Of all the gluten free places in Paris I wanted to visit on my trip, Helmut Newcake was at the top of the list. I’ve seen literally hundreds of photos blogged, tweeted and instagrammed about their stunning gluten free creations since the opened a few years ago. Yet, in the end, it turned out to be my final stop.
Helmut Newcake is a 100% gluten free bakery which has two locations. The larger cafe is close to the trendy Canal St Martin at 36 rue Bichat, 75010 Paris. The other, smaller location is located at 28 rue Vignon in the 9th arrondissement. I visited the latter shop. I’d read that it was takeaway only at this location so I was anticipating a small counter style outlet. In fact, they are two high tables with bar stools so if you wanted to eat in (which I did), you could.
Like Chambelland, I’d emailed Helmut Newcake in advance of my visit to check out the nut free options. They’d only told me there were some and should check in store on my visit. I was very pleasantly surprised to find there were in fact quite a few options.
I couldn’t eat the items with pastry bases as these contained nuts (shame, don’t they look so pretty?) but many of the other products were fine.
I was overjoyed to find I could eat this salted caramel eclair. Anything salted caramel is a total winner in my book and this was no exception.
I visited en route to the Eurostar and I’d wanted to take some items home to London with me. However, on the day I visited the weather was sweltering hot so I decided bringing any cream based cakes back to London would probably be a bad idea.
Instead I chose this. I have no idea what it’s called, but it’s possibly the best cake I’ve ever eaten. Kind of a chocolate cake in a cake. With a sort of crusted top. The chocolate part in the centre was a different texture to the outer structure. If you see this, don’t leave Helmut Newcake without (at least!) one.
They looked much more beautiful before their trip back on the Eurostar to SW London
I also bought these biscuits. I learnt a lesson here. I always think about bringing treats home for Mr D. I learnt now I need to bring them home for the mini Ds too (well, at least for the one who has the sweet tooth) because most of my biscuit was handed over to Mini D1. Once I’d given her a small piece she was pretty insistent about me handing over as much as she could squirrel away into her cheeks.
In terms of the range of products on sale in the two Helmut Newcake outlets, the chap at rue Vignon told me they were exactly the same. So whichever location you choose to visit, you can be assured of tasting a superb gluten (and nut) free creation.
Location: 36 rue Bichat, 75010 Paris and 28 rue Vignon, 75009 Paris
Website: www.helmutnewcake.com
Would I go back? Certainly! As far as gluten free cakes and patisserie in Paris is concerned, I saved the best to last.
I hope to get to Paris later this year and Helmut Newcake is at the top of my list!
Oh I hope you do, Erin! I’ve been really impressed at how many more gluten free places there are in Paris now, major step forward!
Never before have I been quite so prepared to pack up and move to another country!!! I can’t believe the range of goods they stocked! I will be going to bed tonight thinking of eclairs and whatever the heck a Madame de Fontenay Chocolat is!!!!
Wonder if I can put ‘food shopping trip to Paris’ on my Christmas list???
Haha! Helmut Newcake really is a sight to behold! Paris has come such a long way in catering successfully for gluten free food in the last couple of years.
Ah! Helmut Newcake. I’m considering moving in to their shop. It’s literally my paradise! We’re going back to Paris in November and have booked a hotel just around the corner from Rue Bichat so we can spend as much time there as possible…. Glad you enjoyed your trip too, and I will keep an eye out for that chocolate creation!
Hehe! That’s a great place to be based. I love the Canal St Martin area and there are so many gluten free options around there. I don’t know why but Paris 9th arr. seems to be the gluten free centre of Paris. Bon voyage!