The Ritz Paris hotel has opened the Ritz Paris Le Comptoir on rue Cambon. It’s a fantastic new take-out or dine-in café and boutique by François Perret, the super-talented pastry chef at the Ritz. A sweet guy on a sugar high.
“I wanted to give Parisians the chance to eat here, or to take away pastries and enjoy a taste of the Ritz Paris legend at home. I love the spontaneity and sharing of takeaway — it fits perfectly with a spur-of-the-moment desire to treat those you love,” says Chef Perret. It’s informal. Perfect for today.
The cream-on-cream décor is chic, and the pastries and sandwiches are glamorous and highly original. I discovered that Perret’s sandwiches, like a mini baguette, are the lunch-time favorite of all the chicster Chanel girls who work in the Chanel offices and boutiques across rue Cambon. Come and see what’s on the menu. I have tried them all.
From Monday to Saturday, 8am to 7pm, Ritz Paris Le Comptoir keeps time with the Parisian lifestyle.
First, with a short menu of breakfast pastries, designed for informal eating, so that they may be enjoyed on the run, at the office, or in meetings. François Perret’s puff pastry remains crisp as ever, but now croissants, pains au chocolat and pastries of the day. The menu changes weekly.
The lunchtime sandwich is available in three elongated variations: the César – inspired by the salad, Perret-style; the Salmon, in a more traditional version with fluffy sliced bread, and the Vegan, a focaccia sandwich with character.
There follow François Perret’s iconic treats: madeleines in multiple variations with fruit confit (raspberries, passion fruit, etc...) to take away or offer in pretty boxes illustrated with the likeness of César Ritz and Auguste Escoffier; marble cake, tartlets, the Ritz au lait, the chocolate bar.
Pâtisserie beverages … witty, take pride of place, with a haute cookies-in-milk consistency and a light-as-air touch. Delicate mousses and creams with gastronomic toppings may be sipped through a straw, and vary according to the Head Pastry Chef’s inspirations.
My favorites from the Ritz Paris Le Comptoir, available on a rotating basis and according to the day: éclairs, babas au rhum, millefeuilles, cheesecakes, Mont-Blancs and seasonal tarts for sharing.
I loved the gift selection of refined offerings that make ideal gifts to take home on the plane. Candles with pastry scents keep company with sets inspired by the Ecole Ritz Escoffier (apron and spatula), and champagne and dessert wines carefully selected by the cellar masters.
Conceived as a welcoming, lively place that’s rooted in everyday Parisian life, Ritz Paris Le Comptoir is nonetheless refined and true to the chic style of the hotel. At once functional and elegant, this showcase brims with clean-lined materials, made-to-measure furnishings, and plays on texture that echo its refined pastries and create a fresh sense of conviviality.
China cabinets, Art Deco dessert trolleys, and pastry counters recall the pedestal tables of tradition, while behind a window, one spies the bustling ambiance of a “pastry lab.”
Subtle lighting from a spectacular chandelier recalls the generous curves of a madeleine, while sinuous alcoves are clad in gold, and a display has been hewn from a single block.
On packaging, there are naïve, almost childlike, illustrations and a large, vivid portrait of François Perret.
For those wishing to snack on the spot, an enveloping banquette awaits, with the added comfort of being tucked behind beautifully worked screens, out of sight of onlookers in the street.
“The opening of the Ritz Paris Le Comptoir is the first step in a dynamic new phase for the Cambon wing of the hotel. It’s also a more spontaneous, accessible alternative designed with Parisians and Francophile visitors in mind,” commented Marc Raffray, General Manager of the Ritz Paris.
DETAILS:
Where: 38 rue Cambon (at the ‘back’ of the Ritz.)
Opposite the original Chanel boutique and the new Chanel executive headquarters.
Note that Chanel has now ‘colonized’ the whole street, and Chanel boutiques now wrap around to the Faubourg St. Honoré. Dine first, shop or window-shop later.
Open: 8am—7pm
Enjoy! It’s a marvelous new take on French cuisine and take-out. You can order online…and drop by to pick up a sweet package on your way to the airport. The new taste of Paris.
And watch for new Ritz Paris Le Comptoir popups and cafes appearing in other locations in Paris very soon.
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