Pierre Poilâne opened the bakery at 8 rue du Cherche-Midi in 1932 with a wood-fired oven in the cellar; it has produced the same 1.9-kilo round sourdough miche, with its scored P, ever since. Lionel Poilâne built it into a global house; his daughter Apollonia (Harvard '07) runs it now. The original starter is the original. The shop is small and theatrical — Salvador Dalí commissioned a chandelier of bread that hangs over the counter — and the line moves quickly. Beyond the miche there are punitions (pure-butter shortbreads), apple turnovers, walnut bread, and rye. No baguettes on principle; Apollonia calls them a fantasy bread. Open Sunday — rare in Paris.
Cult flag — 1932 institution, Dalí chandelier, original starter still in use.
At a Glance
View Type
Street Scene, Garden View
View Quality
Limited
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