"And now you must try the most famous ice cream of Paris." This is what Giannis said to me last Sunday, but it is most likely that any Frenchman in Paris would say the same thing...
Before we reached the characteristic crossroads on the islet of Île Saint-Louis, almost next to Notre-Dame, I realized that something was happening there... So many people and queues were forming at the different points of sale, at the satellites, around the main store of Berthillon. The famous ice cream shop had to expand to another 6-7 small shops next door - if you don't know it, you'd think it's not the same brand - to be able to serve the people who gather every day and wait patiently for an ice cream cone or the other famous ice creams confectionery. Chocolate Sombre, Tatin, Vacherin and Belle Hélène ice cream…
The ice cream parlor became famous in 1961 when French restaurant critics Henri Gault and Christian Millau wrote about "this amazing ice cream parlor, hidden in a bistro on the Ile Saint-Louis."
Raymond Berthillon, the owner, had said of course when it became known that the first and most demanding critics of the ice cream were the students of the island school, located on the Seine River...
Since then its ice cream has been mentioned in many guides as the best in Paris, remaining a favorite habit of Parisians despite the tourist queues that now gather in winter and summer, except in July and August when the main and satellite Berthillon shops remain closed!
The story of the Berthillon family began in 1954, when Raymond Berthillon decided to try hand-made ice creams in his cafe at Rue Saint-Louis 31. They were a huge success and word of his success soon spread.
His grandchildren and son-in-law, Bernard Chauvin, followed in his footsteps, making ice creams and sorbets by hand to preserve their original taste. The chef goes to the market at dawn to stock up on fresh ingredients. Whole milk, cream and eggs are then turned into vanilla, caramel, coffee and hazelnut flavored ice creams. These delicious flavors sit side by side with wild strawberry, pear and apricot sorbet.
Berthillon has now become a leading international brand. Today, the company is owned and operated by the Chauvin family, descendants of the eponymous Monsieur Berthillon, who since 1954 operated a restaurant called “Le Bourgogne”.
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