Very good macarons. The citron and the passion and the chocolate have very good intense flavor.read more

I was staying at an apartment above this pâtisserie, and a family friend had highly recommended…read moretheir croissants. We were only in Annecy for 2 1/2 days and every time we tried to buy one they had run out - until our last day. Before heading to the train station, we dropped in and finally were able to buy a pain au chocolat for each of us. It wasn't until the train had pulled away from the station that we decided to dive into our treats. And oh my lord, it was amazing! Flakey and chocolaty to perfection. I wish we had bought more! And now we were stuck on the train. It was and still remains THEE BEST pain au chocolat of my LIFE. No other pain au chocolat has come close for me since. Not even all the ones I had in Paris. Perhaps it's the Alpine water? If you find yourself in Annecy, please eat one for me. And let me know, so that I may live vicariously through you.

Everyone in Annecy was walking around with ice cream, so it felt like a must to try some. I was…read morehonestly surprised that they didn't have a pistachio flavor, but they still offer a decent selection. There are both indoor and outdoor counters you can line up at, and while there's usually a line, it moves pretty quickly. You can sample two flavors, and I got Fleur de Lait and the Cookies flavor. I appreciated that with one scoop, they give you a complimentary mini scoop of another flavor on top!

Was very let down by this ice cream. The most underwhelming experience compared to the other ice…read morecreams / desserts I've had in France over the past few days. The ice cream was very creamy but the flavors didn't really come through. It was good enough for ice cream, but nothing to rave about. Could have easily passed for a different dessert. The only nice thing is they give you a free mini extra scoop.

I was expecting more. I got a cafe au lait, and was disappointed with amount and quality, then i…read moreasked for few croissants and the gave me 1 instead of 5, on top of all he mistakenly charged me more than it cost.

Boulangerie Artisinal is on the crowded Rue Sainte-Claire. Don't let the shoulder-to-shoulder…read moretourists, most of them carrying the wonderful local ice cream piled into waffle cones, fool you. There is a reason the line is down the entry steps out the door at most hours of the day. It can even be difficult to get in line on market days (Tuesday, Friday, Sunday) when merchant stalls block a direct path to the door. This bakery-the ovens are just to your left when you are making and paying for your selections-is a cut above the ordinary. And despite how busy they are the folks behind the counter are knowledgeable and friendly. This is our daily bread go-to place in Annecy.

As much as I try to avoid giving half-stars, this one is a 3.5 rounded up to a 4…read more As part of my ongoing quest to find a neighborhood baker, I paid a visit to Boulangerie des Bains on my way to work. I had been avoiding BdB because it seemed a bit too organized and a bit too clean to have a real neighborhood feel. They had many tempting pastries and chocolates that were tastefully presented in a large display, but (1) it was 7:30 am and too early for a piece of tart or a slice of cake, and (2) I had decided to sample the croissant at each bakery for a fair comparison. Although admittedly I did cheat a little bit and get a croissant des amades (CHF2.20--quite reasonable!). I was expecting a more manufactured taste than the small hole-in-the-wall bakery that I visited last week, considering the larger scale of BdB. Surprisingly, the croissant had a nice, slightly imperfect density and light sticky glaze that made it evident that they were home-made, and the almond paste inside was also a good texture of graininess. In fact, it tasted much fresher than the croissant I had purchased at the smaller bakery. As there are plenty of other bakeries in the area that I have yet to visit as I continue on my quest, I cannot say at this point that I've found my neighborhood baker. But if I'm looking for a little treat, I would not hesitate to go back to BdB to try their many other tasty-looking offerings.

It's not the prettiest of shops, but I'll forgive them for that on serving up a rather lovely Mille…read morefeuille. Three layers made it rather interesting to eat, even messier than just your standard two. Staff were lovely, too.

For starters, the aesthetic in this store is amazing! It's so pretty inside and there are some…read moretables if you choose to sit and eat. I love just how many flavors there were to choose from besides the typical fruits that everywhere else offers. And the macarons themselves are delicious! I normally don't have much of a sweet tooth but I thought these were great. And my friend went through 6 in one sitting!

As documented through an earlier review, my only other macaron experience was at a McCafe. That was…read morenot a good experience. Laduree in Cours de Rive is the Geneva branch of the famous French store. The boxes come in units of 8, 12, 15 and so forth, with the 8 piece starting at I believe CHF19.20. The gift boxes cost a little more, and I got an 8 piece for around CHF25. Wanting to cleanse my palette of the McCafe macaron experience, i also decided to purchase a single salted caramel macaron for myself, but the lady behind the counter kindly offered it for free. Which really was kind of her, considering that each of those little things cost CHF2.40. Verdict: macarons are hugely overrated. Clearly, my Laduree macaron was exponentially more delicious than my McCafe one. And considering the McCafe macaron was also CHF1.90, Laduree's price isn't per se unreasonable. Nonetheless, CHF2.40 for a little cake sandwich roughly 1 inch in diameter? I can think of plenty other places where I can better expend my sugar intake.

We just stopped by to have macaroons as a treat for our children while we waited for dinner places…read moreto open. The woman refused to let us sit down to enjoy the air conditioning during a heat wave with the excuse that they were closing in 40 minutes. Very disappointing and put us in the dangerous position of waiting outside with babies.

Tweedle tea. Great teas, coffee, patisseries to die for (made by owner Vincent), good plat du jour…read moreand a wonderful welcome by Jenny ! Not to be missed ...