Stepping into chocolatier and pastry chef Lisa Allen’s apartment, one might catch her in the middle of transforming her living room into a pastry workshop. Furniture is pushed aside, and the aroma of melting chocolate fills the air as she preps for a chocolate tart class. She’s not just setting up a class—she’s creating an immersive, Parisian experience.

As the founder of Tarts & Truffles Paris, an online culinary consulting company specializing in chocolate and pastry creations, Lisa offers hands-on workshops, educational tours and culinary experiences. But behind the scenes, her journey involves not only mastering the art of pastry and chocolate-making but also embracing a deeper understanding of French culture.

After earning her Master of Fine Arts in photography and Arts Education, Lisa taught visual arts to students in New York City and international schools in Southern Taiwan, Buenos Aires, Zurich and Caracas. While teaching in Venezuela, she visited the Chuao cocoa plantations—the place where she decided to shift her career focus toward the world of fine chocolate and pastry.

“With my teaching experience, it became clear that creating a business focused on sharing knowledge would be fulfilling,” Lisa said. “I wanted to be able to share what I had learned in a way that would be appreciated and meaningful to others.”

But Allen’s path to combining education and pastry was not direct. After completing her studies and receiving her diploma in French pastry in Paris, she worked in the industry but soon realized the traditional kitchen environment wasn’t the right fit. She found a new path at Edwart Chocolatier, where she managed the chocolate workshop.

She decided to step back from the high-pressure environment in 2023 and apply her teaching and business management responsibilities with her venture, Tarts & Truffles Paris. Part of what makes her bakery so unique is the cultural influence from all the places she has lived.

“I’m following the classic French recipes probably 85% fairly strictly how they were taught to me,” Lisa said. “But then I add a little bit of flair from the different countries I’ve worked in and the different ingredients I’ve used. The birthday cake I’m making right now is a hybrid. I’m using a very classic American chocolate sponge cake, but instead of the typical American chocolate frosting, I use a rich French ganache. It’s all about finding the right balance.”

Living in Paris and working within the French food culture meant that Lisa had to adapt to a new way of life, one that emphasized slower, more deliberate approaches to work and time. Over time, she embraced this mindset and found its positive effect on her work. 

“In France, work-life balance is critical. You take time for lunch, time for doctor’s appointments, and time for your family,” she said. “It’s very different from the ‘go, go, go’ mentality I had in the States, and I’ve learned the hard way that the cost is too high.”

In the last five years, she has seen a lot of changes in herself, particularly when it comes to the intersection of her work and her place within French society. 

“As my business has evolved, so has my place in French culture,” she said. “I no longer look at things the way I did five years ago because I’ve become more attuned to the way things work here. It’s definitely a cultural shift.”

Looking ahead for Tarts & Truffles Paris, Lisa plans to create a physical space that features workshops, educational events, a cafe and the opportunity for people to truly understand what makes craft chocolate special.

“My goal is for people to understand chocolate in a new way, from the cocoa bean to the final product,” Lisa said. “I want them to walk out of that space knowing that they’ll never eat a Lindt bar again and truly understand what chocolate can be.”

In Lisa’s journey, one important lesson has been the value of staying open-minded about how one’s passions can lead to unexpected opportunities.

“I never thought I would be a pastry chef and a chocolate tour guide, but I realized that working in a traditional kitchen wasn’t for me,” Lisa said. “I found a way to use my training in a completely different direction. It’s really important to be open-minded because your interests can turn into very different careers than you might have imagined.”