Yann Couvreur’s Pastry Shop

Yann Couvreur’s Pastry Shop

Yann Couvreur first worked in the greatest Parisian palace hotels (Prince de Galles, Park Hyatt, Burgundy) before embarking on a new adventure: the world of boutique pastry.

Upon arriving, I discover a magnificent shop with natural, wonderfully soothing colours. You immediately notice that you can enjoy pastries on-site, facing the display window. I love the idea of being able to eat in — which isn’t all that common. Inside, the shop is splendid with a « nature » décor combining wood and plants. The little fox appears here and there throughout. In short, you feel right at home ! It’s a far cry from the high-end pastry shop in the style of a luxury jeweller — and that’s a compliment.

And what a lovely surprise to get to meet Yann Couvreur ! We had a wonderfully down-to-earth chat.

When you approach the display case, you don’t know where to look first. Individual pastries, entremets to share, and also viennoiseries… there’s something for everyone. The éclairs (milk chocolate-coconut, dark chocolate-tonka or « Mokanis ») have an ultra-modern look — I love that rectangular shape and the impeccable presentation. I also spot a few signature desserts I’d seen on his Facebook page: « Merveille » with praliné, tartelette framboise-estragon, Saint-Honoré framboise-menthe, tarte au citron…

But what I came here to taste above all is THE famous mille-feuille that made Yann Couvreur’s reputation at the Prince de Galles: buckwheat kouign amann arlettes in place of the feuilletage, a smooth Madagascar vanilla cream, and above all, assembled to order right in front of the customers. This is what Yann Couvreur calls « les fugues », available from noon — but beware, for the chef’s signature dessert, quantities are limited to 50. You can also order the pavlova (red fruits, meringue, mint and chantilly cream) or the « Écrin Irish Coffee » (Ethiopian mocha, Baileys ganache and vanilla cream).

On top of all these delightful pastries that showcase the chef’s talent and perfectionism, a wide range of viennoiseries is on offer: croissants, pains au chocolat, rolled flaky brioches, kouglof, cookies, buckwheat kouign amann… which you can enjoy with a coffee, a tea or a fresh orange juice. And that’s not all ! There’s also a sweet grocery section (chocolate bars, chocolate spread, confiture de lait…)

Tasting the Pastries

Choosing what to taste was a challenge. On-site, I couldn’t resist the mille-feuille (of course) and a fresh orange juice. Back home, I tried the tartelette framboise estragon, the éclair chocolat tonka and the hazelnut rolled brioche.

La tartelette framboise estragon

fresh raspberries, raspberry coulis, tarragon cream, almond cream and sablé pastry

Verdict : this is a dessert I chose for my other half. The sweet pastry has a lovely colour and the arrangement of the raspberries is stunning ! As for me, I didn’t really enjoy this dessert — I’m not a huge fan of raspberries to begin with, and I didn’t particularly appreciate the anise flavour of the tarragon. That’s entirely personal. My partner, on the other hand, absolutely loved it !

L’éclair chocolat tonka

Verdict : first of all, I absolutely love the look. I find this éclair very classy. I really liked the chocolate and tonka combination (a pairing I know and love !). The choux pastry is perhaps ever so slightly too dry for my taste, but I quickly forget this minor quibble as the whole thing is very harmonious and not too sweet. Nothing groundbreaking in the flavour choices, but a flawless execution !

Le mille-feuille

buckwheat kouign amann arlettes, Madagascar vanilla pastry cream

Verdict : this mille-feuille is an absolute marvel. I adored the originality of this dessert, with the kouign amann arlettes bringing an incredibly delicate crunch. But let’s talk about this vanilla cream, which I am not about to forget anytime soon. I found it so silky… light, delicate, with a delicious vanilla fragrance. A little gem that I absolutely recommend ! Thank you for this discovery, chef !

I didn’t take a photo of the hazelnut rolled brioche, but I can tell you it was truly delicious.

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