Place de la Madeleine in the 8th arrondissement, is home of the top luxury gourmet store in France. We are of course talking about Fauchon! Open in 1886 by Auguste Fauchon, the store was at that time selling unusual and refined product such as tea and spices. For more than a century, Fauchon has sold its luxury products to royalty, politicians and movie stars. Today, the luxurious emporium serves its impeccable food to the rank and file. But still, you may feel a bit special when you pass the door of this modern temple of gastronomy.
Fauchon cannot be missed on Place de La Madeleine. Occupying 3 street numbers, the flagship store showcases the complete range of its offering. The Delicatessen and Patisserie store enlists everything you can dream of for a dazzling dinner. From caviar and appetizers to gourmet entrees, everything is presented here with a high sense of style. Fauchon is also a bakery with many homemade breads, Danish pastries and a sweet & savory Madeleine bar. Finally a fine grocery boutique offers the visitors a broad range of products already packaged and ready to go.
The Haute Couture image of Fauchon is attributable to Laurent Adamowicz who bought the 114-year-old company in 1998. He reworked completely the brand image and started the first advertising campaign on the theme of fashion in 1999. Since then, Fauchon has open over 650 franchises worldwide and many tea salons in Japan, South Korea, Tawain, the Middle East and Europe, where it is considered as an ambassador of French gastronomy. Sadly, the brand has not been very successful in the North America. The gorgeous $3 million New York store that was located on 442 Park Avenue closed its doors in 2007 and only 7 franchises remain in all the US.
The fine grocery boutique and Le Cafe is located on the 2nd floor
Window display (Holiday 09)
The caviar bar
The patisserie and delicatessen boutique
Fauchon is famous for its amazing patisseries. Under the direction of Christophe Adam, the team of 65 pastry chefs is known for its creative spirit, balancing the repertoire of classics with a consistently evolving collection of nouveautés. Each season, the house releases new flavors and signature cakes. This holiday season was under the theme Folie Douce (Sweet madness) with a profusion of Foie Gras, caviar and scallop mini verrines, and a new sumptuous collection of Éclairs.
Looking through the refrigerated window, all you see is a sea of color and beauty. It is rather hard to resist as everything is so artfully presented. The ultra modern and sleek décor is the creation of the famous designer Christian Biecher who also designed the Tokyo, Peking, Casablanca and Dubai Tea salons.
Box of 6 macarons: 9.50 €
On the second floor of the 30 Place de la Madeleine, you will find Le Café Fauchon, a highly contemporary space also designed by Christian Biecher. The décor blends perfectly the color of La Maison Fauchon: pale pink tables, black and white caning seats and silver accents. If you are lucky to sit close from the window, you will get a breathtaking view on Place de la Madeleine, it’s church and flower market.
Le Café is open for lunch and dinner and also host special events on Holidays. We were very lucky to be there to celebrate 2010 New Year’s Eve where we enjoyed a 5 courses dinner with champagne and rosé wine, while enjoying a live show. For 150€ per person, that was an excellent deal. At lunchtime, a meal for two will cost you around 80€ (excluding alcohol).
Whether you come for lunch or for dinner, don’t miss the dessert tray, which is actually the most interesting part of the meal. All the desserts available on that day will be presented to you, so make sure to keep some space for an Éclair or a Millefeuille. For Lunch or dinner, Le Café Fauchon is definitely to be included on your list during your next trip to Paris. Make sure you book your table in advance, especially if you are visiting during a holiday.
Le Café Fauchon
Éclair Précieux Or (Salted caramel) - part of the new collection: 9€ at the Café (6€ at the retail boutique)
Millefeuille Vanille Bourbon: 12€ at the Café (6€ at the retail boutique)
For more information
Fauchon
24 – 26 – 30 Place de la Madeleine
75008 Paris
Tel: +33 (0)1 70 39 38 00
Delicatessen, Patisserie and Bakery24 – 26 Place de la Madeleine
Open Monday trough Saturday
8AM – 9PM
Fine Grocery boutique
30 Place de la Madeleine
Open Monday through Saturday
9am to 8PM
Le Café Fauchon
30 Place de la Madeleine
Tel: +33 (0)1 70 39 38 39
Open Monday through Saturday
9AM-12PM
Interactive map
Check out our interactive map of Paris to see where we took all the pictures featured in this article.
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