Le Loir dans La Théière

Cheerful, bustling cafe with delicious daily specials, tea, and dessert. My savory tart of mushrooms and curry was excellent, as was my banana dessert. They have several rooms of tables extending back into the space alongside colorful murals and performance posters covering the walls. It is hard not to have fun in such a welcoming and curious place.

We came specifically for the famous homemade cakes, namely tarte au citron meringuée you can see in the picture/video. Note that if you do not eat lunch there, cakes (goûter) are only served after 3 PM so if the restaurant is full, they won’t let you in until then. We came in advance at 2 PM and waited in a queue for about 40 minutes until the waiter let us enter out of pity as a small table became free. The cakes are nice, though a bit overpriced (€9.50 per slice). That said, considering how famous the place is (when we were leaving after 3 PM, there were at least 30 people waiting outside in the queue), the prices feel understandable and ultimately deserved. The service was somewhat chaotic, likely due to how consistently crowded the place is, but overall we enjoyed the visit and even though I find it overrated, would recommend stopping by at least once for the experience.

Hands down the best lemon meringue pie. A perfect spot for brunch or just stopping in for coffee or tea and a sweet treat. Cozy, charming, and exactly the kind of place you want to linger a little longer in Paris.

Delicious lemon meringue pie! I love the adequate sweetness and the pillowy softness from the meringue, lemon custard is sour, I like the sourness, perfect with the meringue. Aubergine and tomato savory tarte is homey, service is great even though my French is still terrible at this moment, the staffs are friendly

Go to this place if you want amazing lemon meringue pie. Very busy when we were there but the staff squeezed us in and were really friendly. Range of cakes is fantastic.

Cozy cafe that is popular among Parisians. Make sure to bring some time to wait as there is a long line outside. We had two quiches, a hot chocolate and a freshly pressed grapefruit juice.

We had a nice bottle of wine and delicious quiche here! It was very cozy to sit inside and the server was friendly and helpful. He even gave us a free slice of lemon meringue, which was delicious. Very nice experience!

Found this place when the place we were headed was closed for renovations. What a fortunate find! Matthew, our waiter, was VERY helpful in explaining the menus to us and the wide variety of delicious desserts. There was one item we ordered that didn’t agree with our American taste buds and he happily exchanged is for a delicious club sandwich that we loved. Friendly place, great service, delicious food! Highly recommend.

Never did I think that waiting for a seat at a restaurant would be worth it... color me chagrined! Le Loir dans La Théière had a line, we waited and time passed quickly. It usually does when you are wanting what's inside... pure hot chocolate! We were seated with a view of the front and the restaurant behind me. The order was simple "hot chocolate" drinks and a desert (calorie intake = high). I chose carrot cake, my friend an "apple tart"... btw no menus just go up to the buffet and let them know what you want.

Cafe located in the backstreets of Marais this is a great find that transported me back in time to the 80's :-) Eclectic interior with tons of posters on the walls and nice corners of seating. Menu is small but delicious and they have a lot of homemade cakes each day that looked fabulous. My omelette with potatoes and emmenthal was delicious and coffee was quite ok too. Would happily come here any day. It's nostalgic, relaxed and friendly with great food. A gorgeous paris / French experience:-)

This is a gem in this Marais neighborhood. The food is delicious , the desserts Are wonderful and I am definitely a fan. My first time with this restaurant was Several years ago as it is close to the optical store that I frequent. Every year , except last year, I have been coming to this restaurant. My Favorite is the savory aubergine quiche and the Tropezienne dessert. The staff who work here are welcoming and it's been like I've returned Home to come here.

Swung by one morning for breakfast as it was recommended by someone who used to live in Paris. I am SO glad it was recommended, because it was one of the highlight meals for me of our entire trip! My boyfriend and I split the breakfast special which was eggs, a meat, a pastry, and juice. It held us over until lunch and the eggs were some of the best scrambled eggs I've ever had. The coffee was also perfect, and the juice was incredibly fresh. Staff was also very kind and patient with us (we don't speak very much French) but we had a great time. I HIGHLY recommend stopping by!

What a great lunch experience. I was leery about the service after reading prior reviews. Wow, maybe they were at a Mad Hatter lunch because our servers were kind and accommodating. We made our way here with our 14 and 10 yo sons. All of us were nearing the starving and crabby portion of our Paris afternoon. What a delight to be welcomed in, sat at the best table overlooking the restaurant in comfy chairs and a couch. The waiter took time with us (our mangled French) and had my 14yo show him which pies we wanted. The savory tart was delicious, the club sandwich was huge, salty-perfection. Our 10 yo son finished his lunch, put his head down on the arm of the couch and promptly fell asleep. The lemon meringue pie was excellent. Nice tart lemon to balance out the sugary meringue. We also ordered a raspberry "something or other". I can't comment more on it because my son woke up and promptly ate the entire thing! I am so glad we made a point to eat at this delightful restaurant. Oh and BEST bathrooms in Paris! Voila!

YUM! Life changing pie :) I got the lemon meringue and rose tea. Will be bacK on my next visit. The double chocolate is delicious too, and rich.

Cozy place in the heart of Le Marais. Amazing selection of quiches, teas and homemade tarts. Their key lime pie is particularly delicious. And the team is on top of everything. We just loved it!

This is a great find. Casual dress and ambiance. It's located near the end of a great shopping area in the Marais district. The food is hearty and delicious. The deserts are out of this world. I had the merengue pie. Unlike American merengue, this was not so "styrofoam-like" but was creamy. How does it stay up? Beware, once a particular desert is gone, there is none left. As you are escorted to your table you get to walk by the desert table This is now one of our regular spots in Paris

Pricier than you really want it to be, considering you can't just get a coffee. But worth it! I'm having the spinach and Camembert tart and it's really quite delicious (olive oil dressed salad on the side). The café creme isn't anything special but the foam is nice. Ambiance is GREAT, love the squashy armchairs and round wooden tables. There is a massive queue outside (13h on a Saturday). I brought some reading to do with me and it's been nice so far. They clearly don't want people loitering here for very long though, which is too bad because the armchair I'm in in super comfy.

Good omelets, eggs, and baked goods. The set breakfast is quite pricey but you can order a la carte. The Coffee was alarmingly watered down and bad for a 5€ cup. The vibe is nice but I wouldn't return for the brunch.

Disappointing. The food is exactly what I expected: huge slices of homemade pies for 7.50€, not bad, but nothing exceptional either; everything is super sugary. Tea costs €5, and you have a huge sugar bowl in front of you from where you can take as many as you like (I like many ;) ). But the service is truly terrible: the waiters bark at you incessantly, they try to say that "we only serve full meals before 4" when everyone else around is just having a dessert, they refuse to share the bill in two (first time I saw that!). You won't enjoy a nice moment with your friends, because you'll feel that you bother the waiters all along. Honestly, go elsewhere; there are plenty of comfy tea time places in Paris...

Location: In the Marais, a lovely spot to shop and eat and see cool things The place: It's quite small, but oh so charming. Wood floors, furniture that doesn't match - very vintage, cozy feel to it. They don't allow laptops (yay!) but I could see myself hanging out here with a book on a rainy day, and over-caffeinating on coffee. The goods: I ordered a mushroom and parsley omelette, which came with a simple salad. First, it was prepared very fast (which was great because this was my first meal off the plane) and 2nd, it was very good. Piping hot, and freshly made. The salad was just arugula (I think) with a light dressing. That's exactly what I wanted so all good on that front. The basket of bread seemed a little old - it was hard. Coffee is good. Service: Friendly. Price point: 11.50€ This is a solid place for a simple, tasty meal.

Best lemon meringue pie I have ever had, and this is coming from someone who doesn't even like meringue!!! There's some kind of construction going on outside of the cafe right now, it can get super noisy. Just grab a table towards the back of the cafe.

This place is a gem. I see no reason not to give this cafe a 5 out of 5. Been there twice this week, and both times i highly enjoyed it. The waiters do seem a little flush and a little rushed but its only because they are actually working their asses off. First time i went i got the mushroom and cheddar tart and it was out of this world, there were only two pieces left when we got there so I knew it was probably something I should order before it ran out. For dessert we had some chocolate cake and it was also very good. The second time i went there, I went mainly because I was craving that tart again but with my luck they did not have it so instead I ordered the pumpkin and blue cheese tart which was pretty great and for dessert I had a lemon meringue pie. Both times were really great experiences and I highly recommend it to anyone in the area.

Le Loir dans la Théière has my favourite lemon meringue in the entire world. It is just scandalously delicious... and big. Their quiches are exquisite as well, and their hot chocolate too. Basically, everything that you put in your mouth over there is a piece of heaven. The interior of the place has references to Alice in Wonderland's tea party, combined with a boho chique combination of mismatching chairs, tables and sofas. However, Le Loir dans la Théière isn't a secret any more. Around lunch time you'll probably have to queue for more than 20 minutes. I prefer going after 15h, when you can just take a piece of sweet pie (before you have to take the menu). Laptops are not allowed: a rule that I really like. The atmosphere is really nice, with everybody chatting and enjoying the food and drinks. Just go there one or maximum three other people and get spoiled!

Our host recommended this place. We got there at a really busy time. With limited french, the server was super attentive and helpful. The quiche was delicious! Can't wait to go back!

Le Loir dans la Théière is exactly the sort of indy spot that I've been hunting down since my arrival in Paris. (What's a loir? And a théière? The dormouse in the teapot. Alice in *Wonderful.* Yes.) Neatly nestled just north of Saint Paul metro in Le Marais, Le Loir dans la Théière is a place to meet up with a friend or two or three, and just chat away the afternoon. It's not the place to go and blog... or facebook... or type out your next novel. (You'll notice I used the word type. Because, honestly, it'd be the perfect place to write your next novel, if writing is something you do with a pen.) See, Le Loir dans la Théière takes us back to the old school. It reminds us what real, physical social networking used to look like. You know -- friends sitting near you, socializing through verbal speech, the occasional knee pat -- that type of thing? And to assist you in this socializing there are some humdinger *tartes.* Amazing tarts! Fig, apple, chocolate, banana, and their claim to fame, the mountain high lemon meringue tart. A new one comes bounding from the kitchen every 20- 30 minutes, held high above the head of one of their friendly servers like the sweet trophy that it is. There's tea (looseleaf). There's coffee. There's housemade hot chocolate. The walls are laden with awesome, show posters about who knows what. The chairs don't match. The tables are all different. It's a charming and perfect place to celebrate your unbirthday. **One thing to note is this place is hoppin' on the weekends. I was there on a weekday afternoon, so there were empty seats, but I am told that this is not the case come Saturday.

Tea room = 4 stars; lunch/brunch restaurant = 3 stars. Located in the heart of the old Jewish neighborhood, which has been swallowed up by the gayborhood. A perfect place to rest after a stroll in Le Marais. Pros of this place: -Nice bohemian decor; -Nice crowd: a mix of young and old cool, artistic/intellectual type people (of course, lots of tourists too); -Fanstastic pastries, made fresh every day. Everything is amazing. Many people are attracted to the visually stunning slice of giant lemon meringue tart, which is nice but not my favorite (a little too aggressively acidic for my taste). I would strongly recommend any seasonal "clafoutis" or the apricot + pistachio tart; Cons of this place: -Service can be pretty cold. They are packed any time any day, with huge lines on week-ends. So they really take no shit from any one. Basically, when they take you in, they do you a huge favor, and you should be grateful and shut up. They do not allow you to use your laptop there (like I said, they call the shots). But if you catch them on a good day, they can be friendly too. -Savory lunch and brunch dishes are really not at the same level as pastries. It's not bad, but it's nothing to rave about. -We never found a tea we liked. Darjeeling is totally bland (= sipping hot water). -Obviously, high risk of long lines is a big problem, and they don't take reservations (of course not). So we never ever try on week-ends (although Sunday before 11:30am worked for us once), and go on week days, which is less hectic.

The place is really cozy but too noisy especially during weekend... but it's really worthy.. everything is homemade and it's not my first time there

Extraordinary desserts and food in general. Service is excellent too. Highly recommend the lemon meringue pie and the savory tarts.

I discovered this place years ago when I first moved to Paris, and I think I've been here more than a dozen times. If you want to beat the line, come early. And early means before 12. If you have a big group, either come really early or find a less popular brunch spot. They do have a "brunch" menu. I'm sure it's fine. But it's a tragedy if you go to this place and fill your stomach with just bread, yogurt, and eggs. What you really want to order here are the savory tarts. The stranger the flavor sounds (blue cheese with pumpkin?) the better it tastes. Then you want to finish it off with a ginormous dessert that you share with the friends you have hopefully brought with you. The tarte au citron is at least 6 inches tall, and is totally worth it. Gluten-free tasting notes: Sorry, no tarts for you. They have great salads and other main courses so I never go hungry these days.

Bad food and worst service ever. If you plan on having a nice lunch with friends forget this place. You will have to wait a long time and then you'll be served by the rudest waiters. There are so many nice little places in Paris, don't waste your time and money here.

This is the first place I ever ate in Paris. It's in a cute neighborhood and I loved the bohemian "Alice In Wonderland" decor. We were some of the first people to arrive for brunch, so we had no problem getting in, but the other tables did fill up quickly. We each had the pre-fixe brunch with eggs, fruit, toast and pastries, fresh squeezed oj, and chocolat chaud, etc. There was tons of food and it was all very good. The waiter was very friendly and patient with us and the approximately 10 words we can say in French.

4.5 stars. On a rainy day in Paris, this was a great find: a perfectly intimate, vaguely bohemian spot in the heart of Le Marais. You know it's good when it's packed with locals and there are crowds trying to get in, to no avail. Loved the wait staff. They handled the stresses with grace and humor -- while being incredibly efficient and gracious. Now, about the food: the omelet with zucchini was absolute perfection. (Why can't Americans nail omelets like this?) And the baguette pieces in the petit basket were yummm -- perfect crust. And the cafe creme was delicious. My friend had wine and a salad -- simple olive oil dressing. We savored every bite. Merveilleux! And no one was trying to rush us out, despite the clamoring masses! Would highly recommend it -- especially during off hours, and especially on a rainy day in Paris, when this place is especially magical.

One of the few new restaurants that we have "had" to go to yearly. The daily special (see photo) rarely disappoints. In the last few years our adult children have also enjoyed the daily pasta, salad special and quiches. Sodas are fantastic and wines are well chosen. Desserts are notable.

I love this place. I went here for lunch with my boyfriend because I read about it online and we were strolling through the neighbourhood (the street where this place is located is also really nice). The interior here is so cosy and lovely! Just love the Alice in Wonderland wall paintings! Since I don't speak French and like surprises I just choose something from the menu. I only knew it contained chicken. I got a lovely dish! Chicken with veggies and salad. It tasted really good. My boyfriend ordered the same and also loved it. A lot of pies and tarts were displayed on a table next to us so we decided to share a piece of the lemon meringue, which is great for sharing. You will get a HUGE piece! We were almost unable to finish this huge piece together. It tasted great! I'm a huge fan of lemon meringue and this one had a lot of fluffy meringue which I loved. This is absolutely a must-go place in Paris at a very lovely location! :)

What a wonderful decoration. The tea is served really nicely and they even serve sugar cubes. The meringue tart was nice reminded me my grandmother pie. They don't speak good English but they tried there best to explain. If you are looking for a nice place to have a tea and a cake, this is the right place for you.

I came here years ago and had a great brunch. Today my husband and I went for lunch. The service was awful. The only thing the waiter did that was nice was tell us the menu in English. I asked for cheese in my omelette and he said no. We got bread with our meal and I asked for butter and he looked at me and smiled and said no. We thought it was a joke but it wasn't because it never came..ridiculous price for what you get....it's a shame because I remember the food being delicious last time....

WOW. I'm usually not a big fan of meringue because I think it's too sweet, but this wasn't too sweet! The cake was smooth and creamy... and huge... American sized! Best meringue-anything I've ever had! Not to mention its lemony taste. YUM! Also, cute Alice-in-Wonderland set up! Very French!

Super cute tea room tucked away in the Marais. The decor is really interesting with posters of art shows, music and galleries and the crowd is a mix of locals and tourists. If you like to people watch-this is the perfect spot. Food is quite good - the savory tarts are good. Desserts are the specialty here. I would try going on a weekday - weekend brunches are a circus!

When looking for a place that is artsy Parisian, Le Loir dans la Theire is the place for you to stick out. Don't come here for a cheap crepe and a quick escape. Instead expect to spend 6,50 euros for a freshly made tart that will satisfy your desires. There is a full menu here, but a tea and tart is all you need. Don't look to make a fast getaway here, but really this is the Paris you want to be soak in and enjoy.

We came here about half an hour before they closed, and we luckily were served the last slice of lemon meringue pie! We also got some tea (I got the fruity black tea, and my BF got a Jasmine tea). The slice of pie was huge! And it was very good. The meringue was perfectly tart and fluffy. So good. I need to try to make a lemon meringue pie like this. It was a nice little break from all our running around that day.

As someone who likes to sit in cafes and write, here's the only thing you need to know about this hip coffee shop: they don't allow laptops. Does that mean I can have a coffee so long as I write on a notepad? I haven't gone back to ask since. Something feels off about it. Brunches on weekends are a madhouse. The cakes are tasty but overpriced. The coffee? Fine, but also overpriced. For a wooden-tabled, wooden-floored, hipster-haven like Le Loir dans la Theiere, the simple fact that they have a rule against laptops is enough to guarantee I'll never come back. It's the principle that matters: being able to sit and work is a foundational aspect of a coffee shop. Add a warm setting (even if the staff aren't too savory), and the conclusion is this: if Le Loir dans la Theiere doesn't want people working in their coffee shop, they shouldn't make it seem like an oasis for writers.

For years I've been recommending this place to all of my Paris-going friends. Great location, the perfect cozy place for a quiet chat with a friend over a tea/coffee and slice of delicious (and American-sized) cakes and pies. The lemon meringue is killer. Ah, Paris...

This place was such a great petit déjeuner find and in a lovely part of the city as well. Sunday brunch was the most perfect. If you like variety not cheapened one bit in the care and delicateness it was created then this place is for you. I loved the wait staff. I came back several times on my stay and will dream it until I can go back again :)

Cute restaurant and stays busy all day. Bit expensive for the simple menu. Service was nice. Staff was kind. We ordered omelettes.

The Marais in Paris is what I think of as a hip, trendy area. Of course if I know about it at all, it means it stopped being hip and trendy several years ago. Nestled in among the falafel stands is a dining spot named Le Loir dans la Théière (The Dormouse in the Teapot.) This has been a favorite of my wife's and mine for some time now. We are not alone. While not a terribly large place, it has a lot of tables packed cheek to jowl even by Paris standards. They are almost always full. What draws the crowds? A lovely array of both sweet and savory tarts. whether one wants a full lunch of both savory and sweet or simply a nice sweet treat of pie with their coffee, the Dormouse has you covered. As much as we continue to love the place, we have been disappointed on our last few visits. We are familiar enough with dining here that small tables clustered close together do not bother us, but we seem to keep getting stuck in a grotto halfway back that even a local would complain about. There are usually ten diners packed into an area that is adequate for six. And while I get that having to pull out the table to seat the patron is not unusual, it does get old after a while. We arrived and picked out the tarts we wanted from the posted board, only to be told that they were out of both. In fact the only savory tarts that they had left were a mushroom and cheddar and something made with courgettes (zucchini). Now there are many excellent uses for Zucchini --the Arabs stuff them with meat and rice, the rest of us use them to torture our neighbors -- making them into a tart seems ill-advised. We decided to settle for the cheddar and mushroom and follow it up with a slice of lemon meringue. The savory tart was tasty, but not spectacular. They did not skimp on the mushrooms, so it had a good hearty flavor. The cheddar cheese, although a welcome taste of home to my American palette, was not the best choice as the dish had a bit of the grittiness that a melted cheddar sometimes takes on. Still, the dish would have been excellent on a cool autumn day. Sadly it was August when we ate it. Our sweet choice came next. I should take a moment to describe the lemon meringue tart at the Dormouse. If the place has a trademark dish, this should be it. Arriving at the table it is an impressive sight -- a veritable mountain of meringue perched on top of the lemon tart. I would conservatively estimate there being six inches of meringue in the middle of the tart (not to the tip of little pointy bits, a solid layer six inches thick.) Made in the Italian style, it is thick, creamy, and sweet. Of course the real flavor of a lemon meringue comes from the lemon custard and this did not disappoint. Nicely lemony and tangy, it made a good foil for the mountainous sweet topping. I was surprised to see dinner salads, meats, and pasta on the menu. I am not certain if this is something new or if I had just missed it before. If they are indeed new, I would urge the ownership to abandon them. If they have always been there, I would still advise the ownership to do away with them. While it is nice to have something for everyone, and an all-tart menu might turn off some diners, I think that specialization has its place, and the dormouse would be a good place to specialize. If the tart makers stuck to their knitting, then we might have been able to taste the yummy looking tarts we had wanted at 3:00 in the afternoon rather than the last leftovers of lunch.

Après une demi-heure d'attente, nous nous sommes retrouvés bloqués a une table au fond du salon de thé tellement l'espace y était minuscule... Une fois assis, il était impossible de nous relever. L'accueil est à améliorer également, puisque le serveur n'a même pas daigné disposer la part de gâteau de mon ami dans une petite assiette, mais s'est contenté de la laisser dans son plat (c'était la dernière part). Il a du donc manger à même le plat dans lequel tout le monde s'était servi auparavant au buffet... Les gâteaux étaient de qualité très moyenne, comparables a ceux que l'on trouve dans les autres salons parisiens, et le prix bien bien trop élevé pour la qualité... Une déception.

One of our favorite spots in all of Paris. Tea and great fresh food. And the best desserts!

Absolutly love this place! I always bring friends and family here when they come visiting. They have a really good brunch menu, great quich and the best lemon meringue!

This is a girly place. You can even add that this is also a gay friendly place. So if you like flea-market furniture, tea and sweet delicacies, you should appreciate this, I admit it, charming little place. Yes, I like steaks, beer and pubs but the tall lemon meringue pie looks so tasty, it's impossible to resist. Indeed they have a gorgeous choice of desserts. Maybe one of the tastiest in Paris. The lemon meringue pie is a revelation as the rosemary & peach tart or the fresh fig tart are (that was my choice). The tea selection is great of course but the hot chocolate is The sensation of Le Loir. If you want to taste their salted hearty tarts, do it early. We arrived at 4 pm and there weren't any left. It's almost always full, especially for the Sunday brunch. So don't pay attention to the, somewhat, rude service. It's worth to be patient at Le Loir! It's really much more than a Salon de thé!

Fabulous Chocolate tart! Fantastic berry crumble! extremely friendly :) Cosy place!

Phenomenal savory tarts and cozy, cute space. I had a cheese, pine nut, and honey tart there that is one of the most perfect bites I've ever had. Get there before 1pm on the weekends if you don't want to wait for a table. Love love love this place.

Came on a Sat during lunch hour. Do not go for coffee between 12-3pm. Only go if you are having a meal. Waiting staff quiet arrogant. Cafe creme Luke warm. My friend ordered a cafe creme and specifically asked for it hot and it arrived warm. The meal wasn't anything special at all.

I keep coming back for the crumble and somewhat comfy corners for a tea break. But it's mostly full and the service can be cold so you're likely not going to stay for long.

Very cute place. It has excellent pies and tea service. The pies are sweet. We had the pear and chocolate and the orange cream. Both were excellent. The orange cream had a cremebrule like burnt sugar top.

Brunch, lunch, tea, dessert... all equally wonderful! The servers are friendly and the decor is charming. During my stay in Paris, I was lucky enough to live right around the corner from this gem in the Marais. The other reviews are right - get here early or plan to wait. The brunch is popular here on the weekends - something that's very American, but becoming more available in Paris. And this isn't a place to bring your work -- signs politely ask that you do not bring laptops into the restaurant.

2:00 on a Saturday and the waiter states the desserts are not available until 3:00. I'm all too familiar with European cafes shutting down during the day but this was a first.

Damn cute set-up in english cozy style; pie sluces are huge (and will set you back 7-8 euro)