Imagine this: sitting outside of a french pâtisserie, sipping on a latte or cappuccino and eating a whimsical dessert made up of meringue cookies, whipped cream and chocolate shavings.
Photo by Kara Schiaparelli
While you may think that you have to go to Paris for this scene, you can now find it right in Dupont Circle. Un Je Ne Sais Quoi is a little pâtisserie off of the circle on Connecticut Ave, which serves up French pastries and coffee drinks.
Photo by Kara Schiaparelli
What they are most known for is their “marveilleux” (which means marvelous in French) pastry. It is a Franco-Belgian dessert with layers of meringue cookies and whipped cream, then surrounded with more whipped cream, and then adorned with decorations.
Photo by Kara Schiaparelli
When I stopped by the little bake shop, the cashier recommended that I get the “Un Je Ne Sais Quoi . . . de Magique.” This is one of the 5 flavors of “marveilleux” offered at the store. “de Magique” has a violet whipped cream and white chocolate shavings on top. It is truly a thing of beauty.
Now I would never have chosen this one without her recommendation because I tend to not like floral things. But this was, well, marvelous. I loved the variety of textures between the crunchy and chewy meringue cookies, and the soft whipped cream. It was floral without tasting like soap.
Other than the “marveilleux,” they also have croissants, brioches, macarons, éclairs and chouquettes.
With free WiFi, Un Je Ne Sais Quoi is the perfect place to get some work done, people watch and eat a simply marvelous dessert.