So, you’ve binge watched Netflix’s Emily In Paris and now wanting to live your best Parisian life full of fashion, fromage and fantasy- but minus all the relationship drama. Some may be sad to hear that Bristol is not Paris, however one place that might be able to lure you to stay is a patisserie that has a certain je ne sais quoi and enough to rival those of the French capital.
Bringing an assortment of baked delights from macarons to choux buns, Bristol L’éclair, which opened in June 2021, has become a haven for sweet treat lovers. Located on Whiteladies Road in Clifton, the patisserie serves up elegant, hand-decorated pastries that look almost too good to eat.
However, the pastries that sure know how to pop and would likely be on Emily’s Instagram feed are the patisserie’s éclairs. Dipped in chocolate or swirled with either a mousse, meringue or French buttercream, then intricately decorated with toppings like fudge pieces, crushed pistachio or fresh blueberries to create eye-catching designs, they take the traditional éclair to new, Instagrammable heights.
Bristol L’eclair is constantly changing up the flavours of their éclairs on their menu to suit the seasons. Their winter selection featured flavours such as blueberry; tiramisu; pistachio; Black Forest; chocolate caramel; lemon meringue; hazelnut brownie; and the classic éclair dipped in milk chocolate.
As well as their incredible éclairs, visitors to the patisserie can choose from a selection of choux buns in flavours like coconut and mango, raspberry, Nutella or passion fruit. The choux buns at Bristol L’éclair have a beautifully-crisp exterior topped with buttercream, yet are softer on the inside and filled generously with flavoured pastry creams and sometimes sweet gooey sauces and fruity centres.
And if you’re after the true Paris experience from 456km away, you can order a Paris-Brest (named after the route of cycle race that runs from Paris to Brest), a choux pastry dessert served in a ring shape filled with praline cream. It’s creamy yet crunchy and has a lovely toasted nutty flavour that’s hard to resist.
Bristol L’éclair also create celebratory bakes from éclair canapés with personalised chocolate toppers to Paris-Brests decorated with macarons that are sure to put a smile on that special person’s face.