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Paris: Architecture,
Literature and Glorious Chocolate By John Keyes and Anne Garber |
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Just west of the Louvre, opposite the Tuileries Garden (Metro stop: Tuileries), there is a stretch of the rue de Rivoli that can do precisely that. The Hotel Meurice is at No. 228. The cafe Angelina is at 226. And Galignani, the first English-language bookshop established on the European continent, is at 224. Let's take them step by step.
Armchair historians and war buffs familiar with both the book and movie Is Paris Burning? know that the Meurice was commandeered by the German High Command in 1940. It was the home and administrative hub for the Germans for the rest of the occupation of France, and it was scheduled for demolition until saner heads prevailed on the eve of the city's liberation by the American army in 1944. The hotel is directly across the street from the Tuileries Garden, designed in the mid-17th century and now a classic example of formal landscape architecture. The Meurice has since been restored as a five-star palace that marries Louis XVI decor and 21st-century high-tech convenience. At 500 Euros per night (and up) it was way beyond our budget, so we strolled through the lobby for a free sample of Meurice air. It was … well, intoxicating. If you do the same, note the absence of couches to lounge on or racks of brochures to peruse. The message: If you aren't checking in, please leave. It is French hauteur at its hautest. You'll find a much more welcoming ambience next door at Angelina. Founded in 1903 and named after the owner's daughter, this two-story Central European-style cafe specializes in truly extraordinary hot chocolate and pastries. There is always a line-up but also a steady turnover, so your patience will be rewarded.
There's also usually a line-up at Angelina's take-out counter, and it moves quickly as well. In addition to pastries to go, you can buy half-pound pouches of granulated chocolate powder that will make six cups at home if you follow the recipe precisely. Make your purchase last. A woman in line ahead of us, the wife of an American executive staying at the Meurice, bought the entire stock on display as Christmas presents for all her friends. We were instructed to come back a few hours later to buy the four packs we wanted for the various friends we figured deserved such a treat. We killed time until the take-out clerk could summon more chocolate from Angelina's magic workshop by perusing the shelves at the Galignani bookshop, right next door. Time was, you could maybe get an International Herald Tribune at one of Paris's numerous outdoor newspaper kiosks, and they tended to sell out quickly. The same kiosks are now festooned with an array of English-language newspapers, mostly from Britain. There are superlative, famous used English-language bookstores on the Left Bank (The Abbey Bookshop at 29, rue de la Parchemenerie in the 5th Arrondissement is a favorite of ours), but finding a good selection of current best-sellers and new or eclectic English-language titles, both paperback and hardcover, isn’t easy. Galignani wears a French face as you walk in the door, but halfway back the English-language section begins, and it's vast and excellent. There are European imprints of all the big titles you read about in The New York Times, an extensive area covering current events, history and social sciences, plus a superb section on Paris and a mystery niche that's the equal of many stores you could visit throughout North America that actually call themselves mystery bookstores. Then it was back to Angelina for our purchase and home to our humble hotel, dreaming of the time, someday, when we'll be staying at the Meurice. Meantime, if maximum pleasure with minimum walking is on your tight agenda, you'll find it all right here. Visit www.dorchestercollection.com/reservations.html or e-mail galignani@wanadoo.fr. For the Angelina experience, you must visit in person. |
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Whatever else you order, you must have the hot
chocolate. It is served in a silver pot on a tray with china cups, a
bowl of whipped cream and glasses of ice water. The chocolate is a
dark, silky concoction rich enough to shock your pancreas into
speaking French. We went to Angelina on the recommendation of
friends, and made new friends with the people at the next table, a
pair of elderly women who have met for Angelina's hot chocolate once
a week for nearly 50 years.