Before my trip to Paris, I’d asked a friend who lives there for a list of non-touristy things to do in the French capital. One of the many suggestions on her list was a visit to Angelina to try it’s renowned hot chocolate.
The grand tea house is a Parisian institution established in 1903 and it now has a number of branches across the city.
It’s a fabulous place for people watching, and on arriving, I was promptly whisked to a table next to an elderly, well-to-do Parisienne who was having a breakfast of hot chocolate and croissants.
I made the mistake of ordering not only the famously rich hot chocolate (think a large jug of liquid chocolate), but also the tea house’s signature dessert, the Mont Blanc (above).
The Mont Blanc is a very sweet, chestnut-flavoured dessert, consisting of a meringue base topped with mountains of cream, encased in sugary chestnut-flavoured vermicelli.
I love patisserie and hot chocolate, but the two together were too much and I wasn’t able to finish the dessert.
In hindsight, I should have opted for the hot chocolate by itself – it was so rich and there was so much of it (the jug is huge), it was a meal unto itself and needed no accompaniments.
Despite my eyes being larger than my belly, my visit to Angelina was a great experience. The tea house is a suitably grand affair, with prompt and efficient staff, and a menu brimming with tempting cakes and patisserie.
The famed hot chocolate may have been richer and far more generous than I was expecting, but it was an indulgent treat and I was grateful to Lu for suggesting it.
Little Old World 