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February 2021

Sweet ode

  • Gourmet stops at the home of the master magician patissiers who charm our palates and transport us with their inspired creations...

Sweet ode

Gourmet stops at the home of the master magician patissiers who charm our palates and transport us with their inspired creations...

By Carolyn Paul

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Le gâteau de crêpes soufflées, réinterprété par Lilian Bonnefoi.

Souvenirs d’enfance

Les saisons défilent et les pâtisseries de Lilian Bonnefoi éblouissent toujours les papilles des gourmets. Depuis plus de vingt ans à l’Hôtel du Cap Eden Roc, où il signe les desserts du palace, mais aussi dans son écrin rétro chic éponyme en plein cœur du vieil Antibes. De son début de carrière à Roanne chez les Troisgros, il garde une recette qu’il a revisitée : « le gâteau de crêpes soufflées ». Ce « Very Important Patisserie », véritable signature de ce virtuose de la ganache, se décline en trois parfums, confit de framboises du pays, agrumes ou pâte à tartiner-noisettes du Piémont. Dans l’air du temps, ce gâteau de voyage, qui se conserve jusqu’à trois jours, est un dessert sans gluten. Outre un savoir-faire et une créativité prolifique, ce sont les ingrédients qui exaltent les gourmandises si précieuses de Lilian, comme une véritable excursion en terres provençales. Amandes, citrons, figues ou fraises des bois, de la Provence à l’arrière-pays niçois, ces trésors fruités et gorgés de saveurs se déclinent en coulis, confits et confitures et viennent parfumer les crèmes généreuses des tartelettes, des entremets, ou se dégustent en pots, comme une réminiscence d’enfance.

Lilian Bonnefoi
7 avenue Robert Soleau, Antibes
Tél. 04 93 33 90 74

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Voyage gourmand avec le dessert  Caraïbes.

Chocolate in all its forms!

“The ingredient I don't enjoy working with is routine!” confides Philippe Brito, soon to be celebrating 10 years in his Cannes patisserie. This chocolate specialist, whose unique, artistically iced creations never cease to amaze, likes to diversify his recipes. His desserts, tarts and travel cakes impart all the chocolate flavour nuances, mastered to perfection. Respecting seasonality is the guiding principle behind this enthusiast’s creativity. This winter, he draws his inspiration from the undergrowth. With a chef’s expertise, he dares to combine truffles and porcini mushrooms for his Christmas log. But his patisserie “black diamond”, which has been tantalising connoisseurs’ tastebuds season after season, is his Madagascar dessert. A delicious hazelnut cream and 64% dark chocolate mousse on a crispy chocolate biscuit.  Unquestionably decadent and sinful!

Pâtisserie Philippe Brito
79 avenue Maréchal Juin, Cannes
Tél. 04 93 94 43 48

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Les amateurs de Mont-Blanc apprécieront...
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Millefeuille vanille
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La tarte aux figues de Mathieu Marchand.
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Tartelette aux deux chocolats

Bold and daring patisserie

Opened in the autumn, the Boutique de l’Oasis sits in a new space at the front of the gastronomic restaurant. Halfway between a chic grocery store and bakery-patisserie, Domaine de Barbossi products such as wine, olive oil and honey, snuggle up next to Mathieu Marchand’s chocolate creations and other sweet delights. Originally from Brittany, this young chef patissier puts his own twist on the classics with some surprising flavour combinations. Coffee éclairs flavoured with tarragon, avocado married with raspberries, and the traditional Saint-Honoré has been given a fresh taste with peaches and erbena. With a career studded with Michelin-starred restaurants from Meribel to Mougins, by way of luxury brasseries in the United States, this chocolate buff sublimates his raw material, playing with textures and alternating techniques to dazzle the taste buds.

La boutique de l’Oasis,
6 rue Jean-Honoré Carle, Mandelieu-La-Napoule
Tél. 04 92 97 31 82

An institution!

At the Pâtisserie Cannet, the know-how has been being passed down from father to son since 1927. An institution in Nice, where Christophe Canet deploys his talents in confectionery, patisserie, ice cream and above all, chocolate. In squares, olives, pebbles, fondant or crispy in desserts, his chocolate-flavoured sweetness comes in an infinite variety of forms. Beans from more than 35 cocoa producing origins are used to make the pastries, sweets, and spreads. Madagascar, Santo Domingo, Venezuela and Tanzania, a real-world tour in just a few bars, which Christophe brings together with fruity or floral flavours, praline, made the old-fashioned way, and the exotic scent of Tahitian vanilla. All the irresistible patisserie in his three shops distils this almost century-old house’s DNA, the mastery of taste and heightened creativity. Along with the generous millefeuilles, grandiose éclairs and multicoloured macaroons, you’ll discover seasonal creations including this winter the Duchesse au Marron, a delicious crown of cream puffs topped with meringue.

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L'élégance des bûches festives signées Christophe Canet.

 

  

Pâtisserie Canet
25 boulevard Gambetta,
7 rue Longchamp
3 rue Maccarani, Nice

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Contemporary renaissance
The handover of La Closerie in Antibes has been a success. Chef patissier Michael Durieux is reawakening the fine institution that has laid dormant since the departure of Christian Cottard. In this bourgeois building, the former pastry chef at the Majestic takes up the standards that made this restaurant with its tea room atmosphere such a success. Opéras, religieuses, fruity tartlets, éclairs and babas now flirt with this experienced chef’s contemporary creations made using the most delicate patisserie techniques. His credo is? Clean tastes. No-fuss. His patisserie fits in with current trends — less sweet, more refined, respecting the flavours of each ingredient. His speciality? The milk chocolate and praline crisp, a cake already popular with customers who appreciate the play of textures between the crunchiness and the light-as-air, melt-in-the-mouth mousse.

Pâtisserie Michael Durieux
8 boulevard Dugommier, Antibes
Tél. 04 93 34 09 92

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