6.19.2013

Paris Eats: Angelina

After spending a cold, rainy morning wandering around the Château de Versailles, admiring the hall of mirrors (perhaps the one thing I remember from high school European history classes), and trying to explore the grounds without getting soaked, Jeff and I headed back to our hotel room, armed with baguettes and cheese we'd picked up on Rue Cler. We had a mini indoor picnic, and as the weather started to clear up, we decided to trek to Angelina for the renowned hot chocolate L'Africain. It proved to be just the thing for a chilly afternoon.


We waited mere minutes for a table and both ordered the hot chocolate. A double portion came out in a small, steaming pitcher.

Hot chocolate L'Africain at Angelina, Paris

And it was served with tiny cups of freshly whipped cream.

Whipped cream for hot chocolate L'Africain at Angelina, Paris

We both poured the thick, rich chocolate in our cups and added dollops of whipped cream. It was amazing. The whipped cream was not very sweet, so it helped cut the richness of the chocolate. This is a must for those who love thick, dark drinking chocolate.

Hot chocolate L'Africain at Angelina, Paris

In addition to the famous hot chocolate, Angelina also has all sorts of desserts and other beverages (both for takeout and dine in), but we knew that our next stop would be a dessert-eating feast (stay tuned), so we stuck with hot chocolate.

Angelina, Paris

Do you tend to find off-the-beaten-track places on trips or go to the trendy spots? 

I'd say we do a good mix of both. We try to get recommendations from locals or people who know the area, but we also try to hit up the places we've heard so much about and really want to experience. Angelina falls in that latter category.