Fauchon at last

I had been fantasizing about this gourmet shop ever since I read about it in the New York Times. I jumped with excitement when I saw the pink neon sign from afar, right in front of the Madeleine.

I call Fauchon a gourmet boutique and café, stocked with the traditional French delicatessens, wrapped in beautiful wrapping paper and boxes. Right in place de la Madeleine, Fauchon gourmet shop lies where you can buy anything from fruit preserves to wine and pâté. Thereis a small cellar on the ground floor, offering a wide range of French wines, including the famous Fauchon champagne! On the second floor there is restaurant were I enjoyed petit dejeuner on a late Thursday morning. To my amazement, we were the only customers present – according to the waitress it’s a popular spot for lunch and dinner, not trendy among frenchies for breakfast. However, breakfast was delicious: soft croissants and delicious flowery tea (what I expected for a pricey Parisian breakfast).

Adjacent to the Fauchon restaurant and shop lies Fauchon café, where I also had the privilege to stop for a midday snack. The food was not mind-blowing but done right, yet overly expensive. Overall, Fauchon is a gourmet boutique one must see when visiting Paris, for its ostentatious pink colors and overwhelming delicatessens; a great place to buy a Parisian souvenir for your foodie friend. Pates, foie gras, terrines and rilletes are worth the price for their quality; yet 25£ chocolate boxes, probably not. For cheaper sweet delicatessens such as teas and chocolates, try Hediard just across the street, Fauchon competition with more reasonable prices.