Pâtisserie Michalak: Light, Creative Desserts

Christophe Michalak is a world-famous French chef who was named World Pastry Champion in 2005. He first drew attention for reimagining traditional French pastry with a modern sensibility and a creative streak. After working as pastry chef at the luxury Plaza Athénée hotel, he struck out on his own and launched his own brand, Pâtisserie Michalak, which now has three shops in Paris.

The desserts here are known for their distinctive design, restrained sweetness and soft textures. The signature is the Kosmik, a layered dessert built up in a cup with whipped cream, fruit purée, crunchy elements and more. Popular flavors include chocolate praline, vanilla caramel, and raspberry pistachio.

The shop is also known for putting new spins on classic pastries such as éclairs, tarts and madeleines. Our guide never cared for madeleines because they can feel dry, but loved the raspberry madeleine here: sweet, tart, moist and soft, and generously sized. Just as the cruffin is a croissant-cookie hybrid, the Koonie, a cookie-brownie hybrid, is a big hit with chocolate lovers.

The desserts at Michalak are relatively lightly sweet, which makes them a good fit for anyone who prefers things not too sugary. Skip the macarons here in favor of the creative cup dessert Kosmik, the Koonies or a tart, and have your macarons at Pierre Hermé instead. There are limited-edition seasonal desserts here too, so check what's new before you go. If you want a fresh take on traditional French desserts, this is the place.

Now we head to the official last stop of the tour.