If you can only have one flavour at Berthillon, make sure it is the wild strawberry ice cream (Photo: Berthillon)
In Europe, ice cream as a traveller’s indulgence is more often than not associated with Italy. After all, gelato is inextricably linked to the country and its birthplace of Florence whereas Paris has always been more about macarons and mignardises than, say, a scoop of vanilla with sprinkles. Savvy insiders will disprove that misconception, however, with the whisper of a single name: Berthillon.
Located on an island in the heart of Paris (yes, there are two islands, both special and unmissable places), Berthillon may be found on the Île Saint-Louis (the other island, Île de la Cité is home to Notre Dame Cathedral). Getting here requires a little legwork: the physical kind. If you despise Parisian gridlock traffic, Shanks’ pony is truly the only way to go. Four bridges connect the island to the rest of the city on both sides of the River Seine while the Pont Saint-Louis links it to the Île de la Cité.
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Once on Île Saint-Louis, simply locate the end of a very long queue and, before you know it, you would have found Berthillon. A Parisian institution, the ice cream parlour remains proudly family-owned ever since it was founded in 1954 by Raymond Berthillon. The list of flavours is an intoxicating read. Safe choices include traditional favourites such as vanilla, white chocolate, pistachio, Creole (rum and raisin) and hazelnut as well as extra-bitter cocoa, green apple and salted butter caramel while the more exciting options are Agenaise (Armagnac and prunes), roasted pineapple with fresh basil and blood orange. It is, however, Berthillon’s legendary fraise des bois (wild strawberry) that has been the house specialty for close to 70 years now.
What catapulted Berthillon into fame from a popular but under-the-radar neighbourhood ice cream parlour was a chance visit in 1961 by two young journalists, Henri Gault and Christian Millau (the duo would go on to establish and publish their venerable and eponymous restaurant guide). Their article, published in the Guide Julliard de Paris, hailed Berthillon as “this astonishing ice cream shop hidden in a bistro on the Ile Saint-Louis”.
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The ice creams and sorbets are all made in-house, without chemicals, artificial sweeteners or stabilisers, using only the finest, freshest ingredients. The snaking queues are for the ice creamery, where you order a cup or cone to be enjoyed under the Parisian sun. If you prefer, there is also a lovely adjoining tea room where you can sit, be served and savour a true sundae in style. Pick from a coupe simple (one flavour) to a double, triple or quadruple. You have a choice of chocolate or raspberry sauce, but extra Chantilly cream is a must. There are, of course, other treats on the menu in the form of baked goods such as Tarte Tatin, soft dark chocolate cake with candied orange and chocolate-walnut brownies but, unless you have a high threshold for sweets or are confident of walking off the sugary high, it is best to stick to the ice creams.
Berthillon, 29-31 Rue Saint-Louis, Paris. See more here.
This article first appeared on Aug 1, 2022 in The Edge Malaysia
