to popular belief, most versions of Parisian hot chocolate are made with milk rather than cream, and get their luxurious richness from lots of top-quality chocolate.” Check out his recipe here.

If the combination of chocolat l’Africain chaud and a Mont Blanc pastry feels too rich for you, consider having the hot chocolate with a lighter choice like macarons.

And of course, then you’ll have to return again for the Mont Blanc, perhaps with tea, and who can resist two stops at Angelina’s!