Ever heard of the French delicacy, “La Galette des Rois”? Here are the top 5 Galettes des Rois bakeries in all of France.

Published on December 31, 2023 at 8:30 am

What is this yummy French pastry you may ask? Imagine freshly made marzipan enrobed in warm buttered puff pastry - a pure delight! Originally made to celebrate The Epiphany during the Middle Ages on January 6th, the Galette des Rois (or ‘King Cake’) was widely entertained by the French population as it includes a fun game: a hidden ‘fève’ (bean) representing Christ inside the folds of the cake so that the one who was chosen to eat this slice would be blessed and crowned King for the evening. Now that you’ve got the history, let’s get into the good stuff.

The classic marzipan Galette des Rois.

Summary

1. Maison Dumont, Clamart
2. Guillaume Flochon, Lyon 9e
3. Maison Sohier, Noisy-le-Grand
4. L’IMPERTINENTE, Lille
5. Yann Couvreur, Paris

1. Maison Dumont, Clamart

Crowned first in an award ranking the best almond-based pastries in the greater Paris area, Maison Dumont’s (located at 201 Avenue Jean Jaurè, 92140, Clamart) King Cake is to die for. In fact, customers lined up in a queue of more than 20 metres to secure a pastry cake in time for dinner during the whole month of January! It’s main attributes: perfectly crunchy on the outside and deliciously warm and almond-filled on the inside. Once you’ve tried it out, you’ll be crawling back for more. Although be careful as these delicious cakes must be savoured and occasional to remain special for this religious holiday!

2. Guillaume Flochon, Lyon 9e

Aside from its unique decorative pastry shell, Guillaume Flochon’s galette Is mesmerising for its taste: an explosion of almonds and the sweet reminder of buttered pastry directly touching the pallet. To give you an idea, last year the waiting list demands exceeded 10 days! Safe to say that Guillaume Flochon is not joking around with his expertise in Galette des Rois. So if you’re travelling to Lyon for a week-end, make sure to make a stop by the 9th arrondissement for a tea and cake break you’ll never forget!

3. Maison Sohier, Noisy-le-Grand

Maison Sohier brings something else to the table with their Galettes des Rois, a new nutty and fruity savour! The most renowned galettes they bake are the hazelnut and the pistachio/orange specials. Whilst the hazelnut cake is quite straightforward in taste, you may be interested in trying out a more sophisticated version: a unique combination of pistachio and orange zest that truly brings out the almond sweetness a part of traditional cake ingredients. Well worth a taste!

4. L’IMPERTINENTE, Lille

Much more simplistic and traditional, L’IMPERTINENTE patisserie in the northern French city of Lille is exactly what one wishes to expect out of a mastered Galette des Rois. As the locals put it, it is perfectly cooked on the outside and extra almondy on the inside. You’re hearing it from here first: this is your safest bet as a Galette des Rois newbie!

5. Yann Couvreur, Paris

We’ve kept the best for last - a wonderfully aesthetically pleasant pastry and mouth-watering goodness on the inside. Yann Couvreur does it best, in fact he is renowned as the King of Paris’ King Cake! His secret ingredient: pecan nuts. Don’t believe us? You’ll have to test it out yourself.

Editor’s fun fact

The French tradition also states that when sharing this delicious dessert, the youngest at the table must sit under the table and blindly give out the order of distribution for each slice going around the table. This is to randomise which slice goes to whom and thus the hidden bean (or today’s modern porcelain figurine version) slice! To top it all off, the one who is blessed with the bean wears a fun crown for the rest of the evening - great time for children and families!

by Lena COLLINS