I must have first heard about the famous Angelina through a blog, or maybe several blogs back when I first started this little corner of the internet. I knew, as soon as I saw that hot chocolate that it was a destination I would have to visit if I ever found myself in Paris. And of course, I finally took a visit.
Set right near the Lourve on Rue De Rivoli, Angelina is one of the most famous patisseries and lunch spots in Paris. A beautifully decadent and lavish interior greeted me as I entered, along with the smell of fresh coffee and baking.
I had pre-booked the table beforehand, and I would recommend doing the same if you plan on visiting! The restaurant gets full very quickly, so if you want to avoid queues, booking is always a safe bet (although you can only do this at the Rue De Rivoli location).
Of course, the first thing I ordered was the hot chocolate. Also known as "L'Africain", it's famous for it's resemblance to molten chocolate.
It really was everything I expected it to be: thick, creamy and served alongside a perfectly piped dollop of whipped cream. And you know what...
I didn't really like it! *GASPS*
It wasn't terrible by any means, and I did like it, but I didn't love it. It definitely wasn't the best hot chocolate I'd ever tasted, it was just far too rich for me. It's absolutely almost pure chocolate and very rich in cocoa so it has a slight bitterness to it. I'd definitely recommend it if you're a big fan of dark chocolate, but as I had ordered food as well I struggled to finish even half of it. Sad times!
But worth it for the experience! I can now say I've tried it!
It wasn't long before the food arrived; the most perfect croque monsieur you could imagine with no crusts and a gorgeously gooey centre of béchamel and cheese.
I went for Angelina's classic club sandwich (you may know about my rule of trying club sandwiches all around the world!) and oh wow it was amazing! Definitely up there with one of the best clubs I've ever had, even though it was a struggle to wrap my chops around the huge layers!
It was served up with some of the best frites I've ever tried. I absolutely love it when french fries are super thin and these ones were absolutely incredible.
Despite being near to a food coma, I couldn't leave without trying one of the pastries. I went for the Fraisier; layers of sponge, cream and strawberries that was just light enough not to cause me to explode and/or be rolled out of the restaurant by a group of people.
On the way out, I took a browse of some of their dessert displays, admiring the perfect, edible works of art that I really wanted to try one of each!
Of course they had macarons!
I would definitely give Angelina a visit if you're planning on visiting Paris! It's definitely more on the pricey side, but worth a visit just to say you've been there and tasted the delicious food! Despite the hot chocolate not being as good as I would have dreamed, it was an amazing experience and my heart has been stolen by the glorious sweets and those epic frites!
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