Delicabar

[Louisa Chu]

Delicabar opened this weekend at Bon Marche - brought to you by Sebastien Gaudard - former pastry chef chez Fauchon - and Helene Samuel - former consultant chez Ducasse.

[Bux]

Snackbar? Tapasbar? Dessertbar? Something we should look up, though I suspect short of a destination place or something for ladies who are shopping at Bon Marché?

[Louisa Chu]

Delicabar

Definitely more than a snack bar. More stylish than a tapas bar. Much more than a dessert bar. Yes, something you should look up - and absolutely a destination place - especially with La Grande Epicerie right downstairs. And yeah, maybe something for ladies shopping at Bon Marche - you got a problem with shopping?

A very sweet friend gave me a box of chocolates from Delicabar - very hip and stylish packaging and chocolates - and the chocolates themselves - impeccable. I especially liked the tiny round balls of dark chocolate enrobing morsels of confit of orange zest - whimsical with beautiful craftmanship - irresistable.

At Delicabar itself I had a chocolat chaud with one of their Cristals - caramelised winter fruits in clear, delicately sweetened and spiced gelee - served with a long, slender, dramatic slice of caramelised puff pastry. The chocolat chaud - incomprehensibly thick and rich, but light and creamy - and as they warn, intensely chocolate.

[marlena spieler]

Delicabar

one of their Cristals - caramelised winter fruits in clear, delicately sweetened and spiced gelee

when i hear such phrases, i shiver with glee. am i the only one to find the word: "gelee" very sexy? savoury or sweet, its so light and full of flavour possibilities yet nothing to weigh one down....sheer soaring flavour, kinda like flying without an airplane.

the idea of the winter fruits, glazed, geleed......so simple so complex so exquisitely elegant. i don't think there are other cultures who gelee and glaze so beautifully.........at least not on this side of the english channel.

ah, but anyone who is in san francisco and has a hankerin for pate des fruits, elizabeth faulkner at citizen cake makes the most divine pate des fruits, especially the passion fruit ones.

AND she has a cute little doggie too! (yorkie).

[Bux]

I always loved chocolate, even the candy bars aimed at kids, so it just seemed a normal consequence to learn to appreciate artisinal chocolate, but as someone who doesn't have fond memories of a certain American artificially colored and flavored jelly candy, I did not come quickly or eaisly to pâte de fruits, but what an intense joy they were after I discovered them--or at least the best of them.

[Lisa J]

thanks for the tip Louisa. i am on a personal mission to sample all the best chocolat chaud in Paris -it is my favourite winter treat. so yesterday i went to delicabar. very stylish place. but it was too damn warm outside for chocolat chaud! i felt like i should be ordering a rose. can't complain though. i am sure the opportunity will come again.

[Louisa Chu]

Lisa - I was at Bon Marche too! Did you see a couple of Asian girls with a blonde dog? I know - amazing weather here right now. So what did you have? I'm working my way through a dark chocolate bar with crushed cocoa beans.

[Lisa J]

i am not sure - what time were you there? i was there around noon. had to miss class yesterday so i could hang out at the prefecture for my final "titre de sejour". my reward was wandering through bon marche and le grand epicerie. sampled the madelines, but otherwise i was only ooogling. i do however, have a ridiculous amount of dark chocolate at home already. mmm 60% cocoa mass.

[Louisa Chu]

Lisa, I didn't make it over to Bon Marche until much later in the afternoon - it was all a blur that day - started out at 04:00 to get to Rungis. But trust me - you'd remember us if you saw us.

Dark chocolate - working my way through a Delicabar 66% with crushed cocoa beans - flying through I should say. Very cool packaging - translucent silver resealable bag - as if I'd open it and have more for later.

[lamington]

I wonder if one of you lucky visitors to Delicabar could give an idea of price for a few of the things devoured on site or off? Thanks!

[magnolia]

Lisa - I was at Bon Marche too! Did you see a couple of Asian girls with a blonde dog? I know - amazing weather here right now. So what did you have? I'm working my way through a dark chocolate bar with crushed cocoa beans.

Only in Paris could you go for a chic meal with a "blonde" dog Did they give her a doggie biscuit en gelée? Wish I were there now...alas...I now have a craving for hot chocolate, which I will have to make myself. It's neither ethereal nor light but it is good, from Cacao Sampaka, and I guess that's something !

Does Delicabar replace an existing restaurant, or is it brand new? Last time I was at Bon Marché, I ate just upstairs from the food hall, in a sort of dark, café-like atmosphere but not nearly as appetising as you describe...

[Bux]

John Talbott's digest of restaurant news and reviews mentions Delicabar on May 14 and 21:

Time Out’s April issue http://www.timeout.com/paris/intagenda.html

has reviews of:

Delicabar, in Bon Marché, 26 rue de Sèvres, 7th (01.44.39.80.00) ...

May’s Travel & Leisure mentions three places:

Delicabar, mentioned also in last week’s Digest

Michel Chaudron, the chocolatier at 149 rue de l’Université

Boulangerie-Pâtisserie Vandermeerch 278 ave Daumesnil

For full piece click here.

[tan319]

Thanks for the link, Bux.

The 'gullet google machine didn't take me to the thread.

I remember seeing the site on louisa's site.

Wish I could see a menu.

Anyways, thanks for plugging me in.

[Bux]

The 'gullet google machine didn't take me to the thread.

I don't fully understand how it works and thought it was terrific when it was introduced, but sometimes I find the old search feature in the upper right of the page between "Help" and "Members" works better.

[docsconz]

Anyone been here recently? What do they have besides pastries? What is lunch like?

[Ptipois]

Michel Chaudron, the chocolatier at 149 rue de l’Université

Michel Chaudun, not Chaudron.

This can only mean that John has never been there... What a shame.

[John Talbott]

Michel Chaudron, the chocolatier at 149 rue de l’Université

Michel Chaudun, not Chaudron.

This can only mean that John has never been there... What a shame.

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Sorry for the misspelling, and yes I go there frequently, usually around a visit to Au Bon Acceuil; I can even do a fair imitation of the caution to keep them cool and eat them fast.

[David Lebovitz]

Anyone been here recently? What do they have besides pastries? What is lunch like?

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I was there a few weeks ago. I highly recommend the chocolates (as in bonbons), which you can get a small plate of, and any of the chocolate desserts as well. But the chocolates are very, very good (no, make that excellent) and are made in the restaurant's kitchen, not in the downstairs Grand Epicerie.

I've never had any of the savory/salé food (the entire menu, including desserts, is divided into sweet or savory, sucré ou salé...) and some of the savory desserts aren't as successful as the sweet ones (the chocolate palmier had little chocolate flavor, but I've never had chocolate puff pastry that tasted chocolate-y. I think it's one of those 'concepts' that sounds better than it is.) The buttery sablé cookies are really good and not too sweet; there's a good one with fleur de sel.

[docsconz]

David, would you (or anyone else) prefer these chocolates over pierre hermes or some of the other Parisian chocolotiers?

[David Lebovitz]

I wouldn't really say I prefer one person's chocolates over another (although there are a few that are definately overrated and overpriced...). Each chocolatier is very different. I think the chocolates at delicabar are amongst the best in Paris, however it's somewhat of a shame and a 'too-well-kept-secret' that Sebastian is tucked away upstairs at the Grand Epicerie, and his chocolates are really top-notch and as good as, or better than, many of the other chocolatiers with shops. Am not sure if you can get them 'to go' so it's worthwhile to stop in for afternoon tea or coffee.

-David

I got his hot chocolate recipe from a profile in the October issue of Hemispheres magazine (United Airlines) on French chocolate, so if you're airborne during that month, check it out.

[Dorie Greenspan]

Sebastian Gaudard's chocolates at Delicabar really are wonderful and they are all available "to go" -- the bonbons, great chocolate bars and the fun patatartiner, a chocolate and nut (almond or hazelnut) spread pushed into what looks like a toothpaste tube and terrific on anything from bread to cookies to fingers. My suggestion -- go to Delicabar for lunch or "un snack chic" because the place is so fabulous looking (the terrace is great) and the food and desserts are swell, then buy a bunch of chocolate treats to have later. You'll have the best of both worlds.

[Bux]

Sebastian Gaudard's chocolates at Delicabar really are wonderful and they are all  available "to go" -- the bonbons, great chocolate bars and the fun patatartiner, a chocolate and nut (almond or hazelnut) spread pushed into what looks like a toothpaste tube and terrific on anything from bread to cookies to fingers.  . . .

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From another thread:

. . . .  Some years back as the Salon du Chocolate in Paris, I purchased a chocolate "paste." It came in a flat metal tin exactly like shoe polish. When you twisted the little gizmo on the side of the can, the lid popped off and there was the shiny surface of a brand new tin of shoe polish. . . . I believe there were nuts or nut butter in the paste.

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. . . .

From Chocolaterie de Beussent Lachell, 60190 Lachelle and 62170 Beussent. Ingredients: sucre, noisettes, amandes, cacao, vanilline, lécithine de soja. Ingredients: sugar, hazelnut, almond, cocoa, vanillin, soja (sic) lecithin.

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[tan319]

This sounds SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO good!

Sebastian Gaudard's chocolates at Delicabar really are wonderful and they are all  available "to go" -- the bonbons, great chocolate bars and the fun patatartiner, a chocolate and nut (almond or hazelnut) spread pushed into what looks like a toothpaste tube and terrific on anything from bread to cookies to fingers.  My suggestion -- go to Delicabar for lunch or "un snack chic" because the place is so fabulous looking (the terrace is great) and the food and desserts are swell, then buy a bunch of chocolate treats to have later.  You'll have the best of both worlds.

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The display cases for the pastries look a lot like jewelry display cases.

Can anyone who has been there verify if they're refrigerated?

If so, would love to know who makes them.