Promenading in Paris: Angelina in Paris Galeries Lafayette

Stepping into Paris Galeries Lafayette is a jaw-breaking affair. As in my jaws dropped open and onto the floor, causing some fully intended fractures to the jawline. I kid you not. The building is jaw-dropping-ly beautiful. Alright, simply singing praises of a shopping centre (no less) is really no way for a traveller to gain cred. Along with my jaw, this admission smashes my ‘traveller’ reputation as well. So be it. I am nothing but a tourist. Let me be a tourist. One that sometimes loves shopping as much as the art lover who loves trawling art galleries. It is not so much the shops that loosened my jaw (the shops are the same everywhere), the culprit is the breathtakingly impressive one-hundred year old Dome (which a 25-metre tall Christmas tree now hangs upside down from – OMG!) and the balcony-like alcoves on each level.

When I was there they had a hot-air balloon-like display. 

I digress. I am not here to talk about Galeries Lafayette, but rather, Angelina, the tearoom. I visited Angelina after a long tour around The Louvre, so I was appropriately cranky and exhausted. There is nothing in this world that can sooth my crankiness better than pastries (or desserts), tea and a place to rest my sore achy legs. I only realised that there is an Angelina outlet when I am there and it is not a cinch to locate. I suggest asking for directions. After a bit more walking about (oh my poor legs), I finally found Angelina tucked away in a quiet corner where shopper traffic is minimal. Ahhhh, the perfect place to recuperate. The downside is that it closes early, before dinnertime, and when I was there around 5 or 6pm, they were already taking last orders. So thank my lucky stars that I’ve found it before it closes.

Once seated in an almost empty restaurant, I placed my order for their famed signature pastry, the Mont-Blanc, and a pot of their Mont-Blanc tea (a blend of black teas with candied chestnuts, biscuit, toffee, orange blossom and apricot flavours). I mean, since I am already trying the Mont-Blanc, might as well pair it with the Mont-Blanc tea. Mont-Blanc all the way no?

The Mont-Blanc.

The Mont-Blanc dessert. Honestly, I did not enjoy it as much as I expected to. It is, how am I to put it, too rich? If you are a massive fan of chestnuts, then you will adore it. I, not of such breed, found the chestnut cream vermicelli too rich, too sweet and too much. It can be quite delicious, in small quantities, but eating the whole thing was quite the struggle. The unsweetened (it didn’t taste sweet to me) whipped cream worked wonderfully well with the chestnut cream, bringing down the richness a notch and cutting the sweetness. Maybe if they used less chestnut cream and more whipped cream I would have found the dessert more pleasant. However, that is the whipped cream lover in me speaking. Overall, way too much chestnut cream which made the dessert overly sweet and rich.

Mont-Blac tea.

As for the Mont-Blanc tea? Well, it is, regrettably, forgettable. I cannot remember how it tasted and whether I liked it or not. I supposed it must have been not too bad because I did finish the whole pot. Either that or it is because it costs EUR7.50 per pot.  

There you have it. My experience at Angelina.  Did I just dispel the impression you have of them?

Before I forget, their service is again, not what I expected. I’m not sure if it is because they are preparing to close, but they seem hurried, are somewhat unresponsive and curt. I’ll give them the benefit of doubt and say it is because they are closing and therefore all attention and effort is put to closing.

After this article, I discovered that Angelina is opening an outlet in Singapore! In their website it states that they are opening in December 2014 at One Raffles Place 29-02 - Tower 1, Capitol Mall. I am not sure if they are already opened. Do check it out and let me know J

Visit their website: http://www.angelina-paris.fr/en/