Philippe Rigollot’s Pastries in Annecy

This summer, we chose to recharge our batteries in the mountains. We went to Thônes, located about twenty kilometres from Annecy. We knew Annecy from a one-day stopover we made there a few years ago. We had truly fallen in love with this city. I knew we would return one day… But at that time, I wasn’t fully into pastry (I didn’t even have a blog yet), so testing the pastries of a great chef from the city wasn’t part of the holiday plan. Years later, however, the name Philippe Rigollot was well known to me, and when we chose to return to the Annecy area, I knew perfectly well that we would pay him a visit.

Philippe Rigollot’s Shop in Annecy

The pastry shop is located on a small square, somewhat sheltered from all the tourist bustle of the old town. We discover the shop early in the morning, when not all the pastries are yet in the window. While the sales assistant finishes arranging the display, I scrutinise the chef’s little marvels. After a few minutes, the window is full and we don’t know where to look first. I quickly spot the chef’s famous tartelette, Mr Smith, the house speciality. It will obviously be part of our final selection. All that’s left is to agree with my darling on the 3 other desserts to try. The opéra d’été is magnificent and the yuzu/strawberry combination is very tempting. My darling is drawn to the sphère cassis violette while I want to try a more indulgent dessert, with chocolate and peanut.

I appreciate the fact that you can eat on the premises, both inside and outside. That’s so rare in Paris… Another thing that surprises me compared to my Parisian experience is the price. You can enjoy the desserts of a great pastry chef for under €5. Yes, compared to the local bakery, some might say it’s still a little expensive (although, near me, the local bakery, which is not particularly extraordinary, sells desserts for over €4). Personally, I don’t mind paying a few extra cents to taste the pastries of a Best Craftsman of France, who is also a world pastry champion.

The Tea Room “La rose des neiges”

It is while strolling through the streets of Annecy that we discover the tea room “La rose des neiges”. The colour of the façade catches my eye – it’s elegant. And looking at the window display, what a surprise: we find the chef’s creations. So here is a second address to satisfy a serious craving for sweets (very handy when you’re strolling around town on a Wednesday and discover that the first shop is unfortunately closed on Wednesdays – oops!). You can also sit down for a meal, and not just pastries or ice cream. Prices are slightly higher than at the shop on the square, though.

You’ll find a large part of the chef’s sweet collection, and above all you can discover a few new additions. Here, for example, you won’t find the famous tartelette Mr Smith but another dessert in the shape of a green apple. Very beautiful. Right next to it sits an elegant tarte citron which, I believe, is not available in the first shop.

Tasting the Pastries

We tested 4 pastries at the shop on the square, then 3 more pastries at “La rose des neiges” on a second visit to Annecy. Us, greedy?! 😛

L’opéra d’été

almond biscuit, strawberry confit, strawberry crémeux, yuzu crémeux, thin chocolate leaf

Verdict: My darling and I were absolutely smitten with this opéra d’été, which perfectly combines strawberry and yuzu flavours. We had already fallen for its chic and colourful look. You immediately see the different layers of this dessert, which makes you want to eat it straight away. At tasting, on the first bite, we look at each other and say ‘wow, this is so good!’ (à la Lignac – fans of Le Meilleur Pâtissier will understand). You can clearly taste the yuzu but its presence isn’t overpowering and leaves enough room for the strawberry to express all its delicate flavours. The thin chocolate leaf crackles gently in the mouth – it’s pure delight, a true indulgent moment. If you visit the shop, choose this one as a priority – you won’t be disappointed 🙂

La sphère cassis violette

ivory croustillant, blackcurrant confit and crémeux, light violet mousse

Verdict: We continue with this religieuse that isn’t really one, since it’s not a choux pastry but rather an entremets made up of a large and a small sphere. Visually, I’m not hugely taken with the glaze, and when tasting it I find it genuinely too thick. Strangely, a chocolate ring hides beneath the glaze (and when you look at the chef’s visuals, the chocolate ring is actually above the glaze… a small error?). Moving on, it’s only a detail. This entremets was also a great success – we simply L-O-V-E-D it! I was eager to try the blackcurrant-violet combination and I must say it’s a real triumph. It’s super light, refreshing, the blackcurrant brings a little punch and the violet mousse is delicate, with the violet perfectly dosed. A delight!

La tartelette Mr Smith

pâte sucrée, almond cream, raw and cooked apple marmalade, vanilla mousse, Manzana glaze

Verdict: I had heard so much about this dessert that, inevitably, I was eager to taste it. The ‘problem’ with desserts that get so much hype is that the bar is high and you expect to be transported. Transported we were with the first 2 desserts. Personally, that wasn’t the case with this third one. Don’t get me wrong – it’s a very good dessert: the pâte sucrée is crisp, the apple marmalade is very good (I love the raw/cooked combination) and the vanilla mousse equally so. Everything is very good but… I was expecting more tartness from the granny smith apples, a little more punch in fact.

La pirouette

chocolate and peanut

Verdict: We saved this particularly indulgent entremets for last, of course. The flavours appealed to me straight away because recently I’ve been making several desserts with chocolate and peanut. I was therefore keen to taste a chef’s dessert combining these flavours. Visually, I love it. Half velvet flocking, half mirror glaze – it’s incredibly stylish, I think! In terms of taste, I had more the impression of eating a chocolate/caramel entremets (with peanut pieces, admittedly) than a chocolate/peanut one. I would have liked the peanut to be more prominent. But that’s entirely personal (and it turns out I’m not a big fan of caramel… which explains it). That said, it’s still very good, very indulgent 🙂

La rose

génoise, raspberry marmalade, tonka vanilla mousse, white chocolate coating

Verdict: I love the look of this rose-shaped dessert, which is nonetheless very simple. On the velvet flocking, tiny dewdrops are placed – it’s incredibly charming. Raspberry is something I learned to love through baking. And this dessert made me love raspberry. It’s delicate, tangy, fresh, light. The tonka vanilla mousse is very pleasant in the mouth. All in all, it’s a dessert we really enjoyed.

Le fraisier citron vert

génoise, confit and fresh strawberries, mousseline cream flavoured with lime

Verdict: Here’s a classic: the fraisier. I should mention that strawberry is my favourite fruit, my little guilty pleasure, so when I see a strawberry dessert, I tend to pounce on it. The look of this fraisier is original – it’s a far cry from the traditional version, and I like that. When tasting, I wonder if the marzipan won’t be too prominent in the mouth (it’s not something I particularly love, even though it’s part of the classic fraisier). Inside, there are lots of fresh strawberries that are full of flavour – it’s refreshing and really delicious. The biscuit, the cream, the strawberries… yes, it’s a classic but it’s truly well executed! As for the marzipan, there was a bit too much for me (I even left some of it – shame on me!).

Le burger Rigollot

crispy brioche, rhubarb marmalade, strawberry mousse, orange jelly, chocolate shavings

Verdict: This last one is one my darling absolutely wanted to try. It might surprise you, but I’m not a big fan of trompe-l’œil desserts. I see a burger, I imagine I’m eating a burger – you see the idea? He loved it, and I had a taste, of course. I’m not a big fan of orange in desserts and I don’t like rhubarb, so my opinion is inevitably a bit biased. Yet despite all that, I enjoyed my bite. In the end, it wasn’t the rhubarb or the orange that bothered me – it was the trompe-l’œil itself. Incredible what the brain can do!

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