Tea Time by Cedric Grolet at Le Meurice: trompe l'œil pastries and reinvented savory bites — our review

The tea time is never just a ritual: it tells the story of a place, a heritage, a way of life. At the Meurice, Paris's first palace to welcome British travelers as early as 1835, Cedric Grolet reinvents the tradition with a subtle balance between honoring the codes and sparking creativity. The Restaurant Le Dalí, envisioned by Philippe Starck, provides a bright, open setting for this pause, where every detail—light, furnishings, the waiters’ choreography—contributes to the poetry of the moment.

The savory course, the opening act of this tea time, plays with textures and contrasts. The jambon-beurre truffé revisits the Parisian classic with 12-month-aged ham, brown butter infused with truffle oil, and a soft, homemade bread. The lobster roll, light and airy, pairs lobster with a subtly tangy mayonnaise. The saumon effiloché, still pearly and lemony, rests on a multigrain Viennese bread and is crowned with caviar.

Then the service shifts to the sweets, with a hand-forged silver tree unveiling the season's sculpted fruits—yuzu, apple, mango, peanut, pistachio, pecan nuts—and the famous trompe-l’œil pastries, like tiny, colorful edible jewels. Madeleines, brioche, cakes and scones, hot from the oven, perfume the room and invite an immediate, generous, comforting tasting.

For €95, the break includes a hot drink (coffee, tea, or hot chocolate), champagne available as an add-on. Bridging English tradition and French creativity, the Meurice tea time is savored as a refined moment, where indulgence is enjoyed with precision and elegance.

• To be read
• This week's top picks in Paris and Île-de-France, June 22–28, 2026

Our take:

Behind its delicate veneer, this tea time hides a serious eye for detail—and a generous spirit. Here, arrive with an empty stomach: the experience is best savored on an empty tank, or you’ll miss the full effect.

On the savory front, three sandwiches per person, and they’re no mere props. The lobster, tucked into a flawlessly fresh brioche, goes for the sea breeze: juicy meat, well-seasoned mayo, a hint of chive vinaigrette that wakes everything up. Best to start with this, as its balance hinges on that immediate freshness. A more divisive note is the faux lobster roll with salmon flakes and caviar: a tide a bit too high, fish-forward in flavor, that can numb the palate and cast shade over the caviar rather than illuminate it—better saved for later, or taken in small tastes. The ham–comté–truffle option remains the most approachable: the truffle comes through without being overpowering, avoiding palate saturation with bold notes too early.

Then the eye glides to the tree—a jewel of a display case, sculptural and refined—where six miniature fruits mature for each guest: a fruity trio (red apple, passion fruit, mango) and a coque trio (peanut, pistachio, pecan). There’s no fixed tasting order: guests roam freely among plush, fresh desserts punctuated by compotes and chunks, and more nostalgia-tinged creations around dried fruits, with pastry-like textures, nearly praline-like.

The plate service rounds out with warmth: sugar tart, kouglof, scone with pear jam, marble cake, madeleine… everything is served minute, still warm, by a chef who moves from table to table. The approach is generous and unrestrained: here, a favorite can be asked for again without hesitation—and it would be a shame to hold back.

Two drinks per person—one hot, one cold—along a fine variety. Special mention for the lattés, more imaginative than usual for this kind of venue.

In a subdued light and intimate setting (with a fairly contemporary playlist during our visit), this tea time champions abundance and surprise, with table service that delivers a little “pleasure” moment at each pass.

Best for an unbridled indulgent pause or a celebratory occasion. However, purists of a very traditional tea time or those with light appetites may find it a touch too lavish—here, you come to be carried along, not just nibble. And if you overindulge along the way, doggy bags are offered to extend the pleasure without sacrificing anything.

This test was conducted as part of a professional invitation. If your experience differs from ours, please let us know.