There’s a reason UNESCO declared French cuisine a “world intangible heritage.” As the capital of France, Paris attracts the best chefs, pastry chefs, and chocolatiers, and they put their own modern spin on classical French pastry. Paris is where centuries-old tradition and contemporary trends come together to create the sweetest surprises. In the last few years, a new generation of chic, modern sweet shops has joined the veteran pastry institutions. Just like the greatest fashion designers, the pastry chefs behind them create new collections based on the seasons, the ingredients available to them, and certain topics or themes. Traditional pastries are reinterpreted, and the shapes, colors, and flavors are updated constantly, a reflection of global trends and styles. The City of Light is full of exquisite pastry shops, excellent bakeries, and top-notch chocolate shops. Ask locals where to find the best baguette, and you’re sure to get as many answers as the number of people you asked. Over the past few years, I’ve been thrilled to have the chance to share the knowledge that I’ve gathered from others through my book, The Best Patisseries in Paris: A Guide to Cake and Sweet Shops, the first Hebrew-language guide to Paris’ pastry shops, as well as through the tours that I lead with Gali, my wife and colleague, of patisseries and chocolateries, tearooms and delicatessens. With these tours, I’m able to introduce visitors to a whole culture, which includes within it fascinating stories about the history of France in general and Paris in particular. It’s not unusual for us to hear from readers and visitors that the stories we told them about French sweets connect them to another angle of Paris they previously knew. By way of this blog, I invite you to join me on a tour of Paris’ best pastry and chocolate shops and the stories behind them for a journey that will, I’m sure, shed a sparkling new light on the City of Light.