Gluten-free fantasy

Meet Helmut Newcake. Thanks to this “deli-patisserie,” gluten-free has never looked sexier, and tasted yummier either. Everything is gluten-free, so you finally have an excuse to ask out that hottie with the raging allergies. Order some pastries to eat along the banks of the Canal, or sit down, stay awhile. Helmut has a beautifully lit veranda to lunch on and a few nice armchairs for lounging around with a coffee and a pastry. Service here is decidedly sweet and the place is rather dreamy (what’s with those mysterious feathers dangling from the ceiling?). For lunch, the kitchen offers a choice of two daily specials. Good luck trying to snag a coveted spot for Sunday brunch, which features a complete menu including scrambled eggs, salmon, and a stack of glutenless pancakes. Ten Days tried a hearty cod parmentier and a chicken/noodle stir-fry. The plates are good, but let’s be honest, we really came for dessert.

The charming couple of owners, one half an ex-pastry chef of Lenôtre, stock a pastry case that is pure eye candy, overflowing with financiers, cannelés, éclairs, tarts, and cupcakes, all baked in-house, and a fondant au chocolat that goes down smooth and hits all the right spots. So how do they do it? Most desserts are stripped down to the barest ingredients, but substitutes of chestnut, rice, quinoa and corn flour prove that gluten is overrated anyhow. There’s also a pantry/epicerie, whose shelves are lined with healthy, gluten-free products like cereal, pasta, soba noodles and organic tea. But why not be a little bad while you’re there? These baked goods are so good they’re barely legal.

Location:
36, rue Bichat
75010 Paris
09 82 59 00 39
metro: Goncourt, République
open wednesday through saturday from 12.00pm to 8.00pm
sunday from 10:00am to 6:00pm

Article: Felix V

helmut newcake

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