Cool Paris

While surfing , I did find something nice about Arnaud Delmontel, a great bakery on walking distance of the Montmartre Studio Loft, and yes I know, it’s some months ago, but I loved the idea of a lovers dessert.

Posted by Alison Smith at http://trendsmagazineparis.com on February 8, 2010

Celebrate this Valentines Day with the amazing cakes from French pastry chef, Arnaud Delmontel.  His latest artistic creation, the SoPi, pays tribute to the neighborhood of  his first shop, located in the district South of Pigalle, commonly known to the locals as SoPi.  Right in time for Valentine’s Day, this elegant, candle-like cake is crafted especially for lovers.   With the help of designer & architect, Amélie G., who designed the red chocolate lattice for the cake’s exterior as well as the beautiful box that allows you to transport the fragile creation, Arnaud Delmontel creates the perfectly naughty dessert that begs to be discovered and delectated.  Since Pigalle is home to the world famous cabarets and strip-tease parlours, it seem only natural that the SoPi should hide behind the see through red veil that beckons the beguiled gourmet to strip-off the top layer in order to reach the chocolate cream filling enveloped in a dark chocolate casing, and topped off with a red chilli pepper sauce…just enough to light the fire, but not enough to burn.
Should you ask him why he became a pastry chef, Arnaud Delmontel will tell you that he owes his vocation to the delicious fragrances emanating from his mother’s kitchen.   After years of training with renowned institutions in France (Le Pied de Biche, La Marée and La Maison de Chocolat), a stint as the pastry chef to the First Minister, and even a brief period spent in the United States, he decided to open his own shop on the famous rue des Martyrs in the 9th arrondissement.   Just over a decade later, Arnaud Delmontel is the proud owner of three Parisian locations, the original on the rue des Martyrs, the second on rue Damremont in the 18th and the latest on the rue de Lévis in the 17th.  Artistry and experience are the keys to success for this Parisian pastry chef, determined to revisit the classics in French pastry.  Whether you prefer the traditional Macarons to the cute little Chocomiss cake, or the elegant Marchioness, a gastronomical concerto awaits you.

Arnaud Delmontel 39 rue des Martyrs   75009   Paris   01 48 78 29 33   M° Pigalle / St. Georges

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From September 2010 we’ll be going one better with the biggest Monet exhibition in thirty years, organised by the associated national museums and the musée d’Orsay.

The last large Monet exhibition in Paris was in 1980 (at the Grand Palais once again), and since then much research has been done about the artist, bringing to light many lesser known aspects of his work. The exhibition will showcase Monet’s entire career which started in 1860 and his evolution from a young, rather traditional artist to his blossoming as an impressionist whose work was sometimes on the verge of abstract.

From Normandy to Paris, via London, the centre of France or Rouen, Monet created a new style and palette of colours, often painting the same scene in several different lights to incredible effect.

At 50 he created his garden at Giverny, and it was to become an endless source of inspiration for his paintings. The light, the seasons, the flowers… his deep attachment to nature inspired him daily at all times of year.

The retrospective at the Grand Palais – containing nearly tow hundred Monet pieces – mixes famous and lesser known works and tries to surprise the visitor, especially with its use of juxtaposition, helping you to have a new view of the paintings and show that Monet was an extraordinarily modern artist.

Of course some weeks ago we did indeed visit the big Monet exhibition. There are a lot of people who had the same idea, so it is rather crowded. They take care that there are not to many people admitted, but to my feeling you are still with a lot  visiting the exhibition. The exhibition gives a nice idea of Monet’s work and the influences he used. I liked it but I didn’t got the “wow” feeling. Maybe it was because of the crowd, maybe because of the big number of works, maybe I was not in the mood… But after all, it’s a must do when in Paris this fall.

Monet exhibition, Grand Palais, 22nd Sept 2010 – 24th January 2011, M° Franklin D. Roosevelt

Open every day except Tuesdays and Xmas day from 9am – 8pm (last ticket). Admission 13€ / 9€. A joint ticket with the Orangerie is also available for 19€. Be sure to buy your tickets in advance.

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As written by Brendan Seibel for Vingtparis :

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After some years of restauration, “Les grandes serres” are open again to the public. They got back their splendour and were made more up to date. Everybody can make 4 different voyages and discover the biodiversity of our planet :

- The conservatory of the tropical rain forest ( old winter garden )

- The conservatory of the deserts

- The conservatory of New-Caledonia

- The conservatory of the history of the plants

Jardin des Plantes, 57, Rue Cuvier, 2 Rue Buffon, 36 Rue Geoffroy-St-Hilaire, place Valhubert, 75005 Paris

Bus : Lignes 24, 57, 61, 63, 67, 89 et 91

Batobus : arrêt Jardin des Plantes.

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