Things have gotten sweeter on Robson Street. L’Éclair de Génie, a Parisian pastry shop that only sells éclairs, has opened their 1st North American retail location at 1210 Robson Street in Vancouver. I attended a sneak peak of L’Éclair de Génie Vancouver before they opened doors to the public last week.
Disclosure: I was invited to a media event. All food and drinks in this review were complimentary.
The founder of L’Éclair de Génie is Christophe Adam whose remarkable career has taken him from Michelin-starred restaurants in London to a burgeoning career as a luxury food purveyor with boutiques in Paris and Tokyo. Chef Adam has opened L’Éclair de Génie stores in Japan, Hong Kong, and Moscow, and the one in Vancouver will be the first L’Éclair de Génie in North America. Chef Adam has been in Vancouver to launch his new location in Vancouver and was at the media event to share his passion of éclairs with us.
When you walk into L’Éclair de Génie, you can expect to be met immediately with a tantalizing display of éclairs. They have over 257 flavours of éclairs and each is assigned a number. Around 10 or so flavours are available each time and these rotate regularly. The éclairs are presented with their French name followed by an English translation of the ingredients. Prices for the éclairs around around $6 – $7.
After sampling a few of the flavours, I found my favourites to be the Yuzu, Chocolate Grand Cru (chocolate cream) and Vanilla Pecan. The presentation of the éclairs was top notch but I was also impressed with how fresh, smooth, and delicious the cream filling was. I loved how it wasn’t too sweet and that the cream filling flavour wasn’t too overpowering. A very satisfying treat that is bound to delight. Also notable was the “I Love Vancouver” éclair with a maple cream filling; I quite enjoyed the more subtle maple syrup flavour.
Aside from éclairs, customers will also find an assortment of chocolate bonbons. You can pick and choose the ones that you want to customize your perfect box of bonbons.
And why not enjoy your delicious treats right inside the cafe? L’Éclair de Génie is also a cafe where you can grab an espresso-based drink (hot or cold) or tea to pair with your éclair. Drinks run the gamut of cappuccino, iced americano to Earl Grey tea.
I had an iced latte and it was absolutely delicious and refreshing. Rich in flavour but more on the milky side rather than espresso (which I personally like). I highly recommend it.
Overall Impression
L’Éclair de Génie is certainly a fun, delicious addition to the Vancouver food scene. With so many flavours to try, I’d be happy to revisit the shop regularly and enjoy a treat in their lovely cafe.
Facebook: @leclairdegenieca