Dolce Vita: Ten Amazing Bakeries From Around the World

Dolce Vita: Ten Amazing Bakeries From Around the World

It’s time to sweeten up our lives a bit. We’ve had a think and decided to compile ten top-class bakeries and confectioneries from all around the world. You don’t need to find a golden ticket to Willy Wonka’s factory in order to sample the tastiest chocolate, you just need to wait until borders reopen—we don’t know which option is more magical!

ZenHotels Blog
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Contents

Hofbackerei Edegger-Tax, Graz, Austria

  • Address: Hofgasse 3, 8010 Graz.

The oldest bakery in the world— Hofbäckerei Edegger-Tax—is in Austria: the earliest references to it date from the 14th century. It was originally a small bakery with home-made baked goods, however in 1789 Matthias Tax took management of the bakery. His substantial efforts made this institution into the best bakery in Graz.

Interestingly, Hofbäckerei Edegger-Tax is genuinely a royal bakery. In 1883, to mark the arrival of Emperor Franz Josef I, a new kind of pastry was launched at the bakery. It pleased His Highness so much, that in 1888, the bakery received the title of “supplier to the court and the authorities” and was permitted to bear the official coat of arms of the Austrian monarchy. 

Since then, the coat of arms has adorned the bakery for several centuries, reminding us of its historical value and making it a true symbol of Graz.

 

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Публикация от Bernhard Kenner (@bernhard.kenner)

Nowadays, you can sample confectionery and baked goods in the bakery that have been prepared according to old recipes, as well as using modern technology. Visitors tend to remark upon its trademark baked products in particular: “Sissi-Busserl” bread, the Styrian “Panthertatzen,” and Imperial biscuits.

La Maison Stohrer, Paris, France

  • Address: 51 Rue Montorgueil, 75002 Paris

France simply wouldn’t be France without the freshest croissants on cozy summer verandas. And it’s in Paris that we find another of the oldest bakeries in the world— La Maison Stohrer.

Interestingly, La Maison Stohrer is also closely connected with royalty. In 1725, Louis XV married the Polish princess Marie Leszczyńska, whose entourage included the chef of the Polish king. His name was Nicolas Stohrer. Five years later in 1730, Nicolas Stohrer opened his own bakery in the very heart of Paris. The bakery has been serving royalty ever since. In 2004, Elizabeth II, during her official visit to France, simply couldn’t forgo the pleasure of sampling the delicious, royal pastries in La Maison Stohrer.

 

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Публикация от Stohrer (@stohrer)

As well as its pastries, the establishment’s interior is also worthy of attention: the luxurious decor was designed by a student of Paul Baudry, who decorated the Palais Garnier. The bakery bears frescoes by Baudry that were painted in 1860.

You should definitely try the rum baba because it was the founder of this bakery, Nicolas Stohrer, who invented this dessert. They make four different versions of it at La Maison Stohrer: with natural rum, with crème pâtissière and raisins, with red berries, and an original version with saffron.

 

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Публикация от Stohrer (@stohrer)

Pierre Hermé, Paris, France

  •  Address: 133 Av. des Champs-Élysées, 75008 Paris.

Staying with the old lady of France, let’s take a look at a more modern bakery. It belongs to Pierre Hermé, one of the most fashionable and high-end pastry chefs in the world. 

Hermé opened his first boutique bakery in Tokyo in 1998, and within three years, in 2001, the boutique Pierre Hermé appeared on Rue Bonaparte, in an area of the trendy Boulevard Saint-Germain. It rapidly gained in popularity.

 

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Публикация от Maison Pierre Hermé Paris (@pierrehermeofficial)

This Paris bakery adheres to the best fashion house traditions, launching three collections of sweet treats every year:

  • Classics: embodying the classical French traditions of pastry making;
  • Collection: presented twice a year, in March and September. It includes entirely new, sophisticated confectionery products;
  • Signatures: bringing together the best creations from the Collections series. 

VOGUE magazine called Pierre Hermé “the Picasso of Pastry” for good reason. He’s a pastry chef who’s not afraid to combine various flavors that, at first glance, may seem incompatible. 

When you get to Paris, you should definitely take note of this phenomenon in Pierre Hermé’s bakery by trying the tomato and vanilla cake, for example. For the less brave, we recommend the superbly tasty classic croissants.

 

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Публикация от Maison Pierre Hermé Paris (@pierrehermeofficial)

Wittamer, Brussels, Belgium

  • Address: Place du Grand Sablon 6-12-13, 1000, Brussels.

The quality and flavor of Belgian chocolate is well known to those with a sweet tooth all around the world. In Belgian chocolate, sweetness and bitterness are well balanced: it isn’t too piquant, but nor it is overly sweet. The most refined and expensive chocolate is made by the Wittamer brand.

Wittamer is a family business that has existed for more than a century, and it is the only confectionery that provides chocolate for the royal table. The secret to Wittamer’s success is its commitment to tradition: their chocolate recipe has not been changed in a hundred years.

 

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Публикация от Wittamer (@wittamer_belgium)

If you find yourself here, you should sample the confectionery’s most famous chocolates: 

  • “Mont Blanc” — praline with white chocolate;
  • “Pasha” — caramel honeycomb with dark chocolate;
  • the “Wittamer” brand variety, which consists of 67% pure chocolate. 

As a matter of fact, at Wittamer, you can order a seriously delicious wedding cake. However, even the smallest one is for 100 people and weighs several dozen kilograms, so transporting it may be problematic (you’ll have to eat it right away).

 

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Публикация от Wittamer (@wittamer_belgium)

Kézműves Cukrászda, Gyula, Hungary

  • Address: Erkel Ferenc t r 1. sz., Gyula.

This bakery is famous for several things: its sweet treats, tea, its museum, and its atmosphere. Let’s cover them in order.

This bakery appeared in the middle of the 19th century, and to this day it preserves recipes for the most delicious sweet goods. Its cakes and pastries with chocolate, whipped cream, custard, fruit, nuts, and berries, as well as all manner of baked goods and candy are highly regarded by even the most exacting sweet treat connoisseurs from all over the world. 

 

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Публикация от Daniel Duca (@leinad_22_)

As well as baked goods, Kézműves Cukrászda also offers a superb assortment of tea: Indian, Ceylon, Chinese, Himalayan, African, Georgian, Irish, Kenyan, and Vietnamese, with chocolate, citrus fruits, cinnamon, and more. You’ll definitely be able to choose something to drink with your pastry. 

But that’s not all! There’s a museum in the old pastry shop, where antique tools for manually creating pastry masterpieces are on display.

And to top it all off, there’s the bakery’s decoration. In the building itself, which is in the Empire style, among the ornately decorated walls, genuine Biedermeier-era furniture has been preserved, which has been there since the café was set up.

 

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Публикация от Cukraszok.hu (@kezmuves_cukraszda)

Pastéis de Belém, Lisbon, Portugal

  • Address: Rua de Belem No 84 a 92, 1300-085 Lisbon.

You need to try one of Portugal’s, and indeed the world’s, most famous desserts in the Pastéis de Belém bakery: it is believed that pastéis de nata are prepared here according to a traditional recipe.

The truth is that the original recipe, which was invented in 1837, is owned by just three people in the whole world, and they all work at Pastéis de Belém.

The base of these pastries is made of puff pastry, and the filling is a very sweet (double the quantity of sugar) custard. If you go and try it, think about what you’re going to drink: sweetness like that needs something to wash it down with.

 

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Публикация от Jeremiah (@jeremiahbakes)

Pasticceria Marchesi, Milan, Italy

  • Addess: Via Santa Maria Alla Porta 11/a, 20123, Milan.

If you want to taste a dessert that is at the heart of the Italian fashion house, the perfect option is the Pasticceria Marchesi café, which is owned by the Prada label. 

The establishment’s interior was designed by one of Milan’s most famous designers, Roberto Baciocchi, who has decorated Prada’s boutiques all over the world. The bakery looks like pistachio-filled candy: the walls are lined with green marble and mirrors, while the chairs are covered in a soft, pistachio-colored fabric. Various sweet treasures are displayed in its alcoves. 

In the café, there are two dining rooms with marble tables and chairs, couches made of green velvet with a Jacquard silk lining.

 

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Публикация от Marchesi 1824 (@marchesi1824)

The desserts here are similarly impressive: you can sample crumbly biscuits, panettone, pastries, croissants, and a variety of chocolates that were made by hand.

In addition, the bakery offers two new creams made of dark chocolate and forest nuts. They are sugar-free and were prepared according to a special formula. If you come during Milan Fashion Week, you’ll be able to try various confectionery in the shape of fashion accessories.

 

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Публикация от Marchesi 1824 (@marchesi1824)

Maison Bertaux, London, England

  • Address: 28 Greek Street Soho, London, W1D 5DQ.

You can really appreciate the blend of contemporary interior design and classic desserts in the Maison Bertaux café in the center of London’s Soho district.

In 1871, an oasis of French cuisine appeared in the city: classic French croissants were baked here, along with éclairs and fruit pies. The building’s design reflected its menu: there were tables on the pavement beneath wide blue awnings with the bakery’s logo.

 

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Публикация от Maison Bertaux (@maison_bertaux)

Since the bakery is located close to Central Saint Martin’s art school, the idea was later proposed to expand it and add an art gallery to the bakery. The gallery is on the upper floor, and from time to time exhibitions of modern artists are held there. 

To this day, Maison Bertaux remains one of the most popular bakeries in England. Even film stars visit it in order to sample the local pastries: both Nicole Kidman and Martin Freeman have been here before.

 

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Публикация от Maison Bertaux (@maison_bertaux)

Dylan’s Candy Bar, New York, USA

  • Address: 60th St, New York.

A similar collaboration between artistic creativity and confectionery can be found on another continent, in New York: Dylan’s Candy Bar has become one of the most significant bakeries in the world, thanks to its combination of sweet treats and the world of art, fashion, and pop culture.

 

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Публикация от Dylan’s Candy Bar (@dylanscandybar)

In 2001, Dylan Lauren founded a bakery, the concept for which was based on the idea of awakening one’s inner child. This idea is reflected in the establishment’s design: you’ll come across a tree with enticing fruit in the form of huge lollipops, shelves dripping with chocolate, and whole columns made of candy canes. It’ll make the eyes of even the most restrained individuals light up!

As well as its design, Dylan’s Candy Bar will entice you with its assortment of sweet treats, amounting to 7,000 varieties of confectionery. If nothing catches your eye, you can order candy to be made using your own photo, and they’ll print a treat for you using a 3D printer!

 

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Публикация от Dylan’s Candy Bar (@dylanscandybar)

Bloomsbury’s, Dubai, UAE

  • Address: The Dubai Mall, Upper Deck Rd, Mohammed Bin Rashid Boulevard, 3, Dubai.

We’d like to invite connoisseurs of candy, who see their goal and ignore all obstacles, to the country of luxury and wealth: the United Arab Emirates. It is hardly surprising that it is here where one can sample the most expensive cakes in the world. 

The ingredients for the “Golden Phoenix” cake come from various countries: cocoa from Italy, butter from the UK, and vanilla from Uganda. The “Golden Phoenix” is one of those instances when you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover: the cake is wrapped in gold foil and sprinkled with gold flakes.

 

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Публикация от The Hungry CEO🍽 (@thehungryceo)

And it has a price to match: $1,000. But don’t worry, you can look at it for free, and there are more budget-friendly options for you to taste that are no less delicious: the well-known “Red Velvet” and “Tiramisu.”


So we’ve chosen our desserts, and our taste receptors are primed. We’re monitoring the situation with the coronavirus all over the world, waiting for borders to be opened so we can head off on a sweet vacation.

I want to take a sweet vacation!

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