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    Home • Blog Posts • French Food Guides • Paris Pâtisseries and More

    The Best French Sweet Shops in Paris

    Published: Feb 24, 2023 · Modified: Jun 2, 2023 by Jill Colonna17 Comments

    The best French sweet or candy shops in Paris, including le Bonbon au Palais, which has the most famous artisanal confectionary from all regions in France under one roof.

    As chocolate star, Denise Acabo at l'Etoile d'Or took retirement recently from her legendary chocolate and candy store in Montmartre, we have all been pretty sad at losing such an address. Take heart - the old fashioned, artisanal French bonbons (sweets/candies) can still be found on rue Monge. Jar upon apothecary jar - at literally, the Candy Palace. Plus even more addresses are below.

    table hidden by rows of glass apothecary jars containing colourful sweets or candies

    The Best Pick of Artisanal Candies in Paris

    This is not your average pick 'n' mix of highly coloured sweeties or candies you find in supermarkets. This is a collection of handmade specialities of France's best confectionary from all regions.

    While there are many more candy stores around Paris (Swedish Karamell, La Cure Gourmande, Confiserie en Gros Dupleix), I'm concentrating on the artisan shops. Here is where old fashioned sweets are presented like a candy museum.

    • For chocolate candies, head to the oldest sweet shop in France, À la Mère de Famille, with the original boutique in rue du Faubourg Montmartre (there are many). Try 'les toucans' - chocolate praline cylinders with various seeds (sesame is top), mendiants, les rochers, orangettes and chocolate covered marshmallows.

    packets of chocolates with orange bows on a shelf

    • More about this historical shop's specialities on my chocolate online tour of Montmartre;
    • 'Les Bonbons' on rue Bréa in Montparnasse (Paris 6th) near the Luxembourg gardens. This is a tiny shop that specialises in candies in pretty tins, many antique, plus more regional varieties that evoke the treats that many (great) grandparents would recognise. For more, read Carol Gillot's article on Les Bonbons at ParisBreakfasts.
    • For caramels, head to Henri Le Roux - who invented the CBS® Caramel au Beurre Salé (salted butter caramel) and for my favourite exotic mango caramels and more, head to Jacques Genin on rue de Turenne and rue du Bac, known as Paris pastry street.
      For more on his stores and story of caramel, head to the best patisseries and chocolate shops near the Eiffel Tower.

    So let's get into some of the most popular candies in France at le Bonbon au Palais.

    blackboard with French writing in a sweet shop in Paris

    What is the Best French Candy?

    I used to get this question on my chocolate walks in Paris. It's hard to say and like all things, how can you say it's best? It's of course, subjective. However, I'll give you a little taste of some of the best below.

    I first literally stumbled into the Bonbon au Palais sweet shop years ago in Paris's 5th Arrondissement after a blustery walk down rue Mouffetard. I was speed walking to the metro at Châtelet, but instead my umbrella had other ideas. Catapulted downhill on rue Monge, my track was halted with the sudden sight of glistening jars filled with chocolates, lollipops and bright pastel marshmallows.

    The previous owner, Georges, proudly presented his range of the best regional and artisanal sweet delicacies from around France all under one roof. As he opened several giant apothecary lids, he explained his favourite delicacies. Bliss! Today the jolly atmosphere wasn't quite the same when I visited but the sweets are still there. As Bel-Ange continues Georges' tradition, it still says on the giant blackboard:

    "Life is much more beautiful with sweets or candies. For you, I've kept the best artisanal confectioners around France."

    Let me show you some of the candies, starting with the oldest French lollipop to Queen Margot's nipples.

    Pierrot Gourmand sucette artisanal lollies the oldest lollipops in France

    France's Oldest Lollipop

    The Pierrot Gourmand signature of the Comedia dell'Arte's Colombine displays France's oldest lollipop, or sucette.

    Georges Evrard created the Pierrot Gourmand company in Paris's Marais in 1892. It's not until 1924 that he invented the very first lollipop. The wooden mould is in the shape of a feather has an added little stick - the idea of eating something so sweet without getting the fingers sticky.

    It was also one of the first companies to envelope lollipops in printed paper. The milk caramel was the original flavour, nicknamed 'Pégé' for P.G. The recipe has remained unchanged since 1924. Pierrot Gourmand now sells over 140 million lollipops each year and its popularity has now spread to China.

    turquoise blue candies in a giant glass jar

    What is Lyon Famous For?

    One of Lyon's famous specialities is le Coussin de Lyon made by Voisin. It's easy to spot these confectionaries with their bright shade of turquoise. Literally translated as 'cushions', their soft chocolate ganache is enveloped in almond paste with their characteristic blue colour, perfumed with bright curaçao liqueur. These are my personal favourite.

    Here you'll find not just the well known turquoise coussins de Lyon but they also come in pink framboise (raspberry) and purple myrtille (blueberry) versions.

    It doesn't stop there. The coussin's bright yellow sweeter cousin is Le Cocon de Lyon. The cocon (meaning cocoon) resembles the silk worm's cocoon, paying homage to the silk-weavers of Lyon. There's also the Quenelle de Lyon, white chocolate covered pralines - their name in homage to the savoury quenelles so popular in Lyon's bouchons - plus les orangettes, dark chocolate covered candied orange peel.
    For more on the silk history and Lyon's food specialities, see my article on Best Value Gourmet Lyon in 3 Days.

    Perhaps their most famous speciality are the pink pralines roses. Here you can find the real McCoy used to make the famous Praluline of Pralus. Use them to decorate and throw inside my French fluffy brioche.

    For more on the French gastronomic capital's sweet specialities, see my article
    Lyon's pâtisseries, sweets and chocolates.

    glass jars containing various candies including bright yellow marzipan sweets

    Barley sugars, jellies and fast emptying jars of salted caramels from Normandy and Brittany line the pristine, glossy white shelves. Talking of caramel and salt ...

    Tas de Sel

    These Tas de Sel from the Loire are literally translated as salt stacks. These are pretty addictive due to the touch of salt from the Guérande. Inside a thin casing of white chocolate studded with sugar crystals is a chocolate ganache with salted caramel.

    For salted caramel fans - have you tried this salted caramel macarons?

    glass jar with white chocolate domed candies

    Les Anis de Flavigny

    Love little collectable tin boxes? The characteristic oval gems are the famous sweets of various flavours, les Anis de Flavigny®.

    Their history goes back as far as 812, when Charlemagne orders that aniseed be grown in the monasteries and convents. So it the monks and nuns who come up with coating aniseed in syrup and making these little sweets? In any case, the bonbon candies took off and became a real hit with the French monarchy, including Anne of Austria and the Duke of Condé in Dijon.

    brightly coloured oval tins of French sweets or candies

    Typical flavours are liquorice, mint, violet, rose and blackcurrant (cassis). The French are particularly sentimental, however, about the popular poppy flavour, coquelicot.

    If you're in Bourgogne, I thoroughly recommend their visit around Flavigny-sur-Ozerain - including the beautiful Benedictine Abbey and more about their story and bonbons.

    If you're visiting Dijon, a visit to Flavigny can also be arranged by the Dijon tourist board - seen on our last visit. For more about the Gourmet town, see my article on Dijon - more than Mustard!

    Les Calissons de Provence

    almond marzipan calisson speciality French sweets from Provence

    Touch of sunny Provence with marzipan? Les Calissons d'Aix are losange shaped bonbons with a base of rice paper topped with almond paste and topped with a royal icing.

    It's interesting to taste also le calisson de St Rémy de Provence. What's the difference between the more popular, brighter yellow oval Calisson cousin? The St. Rémy calisson is less sweet since it's made with different almonds.

    My French Parents-in-law live in the Vaucluse but we have never tasted the Piments végétariens. These bright red spicy sweets are sensational! Ideal if you love strong sensations.

    Incidentally, more famous from the Vaucluse are the traditional candied fruits (fruits confits) from Apt. I normally stock up there at the factory shop by the kilo and make desserts with the candied ginger like this chocolate ginger fondant cake.

    For more about the candied fruits of Apt in the Vaucluse, see my market page on cherries.

    White Chocolate - La Dent de l'Ours

    The Bear Tooth or la Dent de l'ours is for fans of white chocolate. Although there is a filling of almond paste with pistachio and melon and topped with a chocolate almond, I get mainly white chocolate.

    This would be lovely as a decoration for this white chocolate mousse with rose.

    glass jar containing handmade sweets with white chocolate topped with a dark chocolate
    La Dent de l'ours - spot the teddy!

    Queen Margot's Nipple

    Definitely one of my favour-tit nibbles - and that's not just because of their fun name in French, le téton de la reine Margot but for its crunchy praline.

    Don't be fooled by the outer white chocolate coating: it's very fine. The main flavours that come through are the almond and milk chocolate praline inside, its lace crepe which gives it the crunch and a touch of orange from Grand Marnier.

    Why the name? Apparently Marguerite de Valois (aka Queen Margot, first wife to Henri IV, 1589-99) was such a French beauty. Provocative with it, she lured in many lovers with her low necklines. So low, that it was said her nipples could be seen.

    So it's thanks to Francis Miot, who invented this sweet in 1985 in the Aquitaine region. French chocolatier, Jean-Pierre Richard took it to new heights in 1990 with his Meilleur Ouvrier de France savoir-faire.

    Incidentally, La Reine Margot was born in our local château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye in 1553.

    white gloved hand picking out large candies from an oversized jar
    Just a few nipples for the road, please

    How Long do the Sweets Keep for?

    These specialities can keep for up to 6 months. So all the more reason to keep them to savour on the palate (notice the play of French words with palet/palate and palais/palace) - as in the name of the shop.

    holding a bag of French candies in a specialised sweet shop in Paris

    I just need to nipple on another of Reine Margot's hum, candied bijoux, just to ensure my chocolate palate gets the taste of orange. Definitely for secret, special, oh-là-là moments.

    Now that I've given you a few ideas of what to ask for, it's now over to you. Plus I haven't even talked about the guimauves (marshmallows) or other hard candies. Well - you don't want me to spoil the complete discovery, do you?

    shopfront of a candy store in Paris, called Le Bonbon au Palais

    Le Bonbon au Palais
    19, rue Monge
    75005 Paris

    Metro: Cardinal Lemoine

    Not sponsored.
    This post was first published 19 February 2014 but is now completely updated to reflect the new sweet stores in Paris.

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    Meet Jill Colonna

    Jill is both Scottish and French and author of the book and blog, Mad About Macarons since 2010. Here she shares over 30 years of experience of living the healthy food life with her French family in Paris - via easy recipes and local food guides in France.

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    1. Areesh from My Deal Voucher UK

      April 05, 2014 at 10:13 pm

      After seeing the Picture i guess to my self that its paris. I saw the title after seeing the pictires. 🙂 all the pictures saying it all. 🙂

      Reply
    2. Michelle

      March 19, 2014 at 10:48 am

      Oh My Goodness, I would have a fit in that place!!! they all look amazing!!im going to Paris in the summer I will not leave town without checking it out!! Thanks for the post 😀 Nom Nom Nom!!!

      Reply
    3. Tama

      March 11, 2014 at 7:02 pm

      Looks like a road trip to Paris in order. Isabel came home to show me this - guess will be hitting this place sometime soon!.

      Reply
    4. Tama

      March 11, 2014 at 7:01 pm

      Looks like a road trip in order. Isabel had to rush home to show me this!We'll be hittin' the train into Paris for this I gather.

      Reply
    5. Jean-Pierre

      March 02, 2014 at 7:26 pm

      I need to check this place out. Sweet posting, Jill

      Reply
    6. Sweet Lover

      February 27, 2014 at 2:58 pm

      These look so yummy I could lick your photos. This shop looks a bit like the one I used to go to when I was younger. Your kids are lucky to have such a great mum!

      Reply
    7. Shirley Moffat

      February 22, 2014 at 5:26 pm

      What another fantastic blog Jill I am so glad you didn't take the metro back to Chatelet as your photos showing Georges wonderful delicacies are amazing - indeed a sweet Palace - no wonder Georges is so proud of his shop. I look forward to seeing your next blog.

      Reply
    8. Kim - Liv Life

      February 22, 2014 at 6:04 am

      Oh my goodness!! I know a certain 14-year old girl who would be in sweet heaven in this shop!!!

      Reply
    9. Lesley Moyes

      February 20, 2014 at 5:43 am

      Enjoyed the blog. Is it a modern day 'Ellen's'?

      Reply
      • Jill

        March 04, 2014 at 6:52 pm

        Ah! Ellen's. Nope. This is all by region and so ultra posh. Ellens, on the other hand, was special memories. She would also serve potatoes all covered in earth straight from the colossal sack, behind the jars.
        All sweet shops have their memories, don't they?

        Reply
    10. Thomasina

      February 19, 2014 at 8:38 pm

      Looking forward to your next blog Jill. French candies and chocolates are right up my street. I'm learning a lot from you - thank you.

      Reply
    11. Jerome

      February 19, 2014 at 3:10 pm

      Superbe! Merci Jill! 🙂

      Reply
    12. June S

      February 19, 2014 at 2:50 pm

      Georges is my kind of sweet shop owner - his shop I can only describe as spectacular and sparkling. You must show me where this is - I must meet him. You've restored my faith in people dealing with nostalgia. Last summer visited a wee sweet shop in Fife, going down memory lane drooling over jars of sweets of my childhood. Chatted about the past but was met with pitying looks.

      Reply
      • Jill

        February 19, 2014 at 4:24 pm

        June, I can assure you there are no pitying looks at this sweet Palace. Georges is so passionate about his subject you could stay in there for hours!

        Reply
    13. Mardi (eat. live. travel. write.)

      February 19, 2014 at 1:33 pm

      On my list for July 🙂

      Reply
    14. Lindsey

      February 19, 2014 at 11:11 am

      WOW! I think I'll be making a stop here soon 🙂

      Reply

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