“A La Mère de famille”, the oldest chocolatier in Paris

Rue Montorgueil, located 800 meters from Relais du Louvre, is a “hotspot” for baking and chocolate-making. We had previously talked about the oldest bakery in Paris: Stohrer (read our article). “A La Mère de famille” is probably the oldest chocolate confectioner in Paris. The store, located on 82 de la rue Montorgueil, is one of the “A La Mère de famille” confectioneries whose points of sale are exclusively Parisian. The historic store, founded in 1760, is located on 35 rue du Faubourg Montmartre.

Since 1760, the company has changed hands several times, but the owners have always sought to continue a traditional know-how that detail’s the company spirit. This is often rare as in the pastry or confectionery business, many successes become, sooner or later, motivated by financial bait that leads to industrialization. It’s incompatible with the craft and ended up killing the product. So marketing is used to boost sales.

We invite you to stop by at 82 de la rue Montorgueil because there is a collection of high quality products, emblematic of French heritage, sold in a truly authentic environment. We will show you why these products are so attractive.

First product to be tested: The chocolate assortments. Worked from the cocoa bean, they are composed of fruity or bitter black ganache, old-fashioned pralines, and almond paste. The pralines are absolutely beautiful. Even if the recipes are generally the same as the company’s first creations, they adapt to each person’s taste. For more than thirty years, “A La Mère de famille”‘s chocolate’s sugar content has been divided by 3.

The macaroons also have to be tested. Unlike the macaroons found everywhere else, this recipe includes almonds, pistachios, hazelnuts, vanilla, coffee beans… in the shell, which gives them the intense and authentic taste of the traditional recipe. The old-fashioned macaroon is recognizable by its cracked hull.

Today, almost all the French pastry chefs known worldwide for their macaroons have industrialized the manufacturing process, meaning that the products are frozen, which degrades their quality. Once you’ve tasted the A “A La Mère de famille”‘s macaroon, you won’t want anything else.

But it’s impossible to use this article to describe all these wonderful confectioneries ready to be discovered: Calissons, fruit paste, almond paste, pralines… all traditionally made, reminding us of the little treats of our childhood.

See how “A La Mère de famille” makes their macaroons and cakes:

Finally, you can continue your journey to 35, rue du Faubourg Montmartre, if you’ve been convinced by the experience. The store hasn’t changed since 1860 and is classified as a historic monument, including all the furniture from it’s time.

Have fun visiting and tasting!

A LA MERE DE FAMILLE

82, rue de Montorgueil – 75002 Paris

35, rue du Faubourg Montmartre – 75009 Paris

Open every day from 10:00 am to 7:30 pm