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Fancy éclairs look set to move from being a playful blip to becoming a wider trend. Maitre Choux in Knightsbridge, The Savoy’s new Melba cake shop, and now chocolatier Pierre Marcolini are just three recent openings that champion these fingers of cream-filled choux pastry.
Finessed versions of the teatime delicacies get top billing at Marcolini’s new chocolate and pâtisserie shop in Marylebone.Marcolini is already an international brand, with flagship stores in Brussels, New York, Kuwait and Tokyo, plus a counter in Selfridges. The Brussels branch, a tourist attraction, resembles a high-end jewellery shop.
Though not quite so grand, the small Marylebone store is also sleek. And with éclairs pegged at a whisper short of a fiver each, it’s a wonder that the gold-leaf-flecked versions don’t have their own security guard.
Our choux-in didn’t stray from the path of perfection, beginning with a marvellous mojito pastry finger filled with lime, white rum and minted custardy cream. Other fab fillers include lemon curd scented with bergamot, salted caramel, and the Khaleesi of milk chocolate creams. Perfectly baked pastry, truly inspired centres, haute-couture looks, and platinum pricing: it’s a plush package. Don’t expect to see it at a supermarket near you anytime soon.