Gérard Mulot
Paris is the place to go for the world’s best pastry. With so many prestigious pâtissiers present in the capital, choosing where to indulge can be a challenge. Classic addresses like La Durée and Fauchon still have their place on any best-of list, but they are being joined by a new wave of chefs who are putting their own twist on traditional pastry. From Christophe Michalak’s quirky retro chocolates to Mori Yoshida’s elegant réligieuses, the next generation of pâtissiers promises to delight more than just the palate. Whether they live up to the reputation set by previous masters is a matter of taste. Here are a few of my favorite addresses.
La Tarte Tropézienne ( 3 Rue de Montfaucon 75006 Paris)
The famous Tarte Tropézienne, a sandwich of fluffy cream and sponge cake rounds topped off with chunky sugar crystals, is no longer reserved for southerners and beach-bound Parisians. The newest La Tarte Tropézienne shop is now just a metro ride away in the 6th arrondissement.
La Tarte Tropezienne ( I especially like the “baby” ones!)
Aux Merveilleux de Fred (94 Rue Saint-Dominique 75007 ; 29 rue de l’Annonciation 75016; 129 bis rue Saint-Charles 75015 Paris)
I love meringues, and Frédéric Vaucamps’ cream-dipped versions are little marvels indeed. Six varieties are baked daily and hand-assembled right in the shop.
Aux Merveilleux de Fred in the 7th
Aux Merveilleux de Fred meringues
Pierre Hermé ( Flagship store at 72 Rue Bonaparte 75006 + many other boutiques around Paris)
Once called the “Picasso of pastry,” Pierre Hermé is a master of his art and an essential starting point for anyone curious to taste the best of the sweet side.
© Pierre Hermé
Sadaharu Aoki (35 Rue de Vaugirard 75007; 56 Boulevard de Port-Royal 75005; 25 Rue Pérignon 7015; 40 Boulevard Haussmann 75009, Paris)
Less is more, as they say, and that goes for pastry too. One of the world’s best pastry chefs, Sadaharu Aoki brings a Japanese sensibility to French classics, keeping things simple but using uncommon flavors. Macha plays a starring role: glazing éclairs, filling mille-feuilles and infusing macarons with vibrant green tea flavor. Yuzu, red bean and sesame revive old standbys like tartes, feuilletés and fondants.
Sadaharu Aoki pastry shop in the 7th
Love this salted caramel tart!
Mori Yoshida (65 avenue de Breteuil 75007 Paris)
More proof that Japanese pastry chefs are right up there with the French, young chef Mori Yoshida is among the best. Try the strawberry short cake—it’s divine.
Mori Yoshida
Japanese short cake with strawberries
Pâtisserie Ciel (3 rue Monge 75005 Paris)
The specialty here is “angel cake,” a light-as-air blend of French and Japanese pastry traditions.
Pâtisserie Ciel boutique
Angel cake with yuzu
Gérard Mulot (76 Rue de Seine 75006; 93 Rue de la Glacière 75013; 6 rue du pas de la Mule 75003, Paris)
An institution in Saint Germain des Près since 1975, Gérard Mullot is one of my favorite places for fruit tarts—pears, peaches or figs, any will do. In addition to pastries, macarons and chocolates, you can also stop by for a sandwich or hot dish from the take-away bakery-café.
Tart with peaches
Christophe Michalak ( 60 rue du Faubourg Poissonnière 75010)
Creativity is on the menu here. That’s no surprise, considering Michalak’s Plaza Athenée pedigree. He brings a designer’s eye to pastry, presenting traditional desserts with imagination: a praline-chocolate bar in the shape of a video cassette, cheesecake verrines (try the pear and praline), the cake-of-the-day prepared on-site with the freshest ingredients. If you want to know his secrets, sign up for a Masterclass at the Faubourg Poissonière location.
The newly opened Christophe Michalak’s pastry school
The tart of the day available for take away
La Pâtisserie des Rêves (93 Rue du Bac 75006;111 Rue de Longchamp 7016; 19 Rue Poncelet 75017, Paris)
This dreamy pastry shop has all the classics, with a touch of something extra that puts them over the top. The Saint Honoré is everything a pastry should be: crispy, crunchy, creamy, airy. The éclairs aren’t just glazed with chocolate—they’re lovingly rolled up in it! And the Paris Brest? You’ll have to sink your teeth into it to find out the secret at its center.
La Pâtisserie des Rêves
Café Pouchkine (64 Boulevard Haussmann 75008 Paris )
This temple to Franco-Russian cuisine dedicates a corner of the 18th century-inspired café to the elaborate creations of pâtissier Emmanuel Ryon. For something a little different than the average éclair, try the traditional Russian cake with honey, Medovick .
Le Café Pouchkine
Le Café Pouchkine
L’Éclair de Génie (14 Rue Pavée 75004; 53 rue de Passy 75016, Paris)
These are no ordinary éclairs. Christophe Adam features ingenious creations with flavors like Iranian pistachio (with a hint of orange), caramel popcorn and citron yuzu. As for the chocolate truffles with such filling like yuzu or salted caramel , they are to die for!
Boutique in the 3rd
L’Éclair de Génie’s chocolate truffles
La Pâtisserie Cyril Lignac (2 rue de Chaillot 75016; 24 Rue Paul Bert 75011, Paris)
Something of a celebrity thanks to his appearances on French cooking shows like “Yes chef !” and “Get Chef’d”, Cyril Lignac is following other big names—think Alain Ducasse—into pastry. With the support of Benoit Couvrand of Fauchon fame, Lignac is adding his personal touch to classic pastries. It’s nothing fancy; simplicity reigns and seasonal fruits are priority.
La Pâtisserie Cyril Lignac
Toraya (10 Rue St-Florentin 75001 Paris)
One of the oldest pastry shops from Japan opened it’s branch in Paris in 1980. Here you can have various premium Japanese teas, snacks, desserts or take away such traditional sweets like traditional rice mochi cake filled with azuki bean paste.
Toraya tea salon
Dessert at Toraya
Angelina (226 Rue de Rivoli 75001; 108 rue du Bac 75007 ,Paris)
Famous for the Mont Blanc, an impressive mound of meringue and chantilly wrapped in chestnut cream, this Rue de Rivoli institution has just opened a new take-away shop on the Left Bank.
Jean-François Piège (In front of Thoumieux restaurant, 79 Rue Saint-Dominique )
Save room for this Michelin-starred chef’s upcoming foray into pastry, which will open in December. Everything will be made on-demand in sight of the counter. With so many prestigious chefs opening pastry shops in Paris these days, it will be difficult to decide where to go first!