The pastry chef used to be a name on a menu. In ten years the name moved to the box, the boutique and the feed, and the palaces learned to share.
When Pierre Hermé opened on the rue Bonaparte in 2001 he was unusual: a pastry chef with his own house. Today the path from palace to boutique is the expected career, and the palaces have adapted by giving their chefs counters, books and a share of the name.
The ones who left
Yann Couvreur left the Prince de Galles for the avenue Parmentier in 2016; Christophe Michalak left the Plaza Athénée for his own shops; Nina Métayer built Délicatisserie from a delivery service into the house of the world’s best pastry chef; Eunji Lee left Jungsik to open Lysée; Cheryl Koh opened Tarte while keeping Les Amis.
The ones who stayed and expanded
Cédric Grolet stayed at Le Meurice and built boutiques under his own name in Paris, London and Singapore; François Perret stayed at the Ritz and got Le Comptoir; Maxime Frédéric got Limbar. The palace and the brand now share the kitchen.
What it means for the guest
More counters, more queues, and a pastry that is easier to buy than to sit down for. Our chef portraits tell you where each one’s work can be tasted this year.
Frequently asked questions
Which pastry chefs have their own boutiques?
Pierre Hermé, Cédric Grolet, Yann Couvreur, Christophe Michalak, Philippe Conticini, Nina Métayer, Dominique Ansel, Eunji Lee, Cheryl Koh, Janice Wong, Hidemi Sugino and Sadaharu Aoki among those in this guide.
