Patisserie Poupon: Cakes and Chocolate

Posted by Edmund in Bakeries & Sweets, Washington, DC | 3 comments

Best Bakery in DC.
1645 Wisconsin Avenue Northwest, Washington, DC 20007.

I was really craving a true French-style pastry the other day—something like a croissant or a mini-tart/cake. Unfortunately, while the Georgetown area is a phenomenal area for baked goods, those treats mostly fall into the typical range of American staples—brownies, cookies, cupcakes, etc.

And that’s where Patisserie Poupon, my absolute favorite bakery/café in the city, comes into the picture. Breaking with the more typical fare of the area, Patisserie Poupon goes against the grain, dishing out some of the most classic French treats in a city that really doesn’t seem to appreciate those treats too much. Gone are the overpriced cupcakes, the overabundance of sugar, and the lack of presentational flair of the other bakeries. Instead, Patisserie Poupon serves up perfectly flaky croissants, beautifully delicate miniature cakes, and melt-in-your mouth, rainbow-colored macaroons.

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It only serves as a testament to Patisserie Poupon’s greatness that it’s survived and even thrived for so long. Again, DC isn’t really known for French goods, and yet Patisserie Poupon has been around for over a decade (from what I’ve heard). Nor does it have the greatest location. While it’s on Wisconsin Ave., it’s a bit too far up to have the same locational presence that some of the other bakeries of the area have. And yet, it still draws the crowds, with people coming early in the morning to pick up fresh loaves of bread, at lunch for the fresh sandwiches, and throughout the day for the divine croissants.

For good reason, too. While the interior is rather small, it is very cozy, especially with its bright lighting and friendly staff. It’s a very nice, simple place to have a lunch or snack, compared to most other bakeries in the DC area, where there’s either no seating, or it’s on the overly “trendy” cutesy side. Instead, you’re served in wicker baskets, sit on wooden chairs, and see almost no decoration except for the beautiful displays of treats.

More importantly, the treats are unmatched. The cakes, while not quite as wonderful as the croissants (which are so good they deserve their own review!), are properly made. There are some flavors, which I’m not the biggest fan of, but regardless of the flavor itself, the cake is always made properly—never overly sweet, always melt-in-your-mouth delicate, and never dry or stale. These are just simple cake fundamentals, and Patisserie Poupon really nails them.

Moreover, the flavors typically work well—chocolates and hazelnuts, strawberries and cream, chocolate and coffee, etc. Patisserie Poupon not only manages to utilize a whole range of diverse flavors (coffee, nuts, fruits, chocolate, etc.) in its treats, but also to take ingredients which are very flavorful on their own and integrate them into an even more flavorful synthesis. They appreciate synergy and balance.

To be fair, the other treats don’t quite fare as well as the cakes. The sandwiches are great, but nothing I’d really go out of my way to have. I do like the unique combinations, like salmon and brie, and the bread is, of course, always a wonderfully delicious French baguette. Still, they can seem boring at times, especially in comparison to the divine baked goods.

I also wasn’t overly impressed by the éclair. On the positive side, it is served thin and long rather than big and clunky, so it has a somewhat elegant look to it. And interestingly enough, it’s not a traditional filled pastry. Instead, Patisserie Poupon takes the éclair shell, slices it in half, and then spreads a whole layer of cream in between. I like the concept—theoretically, by spreading the cream on the inside like that, it would help to preserve the dough from getting soggy during the baking process. Still, the flavor of my chocolate éclair just wasn’t there, in comparison to the intensity of the other chocolate treats.

Overall, then, Patisserie Poupon is a fantastic place to grab some coffee and a slice of cake or a croissant. I can’t recommend everything in the bakery, but what I can say is that you will not be disappointed with the quality of the goods, which is far and above what you’ll find in most places in the city. Oh, and you also won’t have to pay an arm and a leg for it (i.e. $3 for a cupcake!)—$1 for a croissant or cookie and a few bucks for a mini-cake, count me in!

What I had:

1. The “Royale”: chocolate mousse, crunchy hazelnut feuilletine, chocolate meringue): This is one of those cakes that’s so beautiful that you know it just has to taste great. It has wave-like rippled running throughout the top, and it has a lot of color for something so simple (chocolate and hazelnut), especially because the top has been dusted/polished with cocoa powder, which also adds a lot of flavor. It’s also layered very nicely: a very crunchy hazelnut wafer on the bottom, a layer of pure dark chocolate in the middle, and finally a mousse-like layer of semi-dark or dark milk chocolate. The texture is, of course, an absolute pleasure, although the crunch can be offsetting at times, since it’s very reminiscent of a candy bar. I like the firm creaminess of the mousse especially, as it’s hard enough that you can eat this pastry like a real cake, but soft enough to melt in your mouth. And, most importantly, the cake is huge on flavor. Whereas most similar cakes overshadow the nut in favor of the chocolate, here you get a great balance, especially because the hazelnut gets a layer devoted just to itself. It also leaves a delicious, long, semi-sweet cocoa aftertaste. 4.4/5.0. Very complex, very nicely made, and bold in flavor.
2. Opera (almond cake, chocolate ganache, coffee buttercream): I had just a sample of this one, but I was really impressed by just well-made it was. The almond cake helps to give it a rather neutral flavor, making room for the stronger chocolate and coffee. The chocolate ganache and coffee buttercream give the whole cake a nice creaminess that helps unite all the flavors. And best of all, neither the chocolate nor the more subtle coffee is overwhelming in any way. Rather, each come through consistently, so that in every bite, you can taste both the chocolate and the coffee. 4.3/5.0
3. Baguette with Smoked Salmon and Brie: This is a nice flavor combination, though it’s somewhat boring. The baguette itself is served cold, but it is still very chewy, with a nice slight hardness to it on the outside. There’s even an extra coating of oil on the inside to give the dough both some flavor and even more softness. I feel it’s a bit too doughy for the sandwich, and it could be softer, but it’s rather good. The ingredients themselves also combine well, though they are simple. Not much salmon is provided—which is a shame—but it does mean the sandwich isn’t too salty or too fishy in any way. And the brie is a very balanced flavor, with a nice rich consistency that just makes it a great compliment to the much sharper taste of the salmon. As for the problems, I’d again just point out the ingredients—this sandwich really does the bare minimum, even if it does it well. 3.3/5.0
4. Hot Chocolate: Considering just how good everything at this shop is, I was hugely disappointed by this behemoth hot chocolate. While it’s a very generous portion, it’s extremely small on flavor. The chocolate is, in fact, so subtle, that I felt like I was drinking milk more than chocolate. And it was on the slightly frappy side, so I’m sure lots of milk had been added, diluting the taste of the chocolate. 1.0/5.0. I took two sips and put it down for good.
5. Chocolate Éclair: And because the éclair is so thin and the shell firm, it’s not going to fall apart like most éclairs in America do. As for flavor, the chocolate cream stands out—it has the texture of a really airy mousse, with a nice, rich, and pronounced cocoa to it that gives this éclair some substance and flavor (unlike most, which have horrible, whipped cream-like, flavorless fillings). Still, the shell came off as far too firm to really blend well with the chocolate, nor did the dough have much flavor or add much to the creation. The chocolate glaze on top added a strong dark chocolate punch, but otherwise the shell was really just show for the cream. 3.6/5.0

What I’ve had before (Not formally evaluated. Recommendations in bold):

1. Strawberry Marzipan cake: The specialty of the house, but really not my favorite. The marzipan portion is great. It’s a little bit sweet for me, but the cake itself is right on. The cake has a good texture and is moist and flavorful. The problem: the strawberries. They’re needed to balance the sugar, but they are boring. The batch of strawberries didn’t have any flavor at all. Still, not a bad treat overall.

Taste: 3.7/5.0
-          For the cakes: 4.2/5.0
-          Everything else: 3.0/5.0
Value: 4.0/5.0
Ambience: 3.0/5.0
Overall Score, as a bakery for cakes: 4.1/5.0
Overall Score, as a café: 3.7/5.0