On the surface, fashion photography and pastry making don’t have very much in common, but Bordeaux-born Léa Villafafila gleefully jumped across that rift when she opened Hungry Belly. After a long stay in Bombay, she settled down with her rolling pins and spatulas in tow in a former Biarritz office space that has been given a sugary sweet makeover (nougat-toned tables and bar, candy pink barstools, white and cream walls), to match the twenty-some sweets lined up in the window display: sensational white chocolate / matcha / raspberry cookies, gluten-free pecan brownies with pistachio and chocolate mousse filling, bright lemon and poppy seed cakes, pistachio flan with a praline center that looks nice but is a tad on the sweet side (€3.50 to €6)…. As a bonus, the pastry chef also cooks up a few savory options, including a delicious baguette sandwich filled with scarmorza, roasted squash, caramelized onions and arugula (€7.50) or a flamboyant shakshouka (€11). // Gérard Roubeix
Hidden gem: The house’s signature treat, a plump beignet filled with fig-leaf-infused crème diplomate, drizzled in caramel sauce and sprinkled with caramelized hazelnuts (€4.80).
