Carl Marletti, the former pastry chef at the Café de la Paix near the Opéra, has been a very popular patissier ever since he struck out on his own to open his namesake pastry shop back in 2007.
A hidden gem just off Rue Mouffetard, it's also one of the few patisserie in Paris that opens on a Sunday, although only for a few hours (10AM - 1:30PM).
His lemon tart was named the best in Paris in 2010 and his Paris-Brest won several prizes. Need more introduction? To keep it short, the guy's really good at what he does.
As expected, almost everything was gone around noon with the exception of a couple of pastries.
I was pretty upset with myself for missing out on Carl Marletti's exquisite pastries when we were in Paris last year. That's why I had to make sure that we had enough time to swing by his boutique on this trip. Mission accomplished.
Like I said, there weren't that many choices around when I arrived on a Sunday afternoon. In fact, I considered myself fairly lucky to have my hands on these.
Praline macaron - A jumbo-sized praline macaron. Just the picture-perfect texture. Slightly crisp on the outside but not overly crispy, and soft and chewy inside with a rich and decadent filling. Very nice.
Le Cheesecake (€5.90) - Fresh cheese mousse with lemon zest and fruit jelly on a crispy muesli with a hint of passion fruit.
The cheese mousse was really nice. Silky, airy and very light. I didn't enjoy the muesli base as much though. It felt a little like eating a bunch of rice crispies (chewy!).
Le Caraïbe (€6.40) - Milk chocolate mousse with 33% cocoa, creamy passion fruit heart and crunchy praline. Again pretty light and not too sweet. I love the great balance of sweetness and acidity there.
It's one of the few times I got to visit the 5th arrondissement and it looked like a very nice and quiet neighborhood. People are very friendly around here and we could even spot people dancing on the streets which we probably won't see around the busier side of Paris.
Comparing to fancy patisseries like Pierre Hermé and Christophe Michalak, Carl Marletti is much more down to earth. His creations are simple, unpretentious and less flashy; yet equally lovely and elegant. I will definitely come back for his lemon tart and Paris-Brest next time.
Food Rating: 7.3/10
Price: €€€
Address: 51 Rue Censier, 75005 Paris, France
Closest Metro Station: Franklin D. Roosevelt
Tel: +33 (0)1 4331-6812
Website: www.carlmarletti.com
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