Welcome to L'Île Aux Fees

Maison Boissier is an emblem of French gastronomy and art of living “à la française”.

Beloved by the sweet tooth of old and young since 1927, the house was a favorite of Victor Hugo, Emily Zola and Alexandre Dumas. Its now legendary creations were already highly sought after by the well-to-do in Paris of the past century and continue to delight us up to this day!

The Maison Boissier boutique Rue du Bac, in the 7th arrondissement, is just as elegant as its products. With its chandelier, large mirrors, golden lettering, candlesticks and wooden drawers, the atmosphere is intimate and refined. Its slightly nostalgic feel makes us travel back in time, an exquisite moment of peace into a world of pleasure and beauty.

Passionate and skilled, Bélissaire Boissier, founder of the institution has marked history by three main innovations :

Le marron glacé : Candied coated chestnuts with a vanilla flavor. It is said that this idea came to him while looking at a train car filled with chestnuts as a way to stop the decomposition process! Wrapped in golden paper, these are a great favorite at Christmas time.

Just as famous are the Bonbon boules. Pearl shaped candies made from sugar filled with fruit pulp in a variety of flavors and colors : apricot, apple, cherry, blackcurrant and raspberry. Highly fashionable in the 1840’s, the upper class loved to have such sweets at the theater.

The chocolate petals are another of Maison Boissier’s icons.  A classic revisited each season.

All beautifully presented in delicate cases evoking those of jewelry and makeup, the packaging itself is a work of art.

Opened sixteen years ago to bring back to life the charming tea parties of our youth prepared by our beloved grandmothers, Mamie Gâteaux (literally Granny’s cakes) will reawaken delightful childhood souvenirs : the smell of freshly baked cakes, the sound of dishes simmering for long hours on the stove, the smiles and laughter of endless family meals, the pleasure of a warm hot chocolate drunk in front the fireplace after school and much more…

Set in a quaint and purposely outdated decor evoking the kitchens of our grandmothers, everything is made to make you feel at home. We love the childish handwritten menu on a chalkboard, the ancient scales, the floral print wallpaper, the retro cutlery, the pendulum clock and the vintage tablecloths... The place itself has a unique flavor!

The food is all homemade and freshly baked each day. Mamie Gâteau is best known for its traditional cakes : the timeless chocolate cake, the carrot cake, the apple crumble, the lemon tart and the choux à la crème (cream puff) to name just a few. Enjoyed with a warm cup of hot chocolate, they make a perfect after-school treat for children.

Its lunch dishes are just as savory. The classic timeless quiche and salads served in generous helpings never cease to delight, generation after generation.

Last but not least, homemade jams can be purchased to enjoy for family breakfasts! Perfect gourmet souvenir to bring back from your stay in Paris!

We love the homely authentic feeling of the place. More than a tea-room, Mamie Gâteaux has a real soul! It's the mother of our childhood, the warm smile and open arms welcoming us for a tasty comforting break, a moment out of time and space! Pure joy!

Located in the heart of the 6th arrondissement, Mamie Gâteaux is close to several of our favorite boutiques for children : Bonton, Le Bon Marché and many more…

It’s teatime ! Step aside Queen Elizabeth because if you thought that was an English thing, think again. Nobody does tea better than the French and if you’re looking for la crème de la crème it’s hands down at Mariage Frères.

The colonial style tearoom will take you back in time to a period when two brothers went exploring exotic places like Ceylan and Darjeeling, searching for tea leaves.

Today, the very elegant tearoom represents a good 700 different kinds and counting. Amongst these varieties, the magical blue tea has fascinated both adults and children for years. I highly suggest ordering a “Cactus Bleu” iced tea when warm weather comes around. If you’re looking to lunch as well, the menu is simply divine and every dish shares one common ingredient : tea. You will have a hard time choosing, believe me.

And don’t even get me started on dessert. The new-age crème brûlée tarte they’ve named “Coup de soleil” (that’s sunburn in French!) will bring you back to childhood summertime, no sunscreen required!

To enjoy a peaceful break and delectable gastronomic experience with your children in the 6th arrondissement of Paris, we highly recommend Bread&Roses. True to its name, its colourful fresh flowers set against its elegant wood interior design convey a feeling of intimacy. Its welcoming atmosphere makes it the perfect spot for a relaxed family moment at any time of the day.

If the decor and level of service is flawless, the quality of the products themself is excellent too.

Freshly baked on the spot, the Boulangerie bio offers delicious homemade breads, brioches and viennoiseries as well as a gluten free range. Elaborating its unique recipes with the very best organic ingredients, breakfast at Bread&Roses is a delight. If the weather allows it, you may even be able to sit outside and catch a glimpse of the Luxembourg garden while biting into a warm crusty croissant. 

The lunch menu is just as exquisite. Offering great diversity, you will be able to enjoy beautifully presented salads made of seasonal ingredients, delicious quiches, sea food and foie gras toasts to name just a few…. For a meal on the go, we recommend a club sandwich.

The dessert card will delight your little ones too and make a perfect tea time treat. Let them taste a classic French Paris-Brest, a chocolate éclair or travel to England with British scones and sticky toffee.

If Bread&Roses has a French soul, its catering service offers an array of top quality products sourced worldwide alongside its homemade cuisine. Selecting one of each only, you will be able to shop excellent French cheese, salmon from Scotland, and even caviar! 

Enjoy a savory Parisian moment and bring back delicious gourmet food from over the world.

In between Saint Germain des Prés, the Luxembourg garden and the Quartier Latin, the neighborhood of Odéon is one of the liveliest of the 6th district. 

Named after the Odéon Theater, the eldest one in Europe which was the very first to host continental performances of Shakespeare’s plays in original English and famous for its numerous cinemas surrounding the place de l’Odéon, the area is always busy: day like night!

Its most famous café is Les Éditeurs meaning the Publishers. Both restaurant, lounge bar and most of all library, it has earned its reputation as a “literary café” and is now part and parcel of the neighborhood.

However if you wish to get off the beaten tracks and try somewhere different, here are other family friendly suggestions : two Odéon cafés in which to stop for a quick drink or enjoy a full meal.

Our second suggestion is the Relais Odéon . It is located 132 boulevard Saint Germain in the cour du commerce Saint André, a cobbled path linking Odéon with the road Saint André des Arts. Your children will love this slightly hidden, almost secret street. One has the feeling of entering a world out of time and space.

The café in itself makes one feel almost out of Paris too. Its very sober and modern interior decor blends in beautifully with its mosaic, slightly art déco pannels.

Offering family brunchs on Sunday and open all week around, we appreciate its intimitate atmosphere! 

Useful information

132, boulevard Saint Germain 75006

Phone : 01 43 29 81 80

Opening days : 7 days a week

Website : Relais Odéon

Dress tip :

For a movie at the Odéon cinema followed by a drink at Odéon we suggest wearing our pink Floral print Amandine dress with Fabrice smocks. Never miss an opportunity to look chic when in Paris!

View all our smocked dresses.

All our collections are available in our Parisian boutique L'Île aux Fées, 66 rue Notre Dame des Champs, 75006 Paris France.

We ship worldwide including to the United States USA through our e-shop.

*Picture by @lafrançaise.paris

Picture credits:

Pictures of the cafés taken by Fleur de Juan during her family wanderings in Paris.

Discover more pictures on her Instagram account.

Without a doubt, Bogato is the most creative and fun candy, biscuits and pâtisseries store in Paris for children. A must stop-by during your trip to Paris with children. With its colorful candies, playful cakes, party accessories, it is a dream come true and will bring back many happy childhood souvenirs.

Dress tip :

For a fun outing to Bogato, your little girl will need a pretty dress! Pink, blue, yellow, which color will catch her heart?

Find the dress of your dream before heading off to Bogato!

Useful information:

Address : 7 rue Liancourt – 75014 Paris

Opening hours: Tuesday to Saturday from 10am to 7pm

Phone number: +33140470351

Website: Chez Bogato

Located in the heart of Saint Germain des Prés, in a long and narrow quiet road home to unique small designer shops, quaint boutiques and typically Parisian cafés, bistrots and restaurants, Poilâne is famous for its legendary bread.

Created in 1932 and now worldwide famous, the bakery has kept its original tiny wooden flagship boutique. Enter inside and you will have the impression of travelling back in time to ancestral bakeries.

Made with traditional techniques, the round sourdough loaf with its thick crust looks as if freshly baked from the farm oven. The rye raisin bread is another great classic, much appreciated with blue cheese. Close your eyes and imagine a picnic lunch in the French countryside with a slice of bread and cheese accompanied by a glass of wine.

And be sure to try the punitions biscuits : small butter cookies are little Parisians’ favorite snack to nibble after school on the way to the park.

Dress tip

To blend in well with the colour of Poilâne’s tasty loafs we suggest a neutral beige shade dress.

Find your dress for the day.

Useful information:

Address: 8 rue du Cherche- Midi 75006

Opening hours: Monday to Sunday 7am to 8.30pm

Phone number: 01 45 48 42 59

Website: Maison Poilâne

To experience the French art of living at its best, we highly recommend the newly opened Beaupassage gallery. Combining gastronomy, art, nature and well-being, this splendid 10,000m2 open sky gallery is a real gem in the very heart of Paris. Removed from the busy hustle and past faced city life, it is a place out of time.

While you discover the gallery’s wonders, your little ones will be able to play and run around freely among the luxurious plants and statues.

Uniting famous chefs and famous gastronomy names, Beaupassage hosts the very best of French cuisine.

At L'Allénothèque, Yannick Alléno and his wife Laurence offer a unique concept of restaurant, wine cave and art gallery all in one. The idea is to taste the wine during a meal and then buy a bottle to take home. For wine passionates, oenology masterclasses take place every month.

At Pierre Hermé’s Salon de Gourmandises, you and your little ones will be able to enjoy delicious macarons, warm croissants or savoury croque monsieurs at any time of the day, from morning to evening, in the  wide boudoir, at the bar or under the sunshine in the outside terrace. Famous worldwide for its patisserie, Pierre Hermé chose this sumptuous setting for the opening of its very first café.

At the Thierry Marx boulangerie, you will taste much more than a mere French baguette. The ingredients are entirely organic, the farmers and millers are selected with the greatest care and the dough is prepared using traditional techniques. Its most famous baguette is called the “Loyal”, loyalty towards customers by offering the very best, loyalty to suppliers and partners through trustworthy relationships… Each baguette is the work of a passionate team with values.

At Daily Pic you will be to taste Anne-Sophie Pic’s delicious recipes. The famous French three star chef ( the one and only women to hold such a title!) has opened her gourmet fast casual canteen.  Offering healthy tasty menus constantly renewed according to the seasons and daily inspirations, Anne Pic invites us to a culinary exploration and discovery of new flavours.

At Mersea,  the double star French chef Olivier Bellin, will serve you sea dishes in a street food restaurant ambiance. Fresh, tasty and original best describe the concept. Indulge yourself to a Lace Fish&Chips with a beautiful light and crunchy ivory yellow crust, enjoy a delicious Club Tataki tuna on the first floor terrace, or try a drink at the cocktail tasting bar. You may also shop fresh sea food or traditional Picardie Mersea beer to take home.

For coffee fans, %Arabica, is a Japanese café bar represented by Junichi Yamaguchi, head Barista and world champion of Latte art. In this 100 m2 setting beautifully designed by the Japanese architecture studio Onda and 55m2 terrace, you will be able to taste highly special and unique cafés from South America and Africa. Temple of coffee, this experimental, welcoming, sober and uncluttered space offers a zen break admist the city’s hustle and bustle.

Last but not least, the Fromagerie Barthelémy, will delight your taste buds. Since almost fifty years now, the Barthlémy house selects the very best of French cheese : goat cheese from the Tarn, traditional Cantal de Salers, famous vacherin mont-d’or to be eaten with a spoon or Saint Marcellin.

Alongside the delicious food offer, Champion Spirit Rive Gauche will enable you to practice sport in Abdoulaye Fadiga’s highly modern new spot. World champion and trainer, his goal is to allow sport to be appreciated by all. In the basement you will find fitness machines, a boxing ring and a sprint track. On the ground floor a concept store, a coffee and muesli bar for the morning, a sauna and a beauty care. On the first floor you will be able to practice yoga, pilates and even fencing! Absolutely unique in Paris!

Useful information

Address: 53-57 rue de Grenelle 75007 Paris

Opening hours: 7am to 00am

Website: Beaupassage

Great favourite among Parisians of the Rive Gauche, Maison Mulot is a delicious bakery and pastry shop. It is part and parcel of the 6th arrondissement Parisians’ daily habits. Strolling in the neighborhood, whether at breakfast, lunch or tea time you can be sure to bump into one of its clients holding a freshly baked baguette, chic lemon tart…. 

Located in a quiet street, slightly removed from the hustle and bustle of the busy boulevard Saint Germain, its calm setting contributes to the feeling of authenticity.

With its delicious croissants, pains au chocolat and of course baguettes, this luxurious bakery is the ideal place to offer your children a typically French breakfast or delicious treat for tea.

Dress tip

To match with the ambiance of the bakery we suggest wearing a chic classic style smocked dress, pink like a macaron or perhaps cream colored.

Find your dress

Useful information :

Address: 76 rue de Seine 75006 Paris

Opening hours: From Monday to Sunday from 7 am to 8 pm

Phone number: 01.43.26.85.77

Website: Maison Mulot

Pictures are the courtesy of Maison Mulot