Definition of Paradise: Morning is inaugurated by the mandatory sojourn to the combination tea salon/patisserie known as Laduree.

As soon as the green shutters declare the establishment open for business, those connoisseurs of Early, are there. Cozily ensconsed behind a tiny marble-topped table, waiting for a server to acknowledge one’s presence, it is hard to contain for another minute, the pent-up longing to rip into an impossibly flaky, buttery confection of a croissant.

Slathered with country butter and the most delicate of strawberry jams, the croissant declares its supremacy amongst the competing baguettes, brioches and little tea cakes. Tall, slender glasses of jus de pamplemousse , grapefruit juice both sweet and tart which taste like the South of France,float by on trays. But the glory of French Wake-Up, the café au lait, delivered in a silver pitcher, is what breaking the fast is all about.

So the day begins, but exercise a little foresight and secure your tummy’s afternoon content. Select, perhaps, a chocolate macaron or a berry tart or a moist and nutty financier, on your way out.

You might not be back until tomorrow.

Laduree
26 Rue Royale
8th Arrondisement
Metro: Madeleine
www.laduree.fr