I found out about L’Éclair from Lisbon’s Time Out magazine, and the instant I read about it I thought that the one thing Lisbon didn’t need at all was one more French patisserie. Also, that I didn’t like éclairs.
But then I decided to go there, besides it being one more French patisserie, I was very pleased with the ones Lisbon already had. So why not give it a try? And what a delicious try! First, the place has the ambiance of a true Parisian patisserie. Second, I was overwhelmed by the flavours of those éclairs. They’re crispy, dry, soft and deliciously flavoured! They are so many to name, but so far my favorites are the caramel (caramel cream with salted butter, caramel glacé and Guerande flower sea salt) and the Grand Cru (chocolate cream Grand Cru and gold leaf). So, just by the description you know that Matthieu Croiger, the very friendly French owner, is very serious about delivering the best French pastries in Lisbon. There are around 11 sweet éclairs, plus the special edition ones. And they also make very good macarons.
Another thing they are getting famous for is their thematic window displays. The Christmas and Valentine’s day displays are a huge success!
For drinking it’s possible to pick from champagne, wine, coffee or tea, which is none other than the Mariage Frères selection. All of these sound too chic and very expensive. And I guarantee it’s not cheap, but it’s so good that it’s worth the treat!
