The Brits long have had the reputation for doing up tea like nobody else but tea master Bruce Richardson says the Parisians do it even better than their London cousins.
"To people in England, tea is like wallpaper - it's part of daily life," Richard explains. "In Paris, tea, like art and food, is treated with great respect and anything they do is going to be done beautifully.
"They embrace the Asian tradition of tea. That means they look for beautiful green, white and oolong teas that are often pricey and rare, and they brew them perfectly."
Places to drink tea range from the grand salons in the Place du Madeleine, where a poodle wearing a sweater and nibbling macaroons in the arms of her owner might be spied, to offbeat bohemian tea rooms on the Left Bank. Beautiful teas are matched with elegant pastries in venues that reflect the mixture of influences that make Paris colorful and diverse.
