Le Figaroscope is Figaro newspaper’s weekly culture and dining magazine. Aside from being in French (obviously), much of the best content of its online edition is also behind Le Figaro’s paywall, known as Premium Figaro. So if you don’t want to buy the paper edition (which comes out on Wednesdays), you can subscribe online for €9.99/month (the first month is €1, you can cancel any time). It’s not such as bad deal for those of you who are always looking for the latest Paris news and culture. To give you a little “goûter” I thought I’d present the results of their latest blind taste test for the best pistachio ice cream in Paris.
The Top Ten Best Places in Paris for Pistachio Ice Cream by Le Figaroscope
1. Pierre Geronimi (5, rue Férou, 6th)
2. Pozzetto (39 rue Roi de Sicile, 4th)
3. Jacques Génin (133 rue de Turenne, 3rd)
4 (tie). Berthillon (29-31 rue Saint-Louis-en-Ile, 4th)
4 (tie). Martine Lambert (39 rue Cler, 7th)
6. Il Gelato di Marchese (3 rue des Quatre Vents, 6th)
7. Grom (16 rue Vieille du Temple, 4th)
8 (tie). Le Bac à Glaces (109 rue du Bac, 7th)
8 (tie). La Glacerie (13 rue du Temple, 4th)
10. Yann Couvreur (23bis Rue des Rosiers, 4th)
(the runners-up from 11 to 20 are also listed in the full article behind a paywall)
The winners were chosen in a blind taste test with Le Figaro food correspondents based on certain criteria: aspect, taste, texture, and price-quality ratio (all itemized in the article, see partial screenshot below).
If you want to check out the winner, Pierre Geronimi has an adorable little Paris shop between Luxembourg Gardens and Place St-Sulpice, open Tuesday-Sunday 9:30am-7:30pm. It’s right across the street from a wall decorated with the whimsical text of the Arthur Rimbaud poem Le Bateau Ivre.
Pozzetto has been one of my favorite ice cream shops in Paris ever since David Lebovitz directed me there back in 2006. I never liked the fluorescent green pistachio ice cream of my childhood, but when I first tasted Pozzetto’s, I was sold (I probably converted a few hundred other people into pistachio lovers over the years by dragging them there, too). I still have a soft spot for this Italian gelateria, even when the line goes down the block.
Jacques Génin would have won hands-down if he hadn’t scored so low on the price-quality ratio (€6 for a scoop), so up to you whether price is an issue or not. I usually get the caramels when I’m there so I haven’t tried his ice cream yet.
The others on the list pose no surprises, with Bertillon, Grom, La Bac à Glace and Martine Lambert. What’s clear when glancing at this list is that if you really want to conduct your own taste test (and who wouldn’t?!) you could knock out most of these in one day by spending half the day around St-Germain and Rue Cler, and the other half in the Marais. If you avoid those horrid electric trotinettes and simply walk from location to location, you won’t even need to worry about the additional calories! 😊
** Note: I don’t get anything if you subscribe to Le Figaro Premium, I just think it’s a good deal and a lot of the articles I share with friends are behind their paywall. Support thorough, investigative journalism, it costs less than two scoops of ice cream from Jacques Génin!
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Hi Heather,Thank you for the tasty checklist for our upcoming return to Paris. Not sure about the half-day itinerary — I am thinking two weeks worth of gauter. Even then the challenge will be what to do about macaroons, chocolat chaud and eclairs.I also read your article on travel writing, and was especially interested in the words that you think should be avoided. You are right; they are overused. Although I have always found Hemingway's writing to be choppy and clipped, like an Edward R. Murrow broadcast. Too spare and empty for my taste. Your missive reminded me of an Elmore Leonard quote regarding the sin of adverbs. I would add "obviously" to that list. If it is in fact obvious, then…
@Laura OMG Fresh baked cookies! I'm already booking that flight in my dreams! 😀
Thanks so much for the post on Paris ice cream. I’m a Toronto baker at Forno Cultura, making a visit to Paris April 2020. Looking forward to seeing the city& eating as well as possible Your site has already been incredibly valuable for my planning. Take care. And if you ever come to Toronto pleaseStop By Forno I’ll “force” You to eat fresh baked cookies Laura