You know that feeling of stepping in to a patisserie that is laced with sweet scents and the aroma of fresh bakes, and how your heart would skip a beat when you set your eyes on the wondrous display of cakes and patisseries?
We understand, because we are lucky enough to have experienced that excitement many times. Everywhere we go, we keep our eyes peeled for patisseries, and boy, the world really spoils us silly.
This list should be never-ending, and we are on a never-ending quest of sussing out the bests patisseries, but first, let us share 25 Amazing Patisseries Around The World. Among them, what you must not miss out on are the quintessential ones in Paris and Japan that set our hearts aflutter every single time.
#1 ADRIANO ZUMBO / SYDNEY
One of the most well-known pastry chefs in Australia, Adriano Zumbo started his first patisserie in Balmain in 2007, and today he runs six patisseries in Sydney and Melbourne. Zumbo offers a range of cakes, pastries and macaons in the wackiest flavours that you could ever imagine.
Crazy flavours he’s got there for his Zumbarons, and our favourites include Salted Butter Popcorn and Kaffir Lime & Mandarin.
296 Darling Street
Balmain, Sydney
Tel: +61 2 9810 7318
Daily: 8am – 6pm
#2 ANGELITA PATISSERIE / BALI
Bali’s very own Ladurée/Angelina, Angelita Patisserie is every bit Parisian, in the softest pastel hues and candy-coloured chinaware. A stunning display of in-house bakes and sweet creations, Angelita is an elegant tea salon-cum-patisserie that serves French sweets.
Think eclairs in assorted flavours like oreo and passionfruit, chocolate tarts and raspberry mousse cakes. Fine and exquisite, everything here is so reasonably priced between RP30,000 to RP50,000.
Angelita Patisserie is also listed in our guide to Bali’s 18 best cafes.
Jalan Raya Kerobokan no. 10A
Banjar Taman, Kerobokan, Kuta, Bali
Tel: +62 361 7473138
Area: Seminyak
#3 ANGELINA TEA SALON / PARIS
When in the City of Love, sip luxe hot chocolate at Angelina. This place is an institution, and it is almost synonymous with Paris. Long queues are formed outside almost every outlet on a daily basis, and it is your best retreat in winter. And why Angelina? Because apart from hot chocolate, they bake incredible Mont Blanc too.
226 rue de Rivoli, Paris
Mon to Thu: 7.30am – 7pm
Fri: 7.30am – 7pm
Sat & Sun: 8.30am – 7.30pm
#4 ANTOINETTE PATISSERIE / SINGAPORE
Undoubtedly one of the prettiest tea salons in Singapore, Antoinette is a perennial favourite for elegant French pastries and sweets. Nothing quite like your usual cakes and tarts, Antoinette promises nothing but surprises.
Antoinette Patisserie is also listed in our guide to Singapore’s 58 must-try desserts.
333A Orchard Road
#02-33/34, Mandarin Gallery
Tel: +65 6836 9527
Daily: 11am – 10pm
Nearest Station: Orchard
#5 BOURKE STREET BAKERY / SYDNEY
It is a neighbourhood joint where locals meet their friends for coffee; or drop by to grab some pastries for breakfast next day. The bakery serves simple, honest and delicious baked goods like strawberry & vanilla brulee tart (A$5), lemon curd tart (A$4.50), raspberry & chocolate mousse tart (A$4.80) and carrot cake (A$4.50).
633 Bourke Street
Surry Hills, Sydney NSW 2010
Tel: (02) 9699 1011
#6 C’EST LA B / HONG KONG
Housed in HarbourCity – the ultimate shopping mall in Hong Kong – C’est La B is a chi-chi dessert spot that is well-loved by both locals and tourists. Dim lights set against a monochrome interior, the patisserie is that of a mysterious yet alluring one. The cakes are fascinating, no less.
G111, G/F, Harbour City
17 Canton Road, Tsim Sha Tsui
Tel: +852 3102 2838
Daily: 9am – 11pm
Nearest Station: Tsim Sha Tsim
#7 CHEZ DRÉ / MELBOURNE
Just a stone’s throw from South Melbourne Market, Chez Dré is one of the best patisseries in Melbourne. The Lemon Hazelnut Tart was mind-blowingly good. Who would have thought that lemon and hazelnut would go so well together? Equally pleasing was the black forest cake. It was almost too pretty to be eaten.
285-287 Coventry Street, South Melbourne
Tel: +61 3 9690 2688
Daily: 7.30am – 4.30pm
Nearest Tram Station: Dorcas Street/Clarendon Street
#8 DEUX AMIS PATISSERIE / SEOUL
Seated along the streets of Garosu-gil, Deux Amis Patisserie is a terrific patisserie that serves gorgeous cakes and tarts in an array of flavours and colours. It is a must-go for desserts when you are in Seoul. Try their Strawberry Tiramisu Tart and Caramel Cake.
535-9 Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu
Tel: +82 2 3443 0030
Nearest Station: Sinsa Station
#9 DOMINIQUE ANSEL BAKERY / NEW YORK CITY
You know cronuts, but do you know its origins? Created by Dominique Ansel, with its flagship store at Soho @ New York City, Dominique Ansel Bakery is surely one place to check out for its famed creations.
189 Spring Street, New York
Tel: 212 219 2773
Mon to Sat: 8am – 7pm
Sun: 9am – 7pm
Nearest Station: Spring Street
#10 HENRI CHARPENTER / TOKYO
Well-loved by the world, Henri Charpenter makes exceptional desserts and pastries that are awards-worthy. Its flagship outlet at Tokyo is a classy setting of a tea salon. Fans of lemon desserts have to try Henri Charpentier’s Tarte Au Citron; it is the best we’ve had.
Bring back a piece of Henri Charpenter in the form of takeaway snacks (¥683 or S$9) such as madeleines, financiers and biscuits – they all come in very pretty boxes. They definitely make great gifts for friends and colleagues.
2-8-20 Ginza, Chuo-ku
Tel: 03 3562 2721
Station: Ginza-Itchome (metro exit 9), Ginza (metro exit A13)
#11 HUMMINGBIRD BAKERY / LONDON
Do yourself a favour and pick up a cupcake from Hummingbird Bakery when at London. They make the world’s best red velvet cupcake, and few things in life are as satisfying as sinking your teeth into the moist and crumble red cupcake. Not a fan of red velvet cupcakes? No worries. There are many more flavours and the selection is enough to drive you crazy.
155a Wardour Street, Soho Square, London W1F 8WG
Tel: +44 20 7851 1795
Mon to Sat: 9.30pm – 8pm
Sun: 10am – 7pm
Nearest Station: Tottenham Court Road
#12 LA BELLE MIETTE / MELBOURNE
A cute little French patisserie that specialises in macarons, La Belle Miette – which broadly translates to “beautiful small thing” – has one of the best, if not the best, macarons in Melbourne. Flavours include Lavender, Violette & Blueberry, Raspberry, Cherry Blossom & Sake, as well as our favourite Scones with Honey & Jam.
La Belle Miette also carries a range of tea from Mariage Frères to go along with the macarons. There are currently four outlets in Melbourne.
30 Hardware Lane, Melbourne
Tel: +61 3 9024 4528
Mon to Fri: 10am – 6.30pm
Sat & Sun: 11am – 4pm
Nearest Tram Station: Bourke Street/Elizabeth Street
#13 L’ETO CAFFE / LONDON
And then, there is L’eto that sits on the same street as Hummingbird Bakery. They have an insane display of daily fresh bakes, and it is almost frustrating to pick just one. Every item baked and assembled with love, and you can almost smell the pastry chefs’ passion in every piece.
155 Wardour Street, London W1F 8WG
Tel: +44 20 7494 4991
Mon to Tue: 8am – 9pm
Wed to Sat: 8am – 11pm
Sun: 9am – 9pm
Nearest Station: Tottenham Court Road
#14 LA DOUCEUR PATISSERIE / TAIPEI
With more than a dozen desserts (NT$160-170) – such as Mont Blanc, Matcha Cake, Cherry Mousse, 72% Dark Chocolate Tart – available on the menu, La Douceur will satisfy every sweet tooth. They also have, hands down, one of the best macarons in Taipei. Choose from flavours like strawberry, passionfruit, caramel mandarin, lavender and caramel.
La Douceur Patisserie is listed in our guide to Taipei’s best desserts.
No. 223 Jinhua Street
Tel: 02 3322 2833
#15 LADURÉE PATISSERIE / PARIS
Of pretty pastels and the world’s most gorgeous macarons, Ladurée is the first pit-stop on our list whenever we find ourselves in the City of Love. This heaven of pastel colours is laced with romantic scents of Parisian sweets, and every time we step in to the desserts boutique, we fall in love all over again.
And the wondrous display of intricate French bakes and macarons never fail to make us go weak in the knees. You are only letting yourself down if you give Ladurée a miss.
21 Rue Bonaparte, Paris
Tel: +33 1 44 07 64 87
Mon to Fri: 8.30am – 7.30pm
Sat: 8.30am – 8.30pm
Sun: 10am – 7.30pm
Nearest Station: Rue du Bac
#16 LET THEM EAT CAKE / BANGKOK
Bangkok is known for many things, but nobody associates it with good French desserts and pastries. That was what we thought too, until we went to Let Them Eat Cake. Their display of exquisite creations will have you feeling like you are transported to Paris. Look out for their Thai-inspired flavours, else their classic chocolate series are fantastic all the same.
4th floor, Siam Center
989 Rama I Road
Tel: +66 2 658 1603
Daily: 10am – 10pm
Nearest BTS: Siam
#17 MAGNOLIA BAKERY / NEW YORK CITY
Founded in 1996, Magnolia Bakery is an institution in New York City that is well-loved for its cupcakes. Featured on shows like Sex and the City, and The Devil Wears Prada, Magnolia Bakery is recognised as one of the patisseries that started the cupcake trend in the Big Apple.
401 Bleecker Street and W. 11th Street
Tel: +1 212 462 2572
Mon to Thu: 9am – 11.30pm
Fri & Sat: 9am – 12.30am
Sun: 9am – 11.30pm
Nearest Station: 14 St
#18 MAISON BERTAUX / LONDON
Maison Bertaux, one of the oldest patisseries in London, is our go-to place for an quiet afternoon tea. They offer many beautiful cakes and pastries, but our favourite is their almond croissant.
28 Greek Street, London, Greater London W1D 5DQ
Tel: +44 20 7437 6007
Mon to Sat: 8.30am – 11pm
Sun: 9.30am – 8pm
Nearest Station: Leicester Square
#19 PASSION 5 / SEOUL
If you ask us to recommend just one place in Seoul, it will be Passion 5. They have five different categories of dining all under one roof – gelato corner, bakery take-out station, patisserie and café, chocolatier and a full-fledged restaurant. Trust us, you will be tempted to order all the cakes from the patisserie.
Passion 5 is also listed as one of our 10 favourite cafes in Seoul.
272, Itaewon-ro, Yongsan-gu, Seoul
Tel: +82 2 2071 9507
Nearest Station: Hangangjin
#20 PIERRE HERMÉ / PARIS
The maestro of desserts, the quintessential Parisian patisserie; Pierre Hermé is our utmost favourite. Every single item fascinates and makes us squeal with excitement like kids. Famed for his macarons with unusual flavours, Pierre Hermé is known as the “Picasso of Pastry”. His chocolates are to die for, too. Don’t forget to try Ispahan, the most iconic pastry.
18 Rue Sainte-Croix de la Bretonnerie, Paris
Tel: +33 1 43 54 47 77
Nearest Station: Hotel de Ville
#21 PRIMROSE BAKERY / LONDON
It is impossible not to like Primrose Bakery. This cute little bakery serves one of the best cupcakes in London. And beyond cupcakes, Primrose Bakery also has an array of layer cakes, loaves and sliced cakes. Primrose Bakery also has a second branch in Covent Garden, but we very much preferred the peace and tranquility of Primrose Hill.
69 Gloucester Ave, London NW1 8LD
Tel: +44 20 7483 4222
Mon to Sat: 8.30am – 6pm
Sun: 9.30am – 6pm
Nearest Station: Camden Town/Chalk Farm
#22 SADAHARU AOKI / TOKYO
Nobody should leave Tokyo without visiting Sadaharu Aoki. This famous Japanese-trained pastry chef made his name in Paris by creating French desserts with Japanese flavours.
Aoki makes exquisite macarons with Japanese flavours like sesame, matcha, yuzu and genmaicha. And their eclairs… what’s a better word than ‘divine’? We dare claim that Sadaharu Aoki has the best eclairs in the world.
Tokyo Midtown B1F
9-7-4 Akasaka Minato-ku Tokyo
Station: Roppongi
#23 SIMPLYLIFE / HONG KONG
Simplylife is our favourite patisserie in Hong Kong. With a bakery that produces an amazing range of bread, pastries and cakes, everything is of premium quality, and no additives are added. We fell in love with it, more than what we thought we would. The space is one that have you slow down, relax and breathe in the simple pleasures of life. simplylife, indeed.
Shop 30, L2, Festival Walk
80 Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon Tong
Tel: +852 2777 5168
Daily: 11am – 11pm
Nearest Station: Kowloon Tong
#24 VIRON / TOKYO
If you are in the Shibuya area, make Boulangerie Patisserie Viron your pit stop. They have really impressive desserts. On the ground floor, the boulangerie sells bread and pastries. You can also choose to dine in the brasserie on the second floor.
33-8 Udagawa-cho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Tel: 03 5458 1770
Station: Shibuya
#25 ZENIQUE / TAIPEI
Zenique is a teahouse and patisserie which serves pretty awesome French desserts (NT$160-180/slice) like Kyoto Matcha, Rose Versailles and Tarte Aux Fraises with tea-infused flavours. They also have nine different macarons (NT$60). We fell head over heels in love with their rose macarons.
Zenique is listed in our guide to Taipei’s best desserts.
No 8 Lane 4 Yong Kang Street
Tel: 02 2395 1558
Sun to Thu: 11am – 11pm
Fri & Sat: 11am – 10.30pm