So many of my Paris stories begin in 2012, when we moved there for the second time. (The brief time we spent as Parisians in 2009 was such a different time in our lives that very little of what we loved back then remains on our list of favourites today.) That’s when the story of my love for Philippe Conticini’s work with pastry begins – a sunny September afternoon in 2012. We took the metro out to an unfamiliar arrondissement to visit the tea room at La Patisserie des Reves.
It was a revelation. I’ve written about La Patisserie des Reves before. And would have written about it since, had it not closed in 2019. I was heartbroken. Frankly, I couldn’t imagine a world without Philippe Conticini’s pastries in it. That little tearoom we visited in 2012 remains the only restaurant where I’ve ever ordered seconds of anything… the first dessert that I enjoyed was so good, I needed to try another! But I also knew the patisserie I loved so dearly had been going downhill since 2016, when monsieur Conticini left. All good things, as they say, must come to an end. And better that the end should come while they are still good, I think.
Each time we go to Paris, I do a bit of hopeful research to see if monsieur Conticini is back in action. This year, I got my wish! Maison Philippe Conticini is relatively new to the city. The eponymous patisserie, which has three Paris locations, is certainly a departure from monsieur Conticini’s La Patisserie des Reves days, at least when it comes to decor. Where Des Reves was pink, whimsical and, frankly, a bit child-like, the new maison is decidedly modern and refined, done up in dark marble with shades of white and gold. What hasn’t changed are the pastries themselves. There are still none better, not just in Paris but, for my money, in the world.
I could wax poetic about monsieur Conticini’s tarte au citron specifically, but suffice it to say that once you’ve eaten one, no other lemon tart will ever taste the same. That is, in essence, what sets the patissier apart from others in his field; his ability to take beloved pastries and not just improve them but redefine the very notion of what they can be. In his kitchen, a lemon tart is not just a lemon tart, but a work of art. Every step in its creation is taken with the utmost care and attention, to ensure perfection. And it works. It works every time.
Don’t take my word for it – next time you’re in Paris, do yourself the immense favour of visiting Maison Philippe Conticini yourself. Everything on the menu is wonderful. No choice you make when you’re there will disappoint you. But I do highly recommend the tarte au citron. It truly is the pastry of my dreams.
Maison Philippe Conticini Paris
Three locations in Paris
