This lockdown has put us all under pressure and the prospect of indulging in some outstanding food tasting was the only comforting option I found to cope with the situation (see my recent post about The Sketch).
Perusing Instagram every time I needed some inspiration (i.e quite often) made me aware of some great places to discover whenever the occasion would finally occur. I had seen a few posts of The Connaught Patisserie in Mayfair and could not wait to step into this pink patisserie parlour and choose some of those -now renowned- signature delicacies.
At last a bit of adventure for the taste buds and a walk in London after long months of isolation. A double occasion to celebrate!!
Today, DOYOUSPEAKLONDON invits you to discover The Connaught Patisserie!

The Connaught Patisserie, Mayfair

Mayfair is just the perfect area to wander in when you’ve been missing London too much (like I did). With its charming streets, large squares, and chic boutiques, there’s much to enjoy there!

The Patisserie, nestled at the side of the Connaught hotel, has its own entrance on Mount Street. I’ve been there twice already and while there was no queue, I, unfortunately, had to settle for the limited choices due to the obvious success of the Patisserie.
The place (that opened last October) stands out with its unique interiors and warm pink hues. Everything inside is well-designed, the staff are always welcoming and friendly…and the pastries are all good looking and perfectly highlighted!

Designed as a crafted jewellery box

The Patisserie was admirably designed by London-based Ab Rogers Design. The idea was to create a chic Patisserie that “would take its inspiration from a jewellery box and aim at reflecting the exquisite delicacy of the cakes”. 

Once inside, you can’t miss the original pink, hand-blown crystal lights hanging from the ceiling, the leather benches on the sides and the intimate circular marble tables, which soon will give customers the opportunity to linger in the Patisserie and soak in the atmosphere of the place.

What deserves your attention is the sculptural clock on the wall opposite the entrance, which does not tell the time but instead shows you what has just come out of the oven given the time of the day! Ingenious and very inspiring!!

Handmade delicacies by Executive Pastry Chef Nicolas Rouzaud

The Connaught Patisserie opens at 8 am on weekdays to serve morning coffees and croissants, followed by handcrafted cakes, gateaux and Laurent-Perrier Champagne in the afternoon. All creations are made by Nicolas Rouzaud, a french Pastry Chef who made his way and gained his reputation after working in some of the most luxurious hotels in Paris and London. 

Arrived in mid-afternoon, I came back home with a selection of fruity and chocolate cakes to satisfy all palates, as well as I opted for the trio of savoury delicacies (because they were irresistible too!).
Once the boxes opened, I just had a few minutes to take photographs as the wow effect resulted in my kids getting impatient to eat!!
We started with the Smoked Salmon Paris-Brest, Sour Cream (top right of the above picture), which did not disappoint although we thought the sour cream was a bit too dominant while we’d rather have more salmon…
The Cecina & Parmesan Tart (above picture) was just perfect: a treat for the eyes and a true delight. Lots of strong flavours from the South which we all enjoyed!

 The Organic Egg Mayonnaise Croissant, Confit Egg Yolk was maybe the most original dish: the divine texture of the croissant reminded me of Dominique Ansel’s “Cronut”, while the filling was exquisite and the aesthetic absolutely flawless. We ate it with a side salad and it was the ideal pairing.

Out of the 10 seasonal individual pastries usually available at the Patisserie, I chose 3: first, the Raspberry & Pistachio tart, because I always love this combination (I really enjoyed the smooth part with the pistachio and the intense fruity notes of the raspberry coulis on top).

Second, the Chocolate & Tonka Tart, which was exquisite: I loved the twofold association of crispiness and softness in this dessert, with a strong chocolatey flavour.

The third dessert was the Apple Tatin, which was absolutely sensational! Beautiful, scrumptious, full of flavours… I had not eaten a Tarte Tatin for a long time and this dessert was “my madeleine de Proust”, bringing out lots of memories!!

On my second visit to The Patisserie, I ordered the emblematic dessert of the hotel: the Connaughty Hound, which unfortunately did not resist the trip …
I have to confess I was not particularly seduced by this revisited chocolate hazelnut cake. I found the other desserts more original in taste and maybe less outstanding aesthetically speaking but more resistant (the fact that the Connaughty Hound arrived completely damaged -with the head off and the top layer of chocolate almost gone everywhere- quite spoiled the surprise once at home).
I have to mention here (even if I did not try it yet) that the Connaught Patisserie’s special highlight is the Chocolate Nemesis from The River Café, which is delivered daily – this is the first time the cake has been available outside of its original home. Something I have in mind for my next visit…:-)

Artwork by Tadao Ando in front of The Connaught Hotel

After getting out of the Patisserie, I discovered this artwork called « Silence », designed by Japanese architect Tadao Ando and Blair Associates in front of the Connaught Hotel. It is part of a large project « to upgrade the surrounding streets ».

Clouds of mist erupt for fifteen seconds every fifteen minutes from the base of two trees. It is quite surprising first, then completely mesmerising!

I hope you’ve enjoyed this post and found inspiration here. If you are planning to visit The Connaught Patisserie soon, please share your experience and opinion on DOYOUSPEAKLONDON’s blog!

To go further:
The Connaught Patisserie (currently open for takeaway only): Carlos Place, Mayfair, London W1K 2AL
Website
Open hours: from 8am to 6pm Monday to Friday, and from 10am to 5pm on Saturday and Sunday