Finally, a shop that lives up to its own hyperbolic name: the ‘genius éclair’ really does reinvent the classic French patisserie to great effect. The Marais-based baker has been specialising in éclairs since 2012 thanks to a former cooking TV show finalist, Christophe Adam, who trained with Fauchon before getting stuck in to choux pastry full time. Today, Adam spends his time filing éclairs with everything from mascarpone cream flavoured with Andulasian wild strawberries to passion fruit and fresh raspberries.
Assuming you can’t fit all the éclairs into your mouth at the same time (it’s tempting), try and let the prices hold you back; from €5 to €7 per piece, a box can add up quite quickly. But you’ll need to return often, as Adam reinvents his recipes for each season. For summer, try frozen éclair popsicles. Or for Epiphany, the éclair des rois with frangipane and a toy inside, sold in boxes of four. But the most popular flavours, according to the staff, are available year round: passion fruit and strawberry, or salted butter caramel.
The well-known bakery is popular with tourists and locals year round. The understated, industrial design is perfectly offset by the flamboyant trays of pastries – which are even slated for export to Japan and the US. Genius, indeed.