The Paris suburbs, the new Eldorado for talented pastry chefs

Yesterday, they were the only exceptions. Frédéric Cassel in Fontainebleau, Nicolas Bernardé in La Garenne-Colombes... They chose to open their patisserie in the inner or outer suburbs of Paris. Now, a whole generation of talented young chefs have decided to cross the ring road to set up shop far from Paris, and treat local customers they often know well.

Bérangère Chanel Published on 10/14/23 at 8:01 AM

Ah, Paris! Its terraces, its gourmet restaurants... and its patisseries! Each arrondissement has its own list of good addresses to recommend to dessert lovers. The catalog is extensive, no doubt due to the fact that more and more pastry chefs are setting up shop in the inner and outer suburbs. Ophélie Barès chose Asnières-sur-Seine to open her patisserie-bakery last January. "Not only is Paris saturated, but rents are exorbitant. They can be twice as much as in the suburbs," says the young chef revealed by the TV competition "Who will be the next great pastry chef? And she confides, "It's only the beginning of a movement! I think the phenomenon will spread as far as Montmorency and Enghien," confides the pastry chef. In the meantime, here are five Parisian addresses that are well worth a visit.

Aurélien Cohen, Asnières-sur-Seine

From being a superstar pastry chef influencer on Instagram followed by over 200,000 sweet tooths, Aurélien Cohen has become a fully-fledged chef with recognized talent by opening his first boutique in Asnières-sur-Seine. Why? "It's my neighborhood! The town council gave me a lot of support to make this opening a success". That was in November 2021. A test transformed after having sold his cakes exclusively digitally from Bois-Colombes. We join Asnières without batting an eyelid to devour the sweet kalamansi, his signature dessert featuring citrus fruit in ganache, cream and confit, topped with a delicious Breton shortbread.

Aurélien Cohen Pâtisserie & Chocolaterie; 60 Rue de la Sablière, 92600 Asnières-sur-Seine, France
www.aure liencohen.fr

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©Louise Marining

Cyril Gaidella (boulangerie pâtisserie Zest), Neuilly-sur-Seine

Five years after winning the title of French Dessert Champion, in February 2022 young Cyril Gaidella became the owner of his own boulangerie-pâtisserie, renamed Zest, echoing the acid register he likes to work with. To launch his business, the Alsatian chose to take over a local store in Neuilly-sur-Seine. In just over a year, the chef has transformed it into a veritable haunt where you shouldn't miss a taste of his flan, which owes its intense vanilla flavor to an infusion lasting no less than 24 hours!

Boulangerie Zest, 1 Rue Ernest Deloison, 92200 Neuilly-sur-Seine
www.inst agram.com/gaidella

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Yann Brys (Tourbillon patisserie), Saulx-les-Chartreux

"When we opened in 2018, I only wanted to offer cookies, travel cakes and confectionery. But our success was such that I had to expand my offer to include my pastries," says Yann Brys. That's how the first boutique of the Meilleur Ouvrier de France, based in Saulx-les-Chartreux, came to be the place to devour the entremets that have made his reputation, distinctive for the way the cream is arranged in the shape of a spiral - a whirlpool, in other words. The recipes evolve with the seasons, and are even infused with champagne during the festive season. This summer, we enjoyed the apricot/lemon/basil swirl. "If I develop other outlets, I'll stay in Essonne," confides the chef.

Pâtisserie Tourbillon, 2 Av. Salvador Allende, 91160 Saulx-les-Chartreux
www.pati sserietourbillon.com

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Ophélie Barès, Asnières-sur-Seine

The laboratory adjoining the boutique, the bakery in the basement to roast and grind her own seed mixes... Ophélie Barès has found the space she needs in the inner suburbs of Paris to avoid relocating.Ophélie Barès has found the right place in the inner suburbs of Paris to produce her pastries and sourdough breads using ancient wheat flour, such as khorasan, a hard flour from Iran. "I was born in Courbevoie and grew up in Bécon les Bruyères. So I know the neighborhood and the people who live there very well," explains the pastry chef.

ENCORE - Ophélie Barès, 5 Rue de Belfort, 92600 Asnières-sur-Seine
www.instagram.com/ophelie.bares

Rémi Bouiller, Kreme patisserie-tea room, Montrouge

A discreet but no less talented young pastry chef, Rémi Bouiller is part of a new generation of daring chefs who are making a rendezvous for sweet tooths behind the Paris ring road, in the heart of the town of Montrouge. The former student of chef Carl Marletti didn't leave the department of his hotel school to open his tea room, where you can't leave without a peanut éclair. It would be a good idea to succumb to the caramelized charm of the apple turnover...