Angelina Rivoli

Angelina opened in 1903 under the arcades of Rue de Rivoli, opposite the Tuileries Garden. It was founded by the Austrian confectioner Anton Rumpelmayer and his son René, who named it after René's wife. The Belle Époque tearoom, with its marble tables, mirrors, gilded mouldings and painted frescoes, has hardly changed, and it has long been associated with fashionable Parisians, from Marcel Proust to Coco Chanel.

The house signatures are the L'Africain hot chocolate, very thick and rich, served with a pot of whipped cream on the side, and the Mont-Blanc, a meringue base topped with whipped cream and covered in strands of chestnut purée. Most visitors order one or both, and they are best shared if you plan to eat anything else. The tearoom also serves breakfast, light lunches, salads and savoury dishes, a selection of teas, and seasonal pastries from the counter. At the entrance, a shop sells chocolates, pastries, spreads and bottles of the hot chocolate to take away.

Angelina suits anyone with a sweet tooth, families with children and visitors looking for a classic Parisian tea room after the Louvre or the Tuileries. It is busy all year, especially in the afternoon, when a queue forms under the arcades. Weekday mornings are the quietest time, and the takeaway counter is a quick alternative if you only want a hot chocolate or pastry to go. Prices are high, but the portions are rich.

Allow about an hour for a sit-down visit. The tearoom accepts cards, and staff are used to international visitors. If the queue is long, it can be worth coming back at opening time the next day. In winter the hot chocolate is at its most welcome, and the boxed chocolates and pastries from the shop make popular gifts.

The tearoom is at 226 Rue de Rivoli, between Tuileries station on metro line 1 and Concorde. The Tuileries Garden is across the street, the Musée de l'Orangerie and the Place de la Concorde are a few minutes' walk west, and the Louvre is a short walk east along the arcades. The Place Vendôme and its jewellers are just behind, reached by Rue de Castiglione.