Where to eat France's best floating islands?
A timeless dessert of French cuisine, the floating island has endured through the ages without losing its gourmet appeal. From bistros to top restaurants, we take you on a tour of France's most successful interpretations, to be enjoyed all year round.
A monument of bistro pastry-making, the île flottante is based on a delicate balance between the lightness of egg whites egg whites, creamy custard, bitter caramel and crunchy flaked almonds. originally, this was not an egg preparation. In his "Guide culinaire", Auguste Escoffier describes a Savoy cookie floating on a custard. A dessert made with eggs in snow already existed, but it was served with sweetened milk. It wasn't until the early XXᵉ century that the two recipes merged. Today, we distinguish between oeufs en neige (egg whites poached in milk) and île flottante (steamed or baked egg whites). Between a contemporary interpretation and a perfectly executed classic, the île flottante leaves no one indifferent.
La Rôtisserie d'Argent in Paris by Romuald Sinnan
A must-have on the dessert menu: the traditional floating island. The egg whites are airy and lightly colored, accompanied by a tasty custard. The amber caramel served in the dining room adds a touch of bitterness. A deeply comforting classic.
- Price: €13
- Where?19 Quai de la Tournelle, 75005 Paris
- I want to go to La Rôtisserie d'Argent
Nonos and edible in Paris by Paul Pairet
Make way for elegance with this floating island. The immaculate sphere of egg whites is covered with a thin layer of graphic caramel, contrasting with the plate. The crème anglaise plays hide-and-seek: you have to break the caramel and split the dome to get it to flow. Bonus: citrus zest sugar is infused into the custard, adding a touch of freshness. balanced, playful and masterful.
- Price: €18
- Where? 6 rue Boissy d'Anglas, 75008 Paris
- I want to go to Nonos et comestible
Auberge Paul Bocuse in Collonges-au-Mont-d'Or by Benoît Charvet
A centerpiece of the dessert cart. Egg whites set on roasted pistachios are topped with a fine pink praline opaline lightly melted with a blowtorch at the table. And they hide a surprise: a runny caramel. This floating island is served with a creamy custard and flaked almonds, sweet pistachios or Saint-Genix pralines. Contemporary, ultra-gourmet and highly accomplished.
- Price: Dessert cart €50
- Where? 40 rue de la Plage, 69660 Collonges-au-Mont-d'Or, France
- I want to go to theAuberge Paul Bocuse
Daniel and Denise in Lyon by Joseph Viola
It's hard to ignore this floating island revisited in the Lyon style. Its impressive dome of egg whites submerged in custard is covered with a mixture of flaked almonds and pink pralines. But above all, it conceals pink pralines at its heart. An ultra-regressive dessert emblematic of Lyon's bouchons.
- Price: €9
- Where? 156 rue de Créqui, 69003 Lyon
- I want to go to Daniel et Denise
Léon de Lyon in Lyon by Koren Julien
A floating island in the spirit of Lyon, between tradition and modernity. What makes it special? Its airy egg-white quenelle, concealed beneath a thin disk of caramel, adds depth and crunch. It floats on a rich vanilla custard, topped with crushed pink pralines. Simple and perfectly mastered.
- Price: €11
- Where? 1 rue Pleney, 69001 Lyon
- I want to go to Léon de Lyon
Cabane à Nanterre by Jean-François Bury
Forget the floating island as you know it. Egg whites are topped with a crème brûlée insert, coated with a caramel mousse and crunchy caramel, and placed on a spoon cookie. On top, egg whites like a meringue, with caramelized almonds, caramel and atsina cress shoots for a touch of aniseed. The custard is served in a minute. A resolutely contemporary and masterful interpretation.
- Price: €15
- Where? 10 rue du Dr Foucault 8, 92000 Nanterre
- I want to go to the Cabane
Bistrot Racines in Chartres by Benoît Cellot
Showtime! Here, the floating island takes center stage: in spectacular format and served in the dining room. The egg whites, cooked in the oven for a long time, arrive golden brown before being covered in caramel. They are ladled out, cut for four, and reveal inserts of crushed pink pralines for even more deliciousness... before joining the custard. Simply irresistible.
- Price: €9
- Where? 49 rue des Changes, 28000 Chartres
- I want to go to Bistrot Racines
La Factory in Montpellier by Brice Bordes
Inordinately gourmet. This floating island doesn't just seduce with its size, it also stands out for its lightly colored egg whites. The egg whites have been gently baked in the oven for a long time, until they crust over... adding a biscuit-like note. They are accompanied by flaked almonds and a custard poured on at the last moment, in front of the customer. Generosity at its best.
- Price: €11
- Where? 598 avenue de la Mer-Raymond Dugrand, 34000 Montpellier
- I want to go to La Factory
Le Bibent in Toulouse
Simply irresistible. This floating island is a classic from this historic brasserie. Its distinctive feature is a gourmet crust formed by caramel just melted over egg whites. Slivered almonds and a creamy custard accompany it. Fair and comforting.
- Price: €12
- Where? 5 place du Capitole, 31000 Toulouse
- I want to go to Bibent
Club Dauphin in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat by Pierre-Jean Quinonero
This floating island plays on the great classics... without a false note. The cloud of egg whites is set on vanilla caramel. It floats on a silky, vanilla custard, with lightly spiced notes of tonka bean. It's the chef's surprise touch, bringing modernity to the dessert. On top, a little more caramel and flaked almonds. A return to childhood guaranteed.
- Where? 71 boulevard du Général de Gaulle, 06230 Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat
- I want to go to Club Dauphin
