One thing that a lot of my guests on my food tours are surprised to learn about pastry shops and bakeries in Paris is that they don’t usually have on-site spaces where you can enjoy your purchases. Most Parisians buy their pastries and viennoiseries to enjoy them at home rather than in an on-site tea room.
But Benoit Castel is different – and the homey, rustic space is only one reason to pay this pastry shop a visit.
I paid Castel a visit on a whim recently because I had a hankering for cake – and this carrot cake looked like it would deliver the goods. Rich in carrot and spice, it was sadly poor on nuts… and it featured buttercream instead of cream cheese frosting, which, to my mind, is a cardinal carrot cake sin.
Don’t misunderstand: this was tasty. I loved the scattering of citrus zest over the top and the dense texture. It just didn’t wow me nearly as much as the pastries.
Everything in the window looked so delicious that I had to narrow things down based on seasonality alone. To wit: this tarte Tatin made from layers of caramelized apple piled atop a rye biscuit base with a quenelle of unsweetened crème fraiche on top.
Oooooh mama.
This was appley as heck, with an apple glaze atop that mound of perfectly caramelized apple. The nuttiness of the rye paired perfectly with the fruit flavors, and the cream added the perfect lactic touch. If I could have made one change, it would have been a slightly softer biscuit, which might have made it a little bit easier to eat.
But that’s quibbling. This was, quite frankly, delightful.
But my fave of the day, no contest, was this bad boy: a pear cheesecake with a speculoos base.
Creamy, rich, and just sweet enough, this cheesecake was perfect for fall. I couldn’t fault it in any way…
…except that I wanted more!
If you’re looking for a gorgeous place to enjoy delicious pastries, this is the spot for you. I’ll be back soon for some of the classics, including the famous vanilla cream and lemon tartlets!
Benoit Castel Р150 Rue de M̩nilmontant, 75020