The queue is part of the product now. Here is how to spend as little time in it as possible and still leave with the piece you came for.
Paris counters sell limited numbers of their famous pieces, and the queue forms before opening on weekends. The rules are simple and the exceptions are the point.
When to arrive
For the sculpted fruit at La Pâtisserie du Meurice, twenty minutes before noon on a weekday, an hour on a Saturday. For the croissant at Cédric Grolet Opéra, before nine. For Mori Yoshida, a weekday morning; Sunday sells out by one. For Le Comptoir, early afternoon on a weekday, when the shop is empty and the cakes are still there.
When to order online
Whole cakes, galettes in January, bûches in December and Easter eggs are ordered online or by telephone a week ahead at almost every house in this guide; the counter then hands you a box past the queue.
When to walk
If the queue is longer than twenty minutes, walk: Stohrer never has one, Bontemps has a garden, Maison Aleph is three streets from the Marais crowds. The Sweet Route plans the day so the queue falls at the right hour.
Try it
Sweet RouteChoose a city, one to three days and a pace.Dessert RouletteThirty-two signature desserts on a wheel.Frequently asked questions
How early should I queue for Cédric Grolet?
Twenty minutes before opening on a weekday at the rue de Castiglione counter, an hour on weekends; the Opéra boutique is calmer after three.
