Angelina: "A Genuine Romantic Poem," and Quite the Tea Room!

Here is a quote for you from the Angelina website:

...the Angelina tearoom has established itself as a high point of Parisian gourmet pleasures, Angelina became a must-not-miss venue for the Parisian aristocracy. There, Proust, Coco Chanel and the greatest French fashion designers were to be found… The decor designed by the famous Belle Epoque architect, Edouard-Jean Niermans, combines elegance, charm and refinement. Angelina is a genuine romantic poem, a quiet and voluptuous venue, between serenity and gourmet pleasure.

And here is the recipe for a lovely day: Stroll through the Tuileries Garden in the first arrondissement of Paris. Have a leisurely luncheon at a sidewalk cafe. Work off just a few of those calories in a stroll down the street, then join the line at Angelina. Don't worry, the wait will be worth it. 

Because of the line, I was not able to photograph the elegant entrance, but you may see it here. Once we got up to the doorway, the delicious anticipation began with our first glimpse of the teas, chocolates, jams, and of course, the lovely macarons that were offered for sale. 

As the line inched its way forward, we could see into the seating area upstairs:

We were soothed, we chers clients, with this gracious sign asking for our patience. By this point in our vacation, I have to tell you that after our total immersion in the language out in the countryside, we simply read the words en français, and ignored the English translation:  

One more tantalizing glimpse of the glories ahead, of the glittering room dripping with crystal and gold and mirrors, and then we were escorted to our table.

A sandwich at Angelina will run you 21€ (about $26 US), but we were there for the signature chocolat chaud à l’ancienne dit “l’Africain--Old Fashioned Hot Chocolate L'Africain--with a little sampling of mini-macarons in framboise, pistache,  caramel beurre salé , and mont-blanc. 

The macarons were ambrosial. The chocolate was delicious, fragrant, and impossibly thick. Served in little pitchers, with mounds of cream on the side, it was beyond elegant. And for 7.9 € per cup, we bought ourselves the whole lovely experience.* 

And we were worth it.

*I don't mean to be crass with all this discussion of money, but I would want to know these details if you were writing about your once-in-a-lifetime trip to Paris! You can peruse the entire menu here.