Susan M.
Yelp
This is my favourite secret Pâtisserie / pastry shop that I shouldn't tell you about. Everything about this Pâtisserie is perfection. Their lemon cake is legendary throughout my group of Parisian friends. Is captures the essence of a lemon and has tons of lemon zest in a dense, rich, chunky slice of cake that can be shared.
My other favourites are the small sablé cookies that are similar to shortcake cookies. They always have seasonal flavours, so the flavours often change. Today I had one that was filled with a rich passion fruit custard with a tart sweet gelée of Passion fruit on top.
It was a tiny morsel, but was magnificent because it had so much flavour!!! Right now they also have a Madagascan Vanilla one, a Tonka chocolate and a lemon which is called a Citron in French.
You can buy items to go in the front, but walk into the interior courtyard and you will discover a beautiful, tastefully decorated secret garden light-filled restaurant in the back. Wow, what a surprise. I have purchased the lemon cake & the sablés many times, but I had no idea that there was a restaurant in the back that serves meals and afternoon tea. It is my new favourite hang-out in the Marais. It is quiet so it's perfect for a business meeting or meeting with a friend where you can hear each other talk!
Be sure to say hello to Aston the lovely, friendly labradoodle who follows around Vincent the owner of Bontemps (with his wife.)
At Christmas time they also make Bouches de Noel, the cakes that look like Christmas logs. Last year we purchased three from three different famous places and everyone agreed that the cake from Bontemps was by far the best one.