“Let Them Eat Cake innit” is what Marie-Antoinette said when she heard the peasants were starving, perhaps not the innit part but poetic licence and all that. To think she lost her head over that because we’re all eating cake now!Given it’s Bastille Day it seems extremely fitting to eat cake in remembrance of the revolution – Vive la Republique and all that. As I don’t like fireworks and nothing is open what else was there to do but walk and head to a patisserie, one of the few shops to open on a public holiday we do need cake after all! Yet where was I to purchase my revolutionary cake from, why at Hugo and Victor of course.
Le Lieu/Location
This particular outlet of Hugo and Victor is located in the hidden gem that is the Marché St Honoré with it’s wine bars, Marc Jacob shop and restaurants. The outside is painted in black and gives it that sexy yet edgy look that has you wondering is it a cake shop or another type of purveyor of pleasure shop.
Les Gateaux/Cakes
Hugo and Victor had me at the macaroons, the trays looked so inviting from the pavement and well the door was already opened it seemed rude not to at least enter and have a quick look (ahem!) My quick looked turned into open mouth drooling of the many displays inside of patisseries: religieuse, eclair, fraisier – I wondered what Marie would have made of it all. Given her unlimited budget she might have bought the entire contents of the shop and made Hugo and Victor her personal patisserie chefs. Back to reality and with my limited means and a need to keep my waistline I settled for a few macaroons: lemon, salted caramel one and something else. Then in a foodie tribute and revolutionary way I meandered down to Le Palais Royal with its beautiful arcades and garden to eat my macaroons like a well healed peasant – after all queen’s don’t eat and walk in public!
Where? A few shops around Paris, I went to the one in Marché St Honore – 7 rue Gomboust 75001 Paris
How? Metro Line 1 (Tuileries)
Open when? 6 days a week 10h30 to 14h30 and then 15h30 to 19h (20h on a Saturday)
Website: http://www.hugovictor.com
