The French are invading the Upper East Side with their croissants, macarons, and other sweet treats.
In the space of about a year, the neighborhood recently said “bonjour” to three French bakeries along Lexington Avenue: Aux Merveilleux de Fred, Patisserie Vanessa and Angelina.
“There’s a new French vibe going on with all these up-and-coming spots opening up, and it’s kind of breathing new life into the neighborhood’s old connection to France,” says UES resident and media salesperson Nathalie Reichel, 34. “It’s also fun to go to new places, sample the croissants, get a feel for being in Paris, and judge how it compares to back home.”
The bakery is a perfect fit for the roughly 60,000 French expats living in New York City. The area is home to the Lycée Français de New York, a French language school; the French Institute Alliance Française, which offers French language classes and programs and has one of the largest private French language libraries in the country; and Albertine, New York’s only bookstore that sells books exclusively in French and English.
Anthony Battaglia, chief operating officer of Angelina Paris USA, said the company opened Angelina Lexington, its second New York City location, in the neighborhood because “we wanted to be closer to French-speaking and Francophone customers who knew Angelina in Paris.” The tea room is known for its hot chocolate and Mont Blanc desserts.
Paola Rivero, an Upper East Side resident, said French bakeries like Pâtisserie Vanessa are popular with the public because “you can enjoy a pastry and a coffee even if you’re not eating.”
Real estate agent Fabienne Lecord left France 32 years ago, but said she returned to the UES in 2021 and is living a very French lifestyle.
“Where else can you start your day with the best croissants in town and a huge smile on your face? Three blocks away, there’s Vanessa, which offers authentic French pastries like canelés and macarons. Around the corner, there’s a new place I just discovered called Au Merveilles de Fred, which has the best chocolate croissants and meringues. And of course, a few blocks south, there’s Angelina, which serves the best hot chocolate in town.”
French patisserie doesn’t just appeal to French people and locals.
“People want to be transported to another place,” said Marc-Antoine Silengo, co-owner of Pâtisserie Vanessa, known for its ladyfinger Charlotte cake. “This is a part of Provence, of France.”
Sammy Schott, a French national visiting New York City from Australia, said Pâtisserie Vanessa felt “authentic” and its canelés were “by far the best I’ve had in the last two years,” explaining that they were crisp on top and bottom and “soft” in the middle.
