Le Jardin Sucré

Like many travelers, we couldn't wait to indulge in the world of French pastries, exploring everything from the historic grandeur of Stohrer (we found the pastries a bit on the bland side despite the beauty of the shop inside—breathtaking!), to the Insta-famous creations at Cedric Grolet Opera (we skipped the long-lines and prices there), and even the ubiquitous Ladurée (fun fact: their macarons are frozen and not fresh, so we passed). While our search for great pastries and croissants in Paris kept erring on the bland side (we know there are amazing spots we haven’t tried yet except the macarons at Epicure and breads at Le Cinq and Maison Lameloise which were amazing) and making us nostalgic for One65 in San Francisco—our favorite compared to the ones we tried, we stumbled upon a gem that simply blew us away—Le Jardin Sucré.

Located at 156 Rue de Courcelles in Paris's 17th arrondissement, Le Jardin Sucré may not be in the heart of the tourist hustle, but it's worth the trek. We had the incredible fortune of meeting a renowned Parisian food writer after our trip who shares our love for this spot—her personal thumbs up made us even more confident in what we found as we could have been biased based on our longing to find a spot before leaving France.

Inside this cozy shop, owned by Mélanie and Arnaud Mathez, we discovered a lineup of artful, focused creations: macarons, cookies, pastries, and hot chocolates, etc. Though small (it can only fit 4-5 customers at a time with just a few green tables outside on the street), this place had a steady stream of locals—a potential good sign we’d landed somewhere special but a bit reserved as we felt this way at Mamiche but left underwhelmed by their croissants as it tasted on the bland side despite the perfect structure and craftsmanship of the croissants. We walked out with 6 macarons, 3 pastries, and 2 hot chocolate mixes to go, eager to dive in.

The moment we bit into that first macaron; I swore a few times. Each macaron was perfectly crisp, and chewy on the outside, and the inside dissolved like liquid, bursting with the intense flavor of perfectly ripe lemon, or fresh pistachio. We ate all 6 macarons within minutes while walking saying goodbye to each macaron like a precious piece of jewelry. We were smiling from ear to ear. We did it! We found a place! #%$^#*^!

That night, back at our hotel, we unwrapped our pastries—a delicate pistachio-orange blossom tart, a tropical "Victoria" with coconut, pineapple, and passionfruit, and a third seasonal delight I couldn’t quite recall. The secret to Le Jardin Sucré’s creations lies in their simplicity and freshness. Each ingredient shines, providing pure, vibrant flavors without the heaviness that often accompanies rich pastries. While milk, eggs, gluten, and gelatin are used for structure and cohesion, it’s never in the foreground in the taste. What you taste are the ripeness and tartness of the fruits, the toastiness of the nuts, and the lightness in the amalgamation of all of these flavors. It’s like getting hit in the face with flavors but never feeling heavy.

Even the hot chocolates (incredibly rich and deep in flavor without the overly sugariness of most hot chocolates), now being enjoyed at home, outshone other famous shops like Angelina (yes, we tried it to see what the big deal was and it was okay) by a mile. We’re crossing our fingers they open a shop in San Francisco so that these unforgettable flavors will be closer for annual visits.

So, if you find yourself near L'Arc de Triomphe or the 17th arrondissement, take a detour to Le Jardin Sucré. We’ve found our new macaron and pastry benchmark and can’t wait to go back!