In 2023 a woman was named the world’s best pastry chef for the first time. Three years later the kitchens of this guide tell a different story from the one they told a decade ago.
Pastry kitchens were run by men for most of the last century, and the palaces were the last to change. The chefs in this guide show the shift: Nina Métayer holding two world titles, Anne Coruble leading the Peninsula Paris, Cheryl Koh named Asia’s best and running Tarte, Janice Wong turning dessert into installations, Eunji Lee opening Lysée in New York.
The palace question
Jessica Préalpato at the Plaza Athénée in 2019 was the first woman named world’s best pastry chef by one of the big lists while leading a palace restaurant; the palace kitchens of Paris and London still count few women at the head, and the boutique route has been the faster one. That is changing house by house.
Where to taste
The themed teas of Le Lobby in Paris, the fruit tarts of Scotts Road, the plated desserts of Holland Village after eleven, the corn cake in Flatiron: our chef portraits say where and when.
Frequently asked questions
Who was the first woman named world’s best pastry chef?
Nina Métayer, by La Liste and the Best Chef Awards in 2023.
