Gérard Mulot

In 1975 Gérard Mulot, who’d started as an apprentice baker in his native Lorraine at 14, bought a little bakery in Saint Germain des Prés and turned it into one of the city’s finest boulangerie/pâtisseries. He later expanded his offerings as a traiteur, adding prepared foods, pâtés, terrines, flaky quiches, salads and sandwiches. He and his wife now run a very busy boutique on the rue de Seine that’s always packed with regulars as well as passersby who are stopped in their tracks by the mouth-watering pastries in his windows. The delicious prepared foods and viennoiseries—croissants, brioches, pains au chocolats and more—take up about half the space; the rest is filled with Mulot’s heavenly macarons, cakes, fruit tarts and irresistible pastries, including the Mabillon, with caramel mousse and apricot preserves on an almond tuile, and the Magie Noire, an indulgence of rich chocolate garnished with hazelnuts. There’s also a wonderful selection of chocolates, with seasonal fillings that might include the succulent mûre-mûres (blackberry), pineapple, lemon, tarragon, or a spearmint so fresh-tasting it’s like nibbling on a mint leaf. Mulot also makes traditional chocolate bells at Easter filled with smaller sweet treasures. Pastries and chocolates are made at Mulot’s second shop in the 13th arrondissement, and a third boutique opened in the Marais in 2007.

76 rue de Seine, 6th. 01.43.26.85.77

93 rue de la Glacière, 13th. 01.45.81.39.09

6 rue du Pas de la Mule, 3rd. 01.42.78.52.17