Summer Refreshment in Paris

Yes the French do drink tea, generally very high quality tea. And yes, you can can delicious iced tea in Paris, particularly nice in hot weather. It is called Thé Glacé.

Stop in at any of the numerous Mariage Freres shops with salons and order one of their premium pure or blended teas iced. They are featuring 'Babylonia' a green tea with aromatics this summer season. Of course you need to sit down, relax and savor your tea... this isn't a zoom in and get a take out opportunity.

Patrick Barbes, the friendly tea expert and superb patissier who owns TeaThéTcha out in the 13th makes a delicious hibiscus iced tea in his pleasant, neighborhood salon. He also makes delectable patisserie, often incorporating tea as a savory ingredient.

And, if you are in a rush, there is always Starbucks or Colombus Café.

LOV Organic Teas, Clean and Green!

LOV Organic teas is a welcome new player in the robust Paris tea scene. This charming shop on the busy rue Montorgueil Market Street has a clean Scandanavian feel in the design of the interior and of the colorful tea boxes, tins, pots and cups. The line is devoted to finding and selling organic teas that are top quality and have exceptional taste. There are pure loose leaf teas and intriguing flavored teas such as ginger-lemon green tea, orange-cinnamon black teas, in addition to Earl Grey teas and other classic flavored teas and blends. There are anti-stress and detoxifying blends. Check this shop and its line of teas out when you ar in Paris, great for drinking and great for gifts...

There is always a pot of tea ready for tasting and the friendly manager speaks excellent English.

www.lovorganic.com

Learn about Oolong and Pu Ehr teas in Paris

TERRE DE CHINE is a beautiful shop on the ancient rue de Quincampoix in central Paris. They sell top quality Chinese teas and beautiful tea pots, tea bowls, cups and other accessories too. On various Saturdays (Samedi) in November and December Thé de Chine is offering seminars on Oolong and Pu Ehr teas with videos and tastings. You need to register. And they will be in French...

Here is their message:

Nous proposons des ateliers de thés dans notre boutique, par thèmes, accompagnés de photos et vidéos et une dégustation.

Tarifs 25 € par personne, sur inscriptions uniquement.

Terre de Chine
49 rue Quincampoix
75004 Paris
tel : 01 42 71 25 71
email : info@terredechine.com

Ateliers de thé Wulong.

le samedi 13 novembre, de 11h00 à 12h30
le samedi 20 novembre, de 11h00 à 12h30
le samedi 27 novembre, de 11h00 à 12h30

Ateliers de thé Pu Er.

le samedi 04 décembre, de 11h00 à 12h30
le samedi 11 décembre, de 11h00 à 12h30
le samedi 18 décembre, de 11h00 à 12h30

TeaThéTcha: A Great New Spot for Tea

Patrick Barbés has opened his terrific new comptoir de thé and salon de thé in the 13th eme near metro Glaciere. Tea lovers and tea salon fans will remember Patrick's lovely L'Artisan des Saveurs in the 6th which for many years served top quality pure and blended teas and irresistible patisserie, delicious weekend brunches, and lovely light lunches. Patrick took a couple of years off to write a book on fine tea. TeaThéTcha is the home of his welcome return to the Paris tea scene. He sells over 100 pure and blended teas and tisanes and serves an extensive selection from the major tea growing countries of the world. His ability to make deeply delicious patisserie (often with a tea flavor or component) has not diminished one bit during his hiatus. I visited the contemporary feeling, light, comfortable salon in late October and loved his seasonal patisserie that encompassed Pu Ehr flavored icecream atop a rich, buttery sable pastry, surrounded with cassis coulis and accompanied by three plump fresh figs that had been poached in cassis. Perfection on a plate. Attractive too! The tea Patrick recommended was a 'Grands Jardins' from China, Panyong D'Or, and it matched the fabulous dessert perfectly. Teas run 4.5 E to 5.5 E, patisseries run 5.5 to 7 E.

The salon du thé is open and serving tea and various patisserie, all made by Patrick, from 2:30 through 7 pm. You can stop in to buy tea from10 a.m. onwards. Closed Sundays. Metro: Glaciere, Bus #21 or #62. It is a short bus ride out from central Paris and worth every kilometre!

Savor fine teas during Terre de Chine's fall 'Ateliers de Thé'

Terre de Chine is a terrific small tea shop on the ancient rue de Quincampoix in the 4th (near Chatelet).  There is always a first rate offering of quality chinese teas and beautiful tea implements in this pretty shop. This fall, Terre de Chine is offering numerous 'Ateliers de Thé' where you can taste fine green teas, Oolong teas and Pu Er teas.  The Ateliers are 90 minutes long and cost 25 Euros.

Perfect for cool autumnal days.

Check out the dates and offerings at www.terredechine.com

For a fuller list of tea shops and salons du thé in Paris check out the complimentary articles on http://www.yourgreatdaysinparis.com or order my e-guide "Paris.Tea Capital of the World".

Two Superb Newish Spots for Tea and Fine Chocolate

I'm planning my precious few free October days in Paris prior to my Pays Basque Culinary Tour and my Paris Off the Beaten Path tours to follow (some openings still available for each)and I'll be visiting two relatively new sources for fabulous teas and chocolates.

Jacques Genin is a master chocolatier who for years worked in an off-the-radar atelier out in qa quiet corner of the 15th. Known to foodies as an inventive fine chocolatier who produced superb chocolates and supplied many top gastronomic restaurants and hotels, Genin preferred to not operate a public shop. Now to all of our great good fortune, Monsieur Genin has opened an elegant, two-level "Chocolaterie" in the Marais, 133 rue de Turenne. Metro: Filles du Calvaire. The second floor tea salon offers the chance to sample his chocolates (how about Szechuan pepper ganache or mango-passionfruit caramels). There are also decadent chocolate patisserie choices, (eclair fans take note!). Customers can visit an area of the shop where they can watch Genin's on site team making the delectables. And of course, on the ground floor there is the chocolate boutique of your dreams. Open 7 days a week, 11-9 p.m.

I'll be posting some photos after my visit.

Also in the Marais, the venerable tea importing company, Dammamm Freres has opened a beautiful shop (no salon) to sell their top quality teas in the arcades surrounding the Place des Vosges. Can't wait to check this one out too!

A Prime Route for Fine Teas

The rue de Lévis is the foodie street for the upscale and mostly residential 17th arrondissement. It is a splendid Paris Market Street. Excellent charcuteries, fruit and vegetable shops, boulangeries, patisseries, cafes, a fine cheese shop and..... great teas! La Route de Thé is an attractive small shop presided over by Olivier, an engaging young man with a passion for fine tea. There is an excellent collection of
'grands classiques', the renowed pure loose leaf teas from China, India, Ceylon, Nepal, Japan... all over the tea-growing world. And there are tons of choices for blended teas for any mood or time of day. I found an Oolong flavored with chestnut that I adore and plan to return for more.

Add a good selection of herbal teas, many unusual such as bamboo leaves for brewing, a range of attractive tea pots and tea pharaphernalia and you have a shop worth plotting out your best route to visit. Open Tuesdays through Saturdays, 10-7:30, Sundays, 10-6. 77 rue de Lévis. Metro: Villiers.

And, just in case you buy far more than tea along this street and a picnic shapes up, the verdant Parc Monceau or the Parc de Batignolles are within an easy walk.