Recommendation #5

01/12/2024, La Frappe Boulangerie Urbaine, 7 Rue Sédaine, 75011, Paris

My Parisian ex or as you’ll know him better LLOMLTIBUWFMA (likely love of my life that I broke up with four months ago) introduced me to this boulangerie. I know you’ll say “you keep talking about this ex boyfriend that you only went out with for 8 months and broke up with 4 months ago which really is a disproportionate amount of time to still be thinking about someone”. You’ll say “it really sounds like you’re not over him”. Then you might even say “maybe that’s why all the dating isn’t going anywhere because you’re still hung up on him”. And to all the above I would reply: Yes. Correct. I absolutely, totally, completely, agree. Now where were we?

Chouquettes à la crème. La Frappe is a boulangerie with a cult following on Rue Sédaine in the 11th (other arrondissements are available. I’m sorry I only seem to list places in this one). It’s more trendy than it is fancy so don’t expect some Cédric Grolet trompe l’oeil extravaganza. This is your standard boulangerie serving up all the classics- pain au chocolat, croissant, brioche- but with an extra bit of flair. The clientèle is a mix of locals who are coming to pick up their baguette tradition and people who have heard it’s reputation and made the pilgrimage. After my ex took me there (THERE HE IS AGAIN) it quickly became my favourite bakery in Paris, if not France. Frappe translates as “punch” so for a long time I thought it was called “The Punch” on account of its punchy flavours. That is incorrect. Frappe is (apparently) also slang for drugs, so essentially they have playfully called this bakery “Crack”. And it is. The Chouquettes à la crème are the best in Paris and the Babka is better than Mamiche’s (fight me). The only advice I would give you is stay away from the savoury goods which are underwhelming. Finally if you spot a pink haired woman standing outside crying into her pain perdu, tell her to get over it. It’s been FOUR MONTHS.

Some kind of passion fruit cronut I devoured on the Eurostar a few months ago.