location:
46, eastern canal road (e c road), right under ida hotel on the ground floor. hotel parking is available.
in today’s time where baking has reached an altogether higher horizon, we are presented with l’opéra being not only an authentic french bakery that sells delicious breads (boulangerie), but also pastry house (pâtisserie) and a teahouse (salon de thé), that offers a wide variety of products, prepared with the old traditional recipes. started just an year a ago, but no doubt they have managed to wrap all hearts with sheer sweetness. do you happen to have asweettooth? this is the place you need to be.
inspired by the exemplary french ‘salon de thé’, l’opéra is setting new trends for high-end culinary offerings in india. their innovative ideas, presentation and ambience, along with an uncompromising and rigid focus on quality, has made l’opéra stand a class apart.
- ambience and décor:
the moment you stand right in front of l’opéra, you’re no longer in dehradun, rather in the french version of dehradun…, fre-dun? haha!
walking inside felt like i had stepped in one of the scenes from breakfast at tiffany's with all “audrey hepburn” feel to it. the décor & ambience of this place display pure elegance and class, with velvety wine colored curtains, chairs, sofas, classy paintings and miniature round tables. it is cozy, private and simply a beautiful place that can actually make a cup of tea taste a lot tastier. you will find displayed with perfection some of the tastiest pastries, cookies, breads & biscuits and what not! each equally tempting to the core! with a single glance of sugar dust coated biscuits and luxurious pastries, my heart literally melts into a puddle of buttercream.
out of all the outlets of l’opéra, this one has the maximum of seating space, along with a mesmerizing seating arrangement by the garden under the serenity of stars and rice lights. it is a state of art place that can totally de-stress you.
- food & beverages:
l’opéra’s vision is to recreate a truly parisian experience, with traditional viennese pastries, cakes and an exquisite range of bakery products, crafted by a team of talented bakery and pastry chefs. they give fanatic attention to detail, and that is their specialty. the secret that makes their products stand out is the use of good quality butter and almonds. most of the essential ingredients are directly imported from france and chocolate from belgian to provide the most authentic taste to the customers. this explains why the prices are a little on the higher end.
they offer a variety of aromatic teas, breads, viennese, pastries, tarts, tea cakes, biscuits, salads, sandwiches, quiches, jams and chocolates. and of course the jewels of french patisseries and one of their signature product are the must – try macarons. colorful disc shaped sweets, made with meringue and almond meal, consisting of various moist fillings, made with ganache, buttercream or curd, depending on flavor. they also offer an opportunity to create an impeccable assortment of french delicacies in beautiful boxes for gifting purpose.
let’s talk about some of the things that i have tried.
*prices are subjective to change.
- viennese:
these are the flakey layered pastry delights baked to airy, buttery perfection with almond, chocolate or with apple cream.
1. almond croissant - ₹ 175
one of their popular traditional croissant filled with a smooth almond cream filling, covered with almond flakes and powdered sugar, is quite similar to asweetpuff, a very elegant choice. with the first bite parts of it turn into zillion tiny flakes which make it all the more fun to eat. it is ultra delicious with moderately sweetened almond cream, sweetened just to perfection.
2. chocolate croissant - ₹ 120
these are simple looking, flaky, buttery puff pastry wrapped around a dark chocolate filling also known as “pain au chocolat” in french. taste good with coffee or tea; however it was not my cup of tea, could have been if it had a little more chocolate filling.
3. danish - ₹ 110
it is a multilayered,sweetlaminated pastry. it is tender, buttery and flaky, filled with smoothsweetcustard and dressed with seasonal fruits. oh-so-buttery! i love this one. among one of my favorites!
- sandwiches:
the sandwiches are made with freshly baked ciabatta (italian white bread), cereal baguette or traditional baguette (long, thin loaf of french bread).
1. cereal baguette tuna - ₹ 325
this is healthy cereal baguette bread with tuna and fresh vegetables.
2. cereal baguette veg - ₹ 250
a vegetarian version of the tuna sandwich, fresh and tasty however slightly dry to my palate, they do need to work on the softness of this bread.
3. ciabatta cheese - ₹ 265
traditional sandwich made with ciabatta (a bread, made from flour, yeast and olive oil) containing brie cheese, lettuce and butter cheesy and palatable to the core.
- pastries:
1. opera - ₹ 225
this is the signature product of l’opéra. it combines the flavors of delicate almond biscuit, chocolate ganache, coffee buttercream, and chocolate glaze.
i loved the taste of it, the crispiness of the biscuits to the sweetness of buttercream and the ultimate hint of coffee, mouth-watering!
the traditional version of it is made with layers of almond sponge cake (known as joconde in french) soaked in coffee syrup, layered with ganache and coffee (or grand marnier) buttercream, and covered in a chocolate glaze. the cake was popularized by the french pâtisserie house dalloyau, but its origin is unclear.
2. mille feuille - ₹ 225
a layered puff pastry filled with pastry cream (custard) with a salty caramel topping; a little twist on the original recipe. this one is equally delicious and somewhat melts in the mouth. i loved the creamy feel of it.
the mille-feuille which means “thousand-leaf” probably referring to its layers; vanilla slice, custard slice, also known as the napoleon, is a french pastry. it is made by sandwiching crispy layers of puff pastry with a rich custard pastry cream filling and then garnishing the top with a glossy royal icing.
3. chocolate mille feuille - ₹ 235
the chocolate mille feuille, a chocolate version of a classic, is a taste of paradise for chocolate lovers, with puff pastry, dark chocolate cream and milk chocolate chantilly, it is simply magical and so chocolaty. loved it!
4. éclair salty caramel - ₹ 165
the classic éclair, this choux pastry is filled with a salty caramel cream, and covered with fondant icing. it was very smooth, golden pastry with a thick layer of glaze. ultra caramel-ly & sweet!
5. spectacular fruit tart - ₹ 215
colorful seasonal fruit tart with a custard filling, typically fresh and fruity to taste. dressed with chunks of kiwi, apple, cherry and a bit of dragon fruit.
- aromatic teas:
l’opéra offers a choice of selected aromatic teas and infusions for their customer’s sophisticated teatime. as it is said, there is a great deal of poetry and fine sentiment in a chest of tea. i like the pause that tea allows. these teas and infusions bring you great flavors with a sense of coherence.
1. assam crescendo,
2. earl grey grace,
3. flowery ballad,
4. green symphony,
5. harmony,
6. l’opéra chai,
7. ode to the hills,
8. wild forest oolong,
9. white orchid duet.
l’opéra provides an authentic experience, elegance at its best. they have a very kind, well trained, and patient staff. if only this place were slightly less expensive i would’ve visited it every second day. a must visit for allsweetfanatics, but don’t forget your wallets! it can be slightly pricey but don’t judge it by the price rather by the taste and experience it offers. they have coated my heart with asweetlayer of caramel and will yours too.
so as the french say,
bon appétit!