London: Tea Time in Wonderland

Ah, Paris, always a feast for the heart and the palate…

* Wander through the 9th arrondissement. Not the most touristic and yet, such an atmospheric place -  lots of bistrots, patisseries, independent shops and delis. A little village, a slower pace of life and you will even glimpse Montmartre.

* Stop by at the Cakes de Bertrand boutique. Nothing to do with the pastry but you will melt for the adorable vintage inspired jewels. You cannot walk by and not get one.

* Marvel at the beautiful jam collection at La chambre aux confitures. Summer tastes of fruit filled with sun and juices, floral fragrances such as raspberry and rose and even chocolate conconctions to die for. The cacao-Morello cherry is to be enjoyed straight with a spoon…

* On the Champs-Elysées, ignore Sephora. Go next door – number 68 – instead:  Guerlain is a temple of beauty indeed -  every bottle, every detail looks fit for the most gorgeous of boudoirs.

* Look out for street art, especially the refined drawings by Fred Le Chevalier, very poetic.

* A must stop for cake lovers : Un dimanche à Paris. This patisserie serves the best hot chocolate in town -  velvety and rich. The boutique is filled with amazing creations like fennel or rosemary in chocolate, raspberry and tarragon tartlets… Look at this succulent pistachio and red fruit cream puff – silkiness of the cream against the tangy tastes of the coulis and a heart of fresh fruit compote…

* At Sabre, fall for the collection of spoons (like I did).

* Rather than yet another guide, buy this sketchbook -  Paris as we love it, defying time.

* In the marché Saint-Germain, have a look at the Flanders cheesemonger. The names sound as little poems. Rovethym, Cabri aux épices, Figue rose…

* If you are passionate for tea, you will marvel at Jugetsudo. The shop offers a magical collection of tepots and high quality leaves and also serves perfect cups of Matcha, Gyokuro, Hojicha with a macaron, sweet or chocolate of your choice. A little expensive, from 12 to 15€, but the peaceful atmosphere and the perfection of the brew are so very worth it.

* Even if this is way over your budget step in the Hermès shop (17 rue de Sèvres). The atmosphere is very magical indeed and the staff will not pressure you with questiosn nor funny looks, on the contrary. The architecture at the heart of the building is splendid – fascinating huts of curved, braided wood, playing on transparency and illuminated from inside by a warm light.

* Resist, not resist? There always is a little treasure to be found at the Bon Marché…

Pure luxury – a walk in the forest, honey-like light, to enjoy the last colours of autumn.  Sitting down on a bed of pine needles and moss, we opened a box of those truffles.

Nostalgic touch of those traditional round boxes, beautiful engraved letters, pastel hues. They sometimes hide sugar-dusted champagne treats, banoffee delicacies, floral rose-violet creamy ones, succulent vanilla flavoured bites, each in a paper case.

Mrs Walker and Madame Charbonnel started in 1875, ones of the very first British chocolatiers. They even have a royal warrant and I can just imagine the Queen melting for those.

The chocolates are still handmade – a slight crunch followed by a silky ganache. Those, with their touch of edible gold, will delight pure cacao lovers, who will savour them as slowly as they can to capture the strong aromas. No word is needed – just look at the sparkles in their eyes…

Mountain of files. Tsunami of emails. Time passing one minute too slowly, the other way too fast. Cloudy mind.

Sometimes, the  tiniest pause helps to see much clearer. A nice coffee, a treat, a little bit of fresh air.

Pink, cheerful wrapping. Turkish delight chocolate. I break it into pieces. To share, to enjoy late, to make it look festive.

I wait, half dreaming, for my espresso to cool down a little. Instinctively, I place a square in my spoon -  I like the cacao to melt a little. My tastebuds first  recognised the bitter, torrefied notes. Then the sweetness of the chocolate. And suddenly, more floral aromas, a thicker texture,  rose of course.

At that point I let myself be tricked. One you have finished a bite, you want more of that loukoum taste. And so you go for a second, third piece… Oh, I hear they do those as thins too. Mmmmh.

Work? What work?

This week-end brings a luxuty escape. On a train. On a luxury train. I will admire the vibrant British countryside from the cocoon of the British Pullman. Breakfast on board, a stroll in the Cotswold villages, champagne and dinner on the way back, watchinh the lights switching on softly…

What about you?

* Indulge in a gourmet pub crawl. The menu is mouthwatering and we guarantee you will fall in love with the Renaissance Pubs…

* Art switches to 3D

* The famous champagne bar Kettner’s will be offering with Jameson a different party each evening between October 12 and 27. Hoorray!

* Celebrate Diwali.

* There is some dancing at the Scoop.

* Nothing more autumn like than a market dedicate to wine and cheese.

* Discover the latest artitic installation in the Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall – movies are a piece of art too.

* Aromatherapy and macaron: isn’t it me time yet?

* Well, this week is chocolate week. You can go round the best chocolatiers in town who will be proposing a variety of events or… spend an afternoon at Chocolate Unwrapped where they will be presenting their best treats.

* Why not sip a free one with a cute paper umbrella at Hendrick’s?

* Take your coffee with style.

* Hop, second dose of Tracey Emin this year.

* Big Ben leans. Yes, you read that right.

* Indoor bike training, graffiti and trendy music included, is the new winter sport.

* Love the Royal Family? Well, the Diamond Jubilee china is now on sale.

* Are you all ready for Movember? You might be missing a crucial accessory.

I have, in my notebook, filled pages with ideas for chocolate tarts, truffles, creams, soufflés. Those are my Sunday recipes, when time can stop. Icing a cake with a beautiful ganache is as soothing as a yoga session. Maybe less gentle on your hips to be honest.

But during the week rush, each minute count, there is too much overtime and too few me-time.
Sainsbury’s is launching this fun treat idea. Inspired by cupcakes – originally baked in cups as the name indicates – this one can be prepared in your favourite mug. Beat an egg, add the mix, a tablespoon of water, put 1mn30 in the microwave. Watch it -  it rises amazingly high, this is quite spectacular.

This will not beat a home-made cake – this is the minute treat that makes your coffee time a little bit more festive (especially the melting choc chunks) than a basic Kitkat. It is fun to prepare before a meeting, nice to have in your cupboard if friends knock on the door unannounced (in which case I would add a spoonful of Nutella to it or serve it with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream).

Sainsbury’s cuppa cake, £0.99

Pierre Hermé is the most admired pâtissier in France. Not a froggie who did not dance in joy when he opened his doors in Belgravia. Wanna know his secret?

Simple.
This is not just another bite of a macaron.
This is an adventure.

Imagine the sweetest safari. Tastes can take you places. It all starts with the box and London has its own limited editions, the one that will make Parisian fans make a special detour… The illustrator,  Soledad Bravi, is particularly famous in France for her weekly drawings in Elle Magazine. Cute and funny.

Like for the most beautiful gift, wrapping matters, down to the art of folding paper around the treats.

All your senses are sharpened now. Marvel at the rainbow of colours, be seduced by the delicate aromas, feel your mouth water, find a little silver dust on your fingers, listen to the ever so discreet crunch as you take the first bite, mmmmhhh in pure happiness… The toughest really, is to decide which one to start with.

Pierre Hermé is a genius – you could call him a sugar alchemist. His macarons are light as a butterfly touch and extremely refined. Jewel like but exploding in flavours. He aims at surprising, experiencing, combining the most unexpected aromas. His summer collection, for example, presents a pea and mint treat – the very sweetness of the pea with the extra freshness of the herb. A mojito effect – truly amazing. You will convince yourself in not time that surely this is one of your 5 a day and order another 4 straight away.

The apricot-pistachio – as if you were taking a mouthful of the fruit right after picking it up from the tree. Same texture, its sweet-sour side tempered by a sublime pistachio paste…

Chocolate-passion fruit. Tangy and soothing. Like a tango dance…

Liquorice-violet – both fragrances play around each other and remind me of childhood sweets… Quite a success, I would love to see it declined as a chocolate and a jam.
Ah, the rose one – everyone’s favourite… Not to be missed, you will fall in love with it. Pure romantisme, makes your heart beat faster.

Coffee. A classic? Oh, no. This is pure, real, strong, tasty coffee that will make click your tongue in appreciation…

Jasmine – imagine the flowers on a warm summer night… Bottle it, infuse a ganache, this is exactely it. A poem. Only lasts a few seconds, though, as you are left with only crumbs in no time…

Pistachio – forget the fake aromas you might have tried in the past. This is the best quality you could ever find. Michelin star kind of quality. I love to leave it a few minutes in the sun to make the cream melt just a little…

Whether you are classic or adventurous, raspberry or strawberry-wasabi, there always is the perfect one to fit your mood or your celebration. You might think that macarons are ever so trendy and everywhere these days. True. Unforgettable macarons, though, are pretty rare. Those are just… unique.

Pierre Hermé also adds his magic to amazing chocolates. And, oh, how you will melt…

This is the haute-couture of chocolates. Lemony yuzu lingering on tastebuds… Fresh ginger… Mousse of salted caramel… The most exquisite cacao… Infused cinnamon… and why not a touch of salt, velvety, with a dash of olive oil and black olives? Yes it does work, it sings of the south of France, of aperitif time, of sitting in the sun.

Another guest star -  the jam fairy, Christine Feber, has declined the signature desserts for PH. It would be difficult to choose a favourite, really, but do try the layered one. Put them on the breakfast table, tight in that ray of sunshine to show them off. The secret is to dip your spoon to the very bottom to enjoy all the flavours.

It take only one bite, you know, to get addicted… You will be saying Pierre Hermé forever! whithin seconds.

Pierre Hermé in London
*13 Lowndes Street
London SW1X

* Selfridges & Co
Food Hall
400 Oxford Street
London W1A 1AB

Scrambled eggs, pancakes, brioches, all kind of French cakes, fruit salad , everything you can dream of. Of course, there also is a nice collection of jams, honey, lemon curd. Everyone is free to experiment, mix or layer as they wish.

Last Sunday, I added these new chocolate spreads by Sainsbury’s whcih quickly became the central talk:

This was quite a benchtasting. Each guest had its own technique: some divided their slice of bread scientifically, others just liked spoons, others yet made triangular little sandwiches and added layers to see what the taste alliances would be like.

The kids’ absolute favourite (and mine) was the popping candy. To be fair, I am not sure chocolate mattered much in that one. It was all about the sensations, the firework on the tastebuds, the crackling noise. So much fun you take a little bit more, a little bit more and the jar is finished in no time. Use it as icing for mini-cupcakes.

Terry’s chocolate orange fans will fall for this one. Smooth texture and what a citrus aroma as soon as you open the jar! I really would love to see a tangerine version of it.

Coconut won every adult’s heart (and stomach). One of my best friends took the jar with her… but it never made it home, she finished it in the traffic jams. Not surprising – stronger in cacao, nice texture with real coconut pieces, this is like spreadable bounty. Try putting a spoonful in a mug of warm tea or freesze some to make mini ice-creams!

Peanut Butter lover? You have not been forgotten. If you like to do nutella-PB sandwiches, try this choc-chip version instead. We saw quite a few guys giving up on bread and just eating spoon after spoon of it.

Verdict? At £1.69 each chocolate spread and £1.59 the choc chip PB, why would you resist? This puts fun back into breakfast and actually makes you feel like sitting down rather than eating  piece of toast on the go. Hopefully some seasonal limited editions will follow.

A few evenings ago, inspiration was escaping me. I typed and crossed out sentences constantly – the letters of  the Delete button were in danger of fading away. And so I sighed. And I thought of the artists who used to find their muse in the Green Fairy. Did that really work? If so, should I be relocating my office in this new absinth bar, between the elegant fountains and delicate spoons?

if you, on the other hand, are in search of London inspiration, I have just what you need:

* Free burritos, Thursday and Friday at Canary Wharf.

* A touch of glamour at the National Portrait Gallery.

* Chocolate? For a good cause? Well, we can’t say no, then, surely…

* Kensington Palace gets enchanted in the evening for the summer. (Click here for a few pics)

* A few steps away… the Nomad Cinema will project at Kensington gardens this week-end. Truman show, Thelma & Louise, Fargo: yes, there are some spaces left.

* Rediscover the past Olympic games in pictures. Oh, for a bird’s view of the stadium, head that way.

* Support ukuleles. In the most musical way, of course.

* Explore the plant rooms and corridors under the Royal Festival Hall.

* Wow. Chaps have their own olympiade – all gentlemen games and vintage suits.

* Another journey in the past with those amazing pics of Tower Bridge being build. Saved from the skip!

* Circus time at Southbank!

* too hot? Get a glimpse of the Arctic.

* Join the swap and share picnic for a dose of happiness, fun games and craft.

Pssst: book now to get a chance to create your own gin.

Some hotels are such gems I wish I could call them home.

The Arch, a few minutes walk from Oxford Street, is one of them. The rooms are luxurious, of course, bathed with natural light, every detail absolutely perfect. It is the comfortable atmosphere you will fall for, the ever so friendly staff who make you feel like you have been here before even on your first visit.

Rather than an pen lounge, the ground floor offers a separate room with welcoming sofas and a library, a clever mix of modern lines and dancing shadows. You immediately picture yourself sipping on a cup of tea on a rainy afternoon.

Another room is available close to reception if you need to print your boarding pass, check your emails, bring the final touches to a report… Wifi is complementatery of your reservation so no surprise on your final bill.

The hotel has invested in beautiful art pieces which bring personal touches here and there, even in the rooms. Wander in the corridors on the different floors to discover them:

Each door indicates elegantly your occupation – wonderful upgrade from the traditional paper sign:

6 types of rooms are available, each more elegant than the other but more importantly each with its own decoration and theme, down to its Cole & Son wallpaper. Windows open on the neighbourhood yards, with glimpses of adorable gardens and extra quietness.

Here on business? Each room includes a working space as well as US and Europe adaptors:

On top of the large flat screen TV and CD/DVD player, guests will find an internet radio and i-pod dock. The management worked on eahc setting to make them straightforward to use.

Coffee and tea? Yes, in the most refined way: Nespresso (What else?) and Jing. Evenbetter, as wifi but also soft drinks in the minibars, these treats are complementary.

For those prefering a touch of freedom, a couple of the suites offer a kitchenette as well as the usual separate sitting room. Believe me, it is terribly hard to walk away from this amazing palace…

The bathroom is most opulent – up to a flatscreen above the bath… If your partner is losing patience over your favourite program, he can opt for the rainshower in a different setting just aside the bedroom. This will give you more time to enjoy Malin + Goetz natural products, a NY brand The Arch was the very first to import here.

Facilities in the building include a gym open 24 hours a day – jetlag won’t get in the way. Probably the widest range you will ever find, from yoga balls to Technogym treadmills that allow you to watch TV while burning calories…

We loved the idea of  round leather sofas circling on a table which can be sheltered from the rest of the room by slightly transparent curtains – gives you privacy while enabling you to spy on what is going on.

Reading the cocktail menu proves both a torture and a delight – so creative it proves hard to choose. The ginger and passion fruit mojito (£9) will bring an exotic touch to your evening -  ever so refreshing and playing on a multitude of tangy notes. The absolute must definitely is their Mar-tea-ni (£9.50), infused with Earl Grey, enhancing exquisite bergamot and lemony aromas.

Being very French, I just could not resist the steak Tartare (£19.50). Do trust the chef on its spicy mix -  a clever balance of textures, from sweet to crunchy, top quality meat, the right dose of capers and topped with the rich yolk of a quail egg. Pure heaven for a froggie, one less reason to rush to Paris! The dish is served with a generous portion of fries and crackers. A very British idea yet the crunchiness works amazingly well with the preparation.

We finished on a sweet note – ice-creams and sorbets are homemade, following the day inspirations. Avoiding the too-sugary, they focus on taste only, offering cloudlike textures and authentic flavours – as biting into the best of pistachio, plunging your spoon into the creamiest milk, or the most refined of honey nectar. It is impossible to settle on a single scoop and your spoon will constantly try the following one.

The Arch is a constant suprise – they even make their own chocolate. You know from the beautiful cacao smell they are gorgeous. Sadlythe picture does not pay them any credit so I will leave you to imagine, under a crunchy layer… a tender banana ganache… a cherry cream with sugar grain or nougat that does rival with the South of France’s. Only negative note – please make them available to take away too!

We will go back to taste the afternoon tear which includes a selection of éclairs (Think trout and horseradish, stawbery and champagne). The restaurant can print the picture of your choice on a chocolate plaque to decorate them -  an interesting ide of any celebration or corporate event.

Ideally situated a couple of streets from Selfridges and the most beautiful London shops, this exquisite hotel deserves to be a secret address, of those you only share with friends.

I remember a time when the definition of British chocolate was Cadbury. In the last few years, the cacao universe has developped wonderfully and rivals easily with the continent’s. So much, that I can find a chocolate heaven in any neigbourhood my errands take me to.

In Belgravia, I will always make a special detour via Rococo – as much for their treats than for their tiny-but-cute Mediterranean garden.

So what will you melt for? The peony chocolate, which floral touch lingers on the tastebud. The blackcurrant-violet ganache, a great replacement for desert, both strong and sweet.  You will not resist collecting the whole bar range – it just asks to be tasted: orange-geranium, Arabic spices, basil-Persian lime… The wafers are quite something too, heaven in a bite. Try the ginger or cardamom ones with a vanilla ice-cream. How, and don’t forget the white chocolate with whole raspberries or strawberries. You’ll be spoilt for choice and will want to buy half the shop under the pretence of gift for friends and family (in fact hoping they will share). The toughest mother-in-law would adore you for those. My tip? Put as many mini-bars as you can in your handbag: the best survival kit for challenging days!

Rococo Chocolates – 3 shops in London and many stockists