Patrick Roger MOF
Patrick Roger
108, boulevard Saint-Germain. Métro Odéon
Tel 01 43 29 38 42
www.patrickroger.com
open from Monday to Saturday 10.30 am - 7.30 pm
Patrick Roger is an example of serendipity. He grew up in the middle of nowhere and his parents were pastry cooks and bakers. As a child, he was “already a rebel and did nothing at school”, as he likes recounting with his flowery language. His parents handed him a job as a pastry apprentice at the age of 15. When he discovered chocolate, it was a revelation.
He soon opened his own shop in Sceaux, a wealthy little town in the outskirts of Paris. Three months after opening, he got over 400 customers a day. He is now one of the most famous chocolate makers in Paris, and his talent is recognized by his peers: he was rewarded with the title of “Meilleur ouvrier de France” (best craftsman of France) in year 2000, when he was barely 34 years old. He now has 8 shops in Paris and its suburbs and in Brussels.
One of his most famous creations is called "Instinct", small praline rochers with roasted hazelnuts and almonds, chocolate and caramelized sugar, which are described by some gastronomic critics as “probably the best chocolate candy in Paris”. Always in search of the balance of tastes, Patrick Roger creates ganache with oats, with lemon and basil, with Guinness beer... and juggles with 60 different types of chocolate covers. Do not miss the wonderful “Amazone”, elaborated in 25 steps completely by hand, a half sphere filled with a mixture of liquid caramel and lime.
Patrick Roger discovered his passion for sculpture later in life. He visited his first museum at the age of 26, but now seems to create as naturally as he breathes. Huge animals made in aluminum or bronze decorate beautifully his shops. The future is open for this born-inventor, who once said: “If you want to make it in France, you have to be angry”.