Wednesday, May 06, 2009

Angelina Tea Salon


DAY 2 of a week in Paris - Monday

Le Louvre et Champs-Elysées

  • BREAKFAST: la patisserie below the apartment
  • Le Louvre
  • LUNCH: Angelina tea salon. 226 Rue de Rivoli (between Rues d'Alger and de Castiglione) - TODAY'S POST
  • Tuilleries
  • Madeleine Church & Place de la Concorde
  • Place Vendome
  • Arc de Triomphe - view Paris (daily 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.)
  • Champs-Elysées
  • DINNER: La Boutique à Sandwiches. 12 Rue du Colisée (between Rue de Ponethieu and Ave des Champs-Elysées)
  • Buddha Bar (8 rue Boissy d'Anglais, near Place de la Concorde)

The little clipping from Access Paris calls this the Rolls-Royce of tea salons, and I imagine it is.

It sits under the shady colonnade on rue de Rivoli - a fashionable and expensive street of touristy shops and hotels. This is where you're likely to pick up a sight-seeing bus for a two-hour tour of the city (a good idea to get the lay of the place). You can find nice souvenirs on this street, even not too expensively. But of course, you have to get off this tourist rue and off into your own discoveries. I have a sweet story to share from this street one day soon, my favorite Paris story.

Angelina is a nice stop after a long day along the Seine. The Tuilleries gardens are just across the street, next to the Louvre, so you can walk over there after tea, sit back in the sun for a while to rest your weary legs, and feel drops from the fountain blown by the wind while you watch children push toy sailboats with sticks.

I wish I had images of Angelina besides the napkin I took away, above, but you can read a lovely post about it at The Paris Traveler. So I will give you instead images I do have from another tea salon, across from eastern-most end of the Louvre.



These little tea stops are wonderful with a friend, but they are equally fine alone. A place to stop on a long stroll up the Seine, to write down reflections on what you just saw - because you know you'll forget. To drink a cup of tea or café crème, maybe nibble on a madeleine or croissant.

Or watch the world go by.




226 Rue de Rivoli (between Rues d'Alger and de Catiglione)
PARIS Métro: Concorde or Tuileries

13 comments:

Dakota Bear said...

Nice post as usual.

I have not experienced the tea rooms while in Paris, but I will consider it the next time I am there. I have shopped along Rue du Rivoli buying many a silk scarf. I generally stay at the Hotel du Louvre, so the shopping is in the neighborhood.

Dutchbaby said...

The font of the Angelina logo is beautiful - that round "G" next to the other hyper-angular letters. Then I scroll down and see the beautiful shot of the salon. It's subtle yet it conveys so much: the white apron of the server, the beautiful architecture across the street, the chrystal chandelier, the marble top table... Lovely, lovely.

Susan said...

Ruth, you always see things that others just pass by without a second glance. The shop scene is perfect. I wrote that with a French accent, by the way. :)

PeterParis said...

There are still some traditions in our societey which means that it's difficult for a man alone to go into these places. I would rather have to sit on a terrace as drink a cup of coffee or a glass of brouilly. :-) (But that's also quite OK.) :-)

Ruth said...

Wowie, Dakota Bear, that is one nice hotel!

We stayed once with my sister and her partner at the Intercontinental - their gift. I felt like Mrs. Gotrocks. We normally find the least expensive clean place we can.

Ruth said...

Oh, and Dakota Bear, I too have bought many scarves on rue du Rivoli, including one I wear a lot.

Ruth said...

Good eye, Dutchbaby, I love that G too, and the font.

This is a different tea salon, but it is also beautiful. Angelina is much larger than this, but also very elegant.

Ruth said...

Ah oui, Susie Q! Thank you, that is a nice thing you said about me seeing things. I do like looking.

Ruth said...

Peter, I hadn't thought about that. I usually think about it the other way around - constraints for a woman.

renaye said...

u have a very nice blog!!

Ruth said...

Thanks, Renaye.

Bogdan said...

The salon is a great place. I was crowded when I got there, probably because it was a cold rainy day;
http://yetanotherpics.blogspot.com/2009/12/angelina.html

Ruth said...

Sounds cozy though, Bogdan. Thank you for your comment.