The best sport near their office is the Tuileries Gardens – Photo © wanderlustinthecity.com

With the return of the warm weather, “click & collect” can be enjoyed in the Tuileries, a stone’s throw from the offices of Estrella Maillet and Philippine Freiman. At the head of Talent Developer, the duo enjoys the fresh air at lunchtime or for a sweet snack. Follow them!

The first signs of spring are encouraging people to stop having lunch alone in front of their computers. The return of the sun and the rising temperatures are an opportunity to get some fresh air in the middle of the day, as curfew means you can’t stroll around in the early evening. For Estrella Maillet and Philippine Freiman, the best spot near their office is the Tuileries Gardens. The duo at the head of Talent Developer opt either for the authorised lawns or for a bench. It depends on how busy it is, what they’re wearing – in a skirt, the bench is more practical… – and what they have in their basket.

The success of Cédric Grolet’s sweet treats…

Balagan restaurant at the corner of the street © Harupimedia
Peanut butter cookie by Cédric Grolet
The mandarine with timut pepper from Cédric Grolet © Harupimedia

 

Lately, they have been falling for the sweet treats of their neighbour, the pastry chef Cédric Grolet. Their “top 3”? In order: the Paris-Brest – Estrella Maillet’s pet peeve -, the cookies and the famous mandarin orange, with its timut pepper-infused mousse. A true replica of the fruit, this funny trompe l’oeil is cut, and as you cut it, “you have the impression of peeling a mandarin and eating the fruit with its skin on”, Philippine Freiman marvels. Another discovery of the duo: the Balagan restaurant – “joyful bazaar” in Hebrew -, located on the ground floor of the Renaissance Paris Vendôme hotel, which is also very close to the Talent Developer offices. Designed by the Experimental Group and Israeli chefs Assaf Granit and Uri Navon – who also runs restaurant Shabour in Paris, which has just been awarded a Michelin star – Balagan offers menus inspired by the Mediterranean. But, for the moment, nothing is to be taken away. The food is served on the spot, on weekends, in room service: you therefore have to sleep to eat in.

Talent Developer’s gourmet tips :

Cédric Grolet : 35 avenue de l’Opéra, Paris 2nd. And 6 rue de Castiglione, Paris 1st.

Balagan : 9 rue d’Alger, Paris 1st. And hôtel Renaissance Paris Vendôme : 4 rue du Mont Thabor, Paris 1st.

Article written by Anne Eveillard for Talent Developer