Discover La Route des Gourmets’ gastronomic guided tour of the famous Montmartre district!
Montmartre, a picturesque district
One of Paris’s quintessential districts, Montmartre attracts a great number of tourists every year. The emblematic Sacré-Coeur basilica, located at the top of the Montmartre hillock, is in fact the second most visited monument in France after the Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral.
Home to renowned 19th- and 20th-century painters and film set, our unique guided tour of Montmartre is a great way to discover the district’s rich historical and cultural past. Thanks to our gastronomic walking tour of Montmartre, you’ll be able to discover the famous spots of Montmartre such as Place du Tertre, the Clos Montmartre vineyard, Lepic street and the cabaret Lapin Agile!
Montmartre is also a district with a rich gastronomic background. The district is packed with traditional food shops such as butchers, charcuterie, vegetable merchants, cheesemongers, pastry chefs… Our guide, an expert in food culture, will be delighted to show you the best gourmet addresses in the district, so that you can sample quality products.
Let’s take a look at some of the shops you can visit on our guided gourmet tour of Montmartre.
Une glace à Paris
Paris, the city of gourmet delights, is home to a must-visit address for fans of ice cream: Une Glace à Paris. After conquering the Marais district, this prestigious brand has now set up shop in Montmartre. According to numerous guides and food critics, it is one of the best places to enjoy an ice cream in Paris.
The story of Une Glace à Paris is the result of a collaboration between Emmanuel Ryon, winner of the title of Meilleur Ouvrier de France Glacier (best craftsman of France in ice cream), and Olivier Ménard, a talented French pastry chef. Their shared vision? To reinvent traditional French ice cream by combining traditional expertise with modern creativity.
At Une Glace à Paris, each ice cream is a symphony of flavours. The ingredients are meticulously selected: raw milk, fresh cream, seasonal fruit, Madagascan vanilla, premium chocolate, and so on. Each recipe is the result of meticulous work and a constant quest for perfection. Flavours available vary with the seasons, offering a unique gustatory experience on every visit.
Brand’s signature creations include daring, yet sophisticated flavours such as cocoa sorbet with tonka beans and chestnut honey and pecan ice cream. The classics are also reinterpreted with a touch of originality, such as intense vanilla or powerful dark chocolate.
Located in the heart of Montmartre, at 44 Rue des Abbesses, the shop provides a warm and elegant setting for a gourmet break. The decor, sober and refined, echoes the quality of the products available. Enjoy an ice cream as you stroll along, or sit back and relax on one of the deckchairs on the terrace for a guaranteed holiday atmosphere!
Une glace à Paris : 44 rue des Abbesses, 75018 PARIS
Pierre Hermé
In the heart of the picturesque Montmartre district, it’s no surprise to find the man they call “the Picasso of pastry”, the famous Pierre Hermé! A former disciple of Ladurée, Pierre Hermé left the group in 1998 to open his own boutiques across Paris and the world. He is the Parisian reference for macaroons.
When you step through the door of one of his shops, you can’t help but be amazed by the multitude of macaroons presented in a veritable pantone of colour. There’s one for every taste, from the most common flavours like vanilla, chocolate or coffee, to the most unexpected. The permanent collection is complemented by a seasonal collection that changes throughout the year. The two star products in the shop are Pierre Hermé’s signature macaroons: the iconic Ispahan, fresh and delicious with its rose, lychee and raspberry flavours, and the famous Mogador, exotic and indulgent with milk chocolate and passion fruit. You probably won’t find better macaroons than in this emblematic Parisian gourmet shop.
Where can you enjoy them? You’re in luck, Pierre Hermé has 2 shops in the Montmartre district. The first is close to Place des Abbesses, at 27 Rue des Abbesses. For the second, you’ll have to climb to the top of the Butte Montmartre and go to 13 rue du Mont-Cenis, but a macaroon this good is well worth the effort!
Pierre Hermé : 27 Rue des Abbesses, 75018 Paris et 13 Rue du Mont-Cenis, 75018 Paris
Le chocolat d’Alain Ducasse
The famous 20 Michelin-starred chef welcomes you to one of his Parisian chocolate factories. Faced with the difficulty the chef had in finding quality chocolates to serve with coffee in his restaurants, he chose to take the bull by the horns by opening his own factory producing chocolates entirely in Paris, in the 11th arrondissement. He then opened a series of boutiques in Paris to sell his chocolates to gourmets. The boutique on rue des Abbesses is one of the most aesthetically pleasing, with its sober decor inspired by the making of chocolate, where the chocolate creations are showcased like real gems.
The shop offers a wide range of chocolates, each more delicious than the next. Whether you’re a fan of intense dark chocolate, creamy milk chocolate or crunchy pralinés, you’re sure to find exactly what you’re craving. The ganaches and truffles, made with the finest ingredients, offer an explosion of flavour in every bite. The chocolate tablets, for their part, are a real trip around the world, with cocoa beans from all over the globe. The boutique also offers limited editions and exclusive creations, often inspired by the seasons or the holidays. These unique pieces, available in limited quantities, are a real godsend for chocolate lovers in search of novelty and new flavours.
Don’t miss this celebration of the very best in chocolate! And if you’re a big big foodies, do not hesitate to read our article about the best chocolate and pastry shop in Paris !
Le chocolat par Alain Ducasse : 34 Rue des Abbesses, 75018 Paris
Aux merveilleux de Fred
Indulge yourself with these little pastries from the North of France: the merveilleux. They couldn’t be more fittingly named, because they are indeed little marvels! Tasty and light, these pastries are made continuously throughout the day, right in front of you in the shop. Made with a crunchy yet soft meringue, topped with flavoured whipped cream and meringue or chocolate chips, they come in 6 flavours each year, with one seasonal flavour. Dark or white chocolate, coffee, cherry or speculoos (biscoff), there’s something to satisfy every palate.
The shop itself is a feast for the eyes. Each boutique is decorated with a gigantic chandelier and brown marble counters. From the fully glazed window, admire the skilled hands of the artisans as they create their marvellous creations before your very eyes. You can have them to go, but we dare you not to succumb to the temptation of devouring them straight away! They’re very light and small, and can be eaten in one or two mouthfuls for the sweet tooth among you!
In addition to the Merveilleux, try one of their delicious plain, sugar or chocolate chip brioches, the famous “cramique”. They’re baked all day long, and you’ll probably be lucky enough to taste one still warm from the oven – a delight that words can’t describe!
Aux Merveilleux de Fred : 2 Rue Lepic, 75018 Paris
A la mère de famille
Take a trip back in time by visiting the oldest confectionery in Paris. A la mère de famille is a shop with traditional charm, stocked from floor to ceiling with all sorts of delicious sweet treats ideal for both children and adults!
The shop in Montmartre is not the first to have opened its doors: in 1761, Pierre Jean Bernard opened a shop at 35 rue du Faubourg Montmartre in the 9th arrondissement of Paris. The confectionery then expanded and opened shops all over Paris. From the very beginning, the brand stood out for the quality of its products and its attention to detail. The shop, with its authentic woodwork and timeless charm, quickly became a popular spot for Parisians.
The brand takes its name from the mother of the family, a central figure in the society of the time, symbolising the transmission of traditions and expertise.
In 2017, A La Mère de Famille teamed up with another emblem of Parisian expertise: the oldest Parisian pastry shop Stohrer, the inventors of the famous baba au rhum. Thanks to this collaboration, you can enjoy the products of both brands in the same place!
Everything in this shop is designed to delight your taste buds: traditional candies, chocolate, marzipan, calissons, caramels, éclairs, and of course the famous baba au rhum!
A la mère de famille 23 rue Lepic 75018 PARIS
Pâtisserie Gilles Marchal
Gilles Marchal worked in many famous establishments such as the Bristol, the Plaza Athénée, La Maison du Chocolat… before deciding to open his own shop in Montmartre, on rue Ravignan. Here he presents his creations: chocolate éclair, opera, Viennoiseries, macaroons…
Gilles Marchal also offers a real mille-feuille, assembled to order and melting in the mouth ! Don’t miss out on the delicious madeleines, with flavours ranging from the most classic to the most original!
As you can see, this pastry shop is a must on our culinary tour of Montmartre!
Pâtisserie Gilles Marchal : 9 Rue Ravignan, 75018 Paris
As you have seen, the district of Montmartre is really a good place to enjoy french culinary specialties. If you are interested, you can contact us and book our private food tour in Montmartre district !