Franco-Japanese teashop in Paris?

Paris is a city of endless cafes and patisseries, but it’s not always easy to find that “something different” - a mélange of cultural palates, the meeting of east and west. That’s what TOMO is - a Franco-Japanese patisserie with two locations in Paris, one on the right bank and one on the left.

I first visited the left bank location of TOMO on a friend’s recommendation. It is a warm and cozy space where the sweet scents of the red bean paste used to make the Dorayakis (Japanese pancakes filled with red bean paste) permeate the air. Chatters in French, Japanese and English can be heard at various times of the day.

In the glass display are rows of delicately made pastries which are either a French or Japanese classic (like the Fraisier or the Japanese cheesecake), or a carefully crafted hybrid of the two cultures (like the Baba au whisky japonais).

Their tea menu is an expanded selection of the classic Japanese teas - various types of Sencha (Japanese green tea), Genmaicha (green tea and roasted rice mix), matcha (needs no explanation), Hojicha (roasted green tea), Sobacha (buckwheat tea) and Kukicha (an ever so lightly caffeinated roasted twig tea) could be had as either traditional hot tea or refreshing iced tea.

If you’re looking for something more substantial, try their ice cream parfait made with their homemade tea flavored ice cream laced with mini Japanese pancakes, red bean paste and lots and lots of Chantilly cream!

The pastries and tea selections taste as good as they look! My friend who has lived in Japan as a teenager certified that they have the best Dorayakis in town!

The best thing about TOMO (other than the food and drink)? They’re open seven days a week which is hard to come by in Paris! Their two locations in Paris are:

Leftbank location: St. Germain / Odéon: 16 rue Grégoire de Tours, 75006 Paris

Rightbank location: Palais Royal / Opéra: 11 rue Chabanais, 75002 Paris