Yes, you read that well. Finding a great tea time, complete with salty bits, requires time and patience. Needless to say I was thrilled when one of my favorite restaurants in Paris announced that they now offer a classic or boozy tea time. Breathe is not only a cosy spot, it’s also one of the best experiences you could ever have in a restaurant : the team is simply adorable, super duper efficient and the cooking is highly inventive. Also, the menu changes at every season – so it always features products that are actually relevant to the time of year.

The gist is : a bit pricey but definitely worth it. Makes a great present, if you’re more into gifting experiences rather than physical gifts. Booking ahead is a must, as the tea time has limited quantities.
About the Tea Time itself : you can pick a hot beverage of your choice, an alcohol-free cocktail, or go for a boozier option with either Champagne or a cocktail. And then comes a three-tier cake display, with a variety of sweet pastries and two savory bites (which are always my favorite – I’m really not into sweet things usually, but I make an exception for this particular number).
Last Sunday’s menu included :

• A layer cake resembling a club sandwich, with yuzu accents and strawberry insides
• A millefeuille (or Napoleon cake), with caramel and peach inserts,
• A very cute pink vanilla and berry macaron
• A shot glass with a wonderful mango mousse and compote, topped with a coconut and white chocolate rice cake
• A hazelnut Madeleine with a citrus hint,
• The most wonderful maki, with black sesame rice, crispy tofu, shiso leaf and otherworldly smoked creme,
• And a cracker topped with a sort of tomato tube filled with a safran cream.

Needless to say it is as tasty as it sounds. I also highly recommend going for the Lavender Mule, a traditional Moscow mule with a twist, if you’re thinking about spending a very lazy Saturday or Sunday afternoon. Limited quantities also mean the restaurant is very quiet, which I find helps to have a really relaxing experience – a great place for all my fellow introverts out there.

I’m so looking forward to yet another edition of Breathe’s tea time, but I’ll try to be back before the current edition changes as I can’t get this tomato and maki goodness out of my head.