The most readily available galette
A vanilla-scented breeze is blowing through the village of Dinard, originating at Vent de Vanille, a new age ice cream shop run by Juliette Le Roux and Nicolas Caillet, both of whom used to work for the prestigious spice vendor Roellinger. And to celebrate the three kings of the Epiphany, the duo has some ambitious plans! To be precise, they plan on baking 700 (!) frangipane-filled galettes, each one made with carefully selected ingredients: flour from Le Moulin de Quincampoix, Isigny butter, organic eggs from the GAEC Marquet co-op… Even their fèves received special treatment, designed this year by Catherine Remmy, the ceramic artist who crafted all of the plates at the fine dining restaurant Le Coquillage.
Price? €15.20 for a 4-person galette, €19.80 for a 6-person galette.
When? Starting on January 2nd (for a limited time only).
The most Japanese-inspired galette
You could toss a fève and hit the Palais-Royal from the Japanese pastry shop Tomo, where all of their galettes are made using organic ingredients grown or produced in France. What’s more? These sweet pastries taste delightfully of the Land of the Rising Sun, since they’re filled with sweet red bean paste or a delicious mixture of black sesame and pear… Itadakimasu!
Price? €32 for the red bean galette, €36 for the sesame galette.
When? Starting on January 2nd (for a limited time only).
The most chillingly delicious galette
In Lyon, you can catch Julia Canu and Tiago Barbosa of Unico rolling up their sleeves to take their lovely iced galettes out of the freezer: flaky puff pastry rolled out by hand in their sister pastry shop Minnà, then filled with an incredible frangipane-flavored ice cream by our favorite Lyonnais ice cream makers … This special creation is only available at Minnà (12 rue d’Algérie).
Price? €16.90 for a 4-person galette, extremely limited quantities available.
When? From January 4th to 9th.
The nuttiest galette
When it comes to the Septime family of restaurants, head to Tapisserie! For the feast of the Epiphany, they’ve crafted two very cheeky galettes made with meticulously sourced ingredients (from Terroirs d’Avenir, Moulins Bourgeois, Le Zingam, etc.): the first is filled with frangipane, the second with almond cream and a praliné of smoked almonds from Grenoble…
Price? €24 for a 4-person galette (also sold by the slice).
When? Starting late December (for a limited time only).
The most babkaddictive galette
In Lille, Brood bakery is challenging the galette des rois’ authority in order to make way for the reign of… the babka des reines! There are three beautiful versions to choose from: a babka filled with pink praline frangipane; another with frangipane and toasted, crushed hazelnuts; and a final kanelbulle-style version, with cinnamon and almonds…
Price? €19 for a 6-8 person galette (upon reservation only).
When? On January 23rd only.
The most chocollector galette
Smack dab in the middle of the Sentier neighborhood, the chocolate shop Plaq has dreamt up an entirely-chocolate version: a galette made with a crispy, flaky cocoa crust, stuffed with a soft chocolate-almond center and taken to the next level with a pure chocolate icing…. Intrigued yet? The icing is made from 76% Noir Maya Mountain dark chocolate with intense, acidic and fruity notes. And to crown all that, owners Sandra Mielenhausen and Nicolas Rozier-Chabert have hidden a special fève in each galette… instead of the classic ceramic figurine, they’ve opted for a roasted cocoa bean!
Price? €18 for a 2-3 person galette, €36 for a 4-6 person galette, €54 for an 8-10 person galette (upon special order only). Limited quantities available.
When? From January 7th to 9th and from January 14th to 16th.
The most vitamin-C-packed galette
At her miniature bakery in Nice, Dominika Zielinska works exclusively with heirloom flours and sourdough starters! To celebrate the Epiphany, her babka des rois is pure madness: she combines citrus grown in the south of France with the famous Polish braided brioche of her childhood.
Price? €18.50 for the 6-8 person babka, €9.50 for the 2-person babka.
When? Starting on January 5th (for a limited time only).
The most comforting galette on a cold winter day
In Paris, Henri Guittet, the owner of Glazed, is selling a fully frozen version of the galette des rois. What should you expect? Ultra-creamy brioche ice cream, flavored with orange blossom, sprinkled with candied fruit and pearl sugar… all scooped into a Sicilian crown pastry, made using fermented dough. Now that we’ve spilled the beans, go get one for yourself!
Price? €34 for the ice cream brioche for 6-8 people, €9.90 for 350 ml of ice cream for €12.90 for a pint of just the ice cream.
When? Starting on January 2nd (for a limited time only).
The old faithful galette
In his Petite Boulangerie de Belleville, Xavier Serre is forever faithful to his beloved frangipane galette: he prepares it in the traditional style, with organic ingredients, extra care and plenty of high-quality butter. A true classic that deserves your attention!
Price? €16 for a 3-4 person galette, €22 for a 5-6 person galette, €30 for an 8-person galette.
When? Starting on January 4th (for a limited time only).
The most rebellious galette
In Bordeaux, a region where the brioche des rois is the more popular option, the humble galette is leading the resistance at the Boulangerie Saint Michel! Professional kneaders Aurélie Soulard and Florian Rigouin have pulled out the big guns and sourced only the finest ingredients: flour that was grown on eco-friendly farms, cultured butter from the Lot-et-Garonne, unbleached almond flour, free-range eggs from Dordogne… A brioche version that’s just as delicious as the original galette version is available as well, since they’re not in the business of making enemies!
Price? €13.90 for a 4-person galette, €17.90 for an 8-person galette, €9.90 for a 4-person brioche, €13.80 for an 8-person brioche.
Still hungry? Get your hands on one of the galette des reines from the pastry shop Zélikha Dinga (@Caro Diario), with original fèves designed by JJ von Panure and straw crowns braided by Emma Bruschi (order them on ameliepichard.com and pick them up at the shop on January 7th or 8th), or even a pain des rois dreamt up by Julien Abourmad (The French Bastards) and François Daubinet (Fauchon), filled with a frangipane center made with rye and toasted almond flours, along with a creamy praliné insert (available in all three The French Bastards boutiques on January 8th, 9th, 15th and 16th), or even the incredible galette by Nina Métayer, stuffed with hazelnut frangipane and topped with a crispy tuile shaped like a tree of life, which you can reserve here!