Stohrer

Its claim to fame is that it's Paris' oldest patisserie. Established in 1725 when King Louis XV's new wife, the Polish Maris Leszczynska's father's pastry chef followed her to Versailles. Five years later, Nicolas Stohrer, the Polish King Stanislas' former pastry chef, opened this shop on rue Montorgueil. They are famous here for their Baba Au Rhum which they once served to the Versailles court. The fine pastry shop remains as an anchor in this street both as a reminder of its storied past and also its current burgeoning reputation as one of Paris' trendier neighborhoods. There is no place in which to sit and enjoy your pastry in the shop, so it's buy-and-eat-on-your-way-out or take-home. But many Parisians will make a detour on their Saturday shopping days or on their way home from work just so they can pick up a few sweet treats from this historical pastry bakeshop.