An éclair au chocolat is an oblong choux pastry filled with cool dark-chocolate crème pâtissière and capped with a thin chocolate fondant. The proportions are pâtisserie 101 in Paris.
The éclair entered Parisian pâtisseries in the 1860s; the name (lightning) refers to the speed with which it is eaten. The choux-and-fondant form is often traced to Antonin Carême's early-19th-century pastry workshop. Stohrer (founded 1730, the city's oldest pâtisserie) and the postwar Parisian houses canonised the format. The contemporary éclair revival came via Christophe Adam's L'Éclair de Génie opening in 2012, which sparked a city-wide flavour-of-the-month treatment; Cédric Grolet at Opéra plates a chocolate éclair stripped back to two ingredients. Des Gâteaux et du Pain (Claire Damon) runs a refined classic.
5 editor picks for Éclair au chocolat in Paris, ranked by editorial score. All Paris signature dishes · Éclair au chocolat across every city.
Des Gâteaux et du Pain ★ 4.6
63 Boulevard Pasteur, 75015 Paris
Claire Damon's Des Gâteaux et du Pain in Paris's 15e is the pastry-architect shop where every tart is signed off as a numbered edition, on display.
Cédric Grolet Opéra ★ 4.5
35 Avenue de l'Opéra, 75002 Paris
Cédric Grolet Opéra in Paris is the chef's lemon-fruit-and-flowers museum: every cake a sculpted trompe-l'œil fruit, priced at €18 to €25 a piece.
Stohrer ★ 4.4
51 Rue Montorgueil, 75002 Paris
Stohrer in Paris is the city's oldest patisserie, founded in 1730 by Nicolas Stohrer who served Marie Leszczyńska at Versailles. Open daily 07:30-20:30.
Boulangerie Pâtisserie l'Équilibre ★ 4.4
108 Rue Blomet, 75015 Paris
Boulangerie Pâtisserie l'Équilibre in Paris's 15e occupies an 1889 Monument Historique storefront on rue Blomet. At 108 Rue Blomet. Booking recommended.
Liberté Pâtisserie Boulangerie ★ 4.3
39 Rue des Vinaigriers, 75010 Paris
Liberté Pâtisserie Boulangerie in Paris's 10e is Benoît Castel's open-kitchen counter where the bakery floor doubles as the eat-in dining room from 09:00.