Stick to Classic Macarons at Café Pouchkine

I visited: 155 Boulevard Saint-Germain 75006 Paris

Metro Saint-Germain-des-Prés

Tel: 01 42 22 58 44

Open Monday to Sunday from 9:00 AM to 11:00 PM

http://cafe-pouchkine.fr

Of Russian and French descent, Andrei Dellos was inspired to open a restaurant in Moscow after listening to a 1960s French song “Nathalie” in which singer songwriter Gilbert Bécaud muses about about bringing his love (a Russian girl named Nathalie) to the Café Pushkin. Opened in 1999, the Café quickly became popular for its 19th century style decorations and location on Tverskoy Boulevard, famous for its flâneurs like the Russian poet Alexander Pushkin. Dellos opened the first Café Pouchkine in Paris in 2010; it is simultaneously a tea room, a restaurant, and a boulangeriepâtisserie!

The Moscow restaurant’s elegant decorations clearly inspired the chic décor of the Paris locations. I would recommend the Café Pouchkine for its ambiance and yummy pâtisseries like the medovik, a Russian layered honey cake. These desserts are currently being crafted by the French chef pâtissier Julien Alvarez who was crowned Meilleur Espoir Pâtissier (Best Hope for Pâtissiers) in 2014 by the Relais Desserts.

While I was especially eager to devour their cheesecake macaron, I was surprised to discover that it tasted less like my favorite cake and more like almond frangipane! When it comes to macarons, I think the Café Pouchkine does best with the classics like chocolate or caramel.