Pâtisserie Mars Nabeshima パティスリーマルス 鍋島店 (Saga, JAPAN) ★★★☆☆

After a much-needed short rest at the hotel, we hit the road again early next morning. It’s Christmas Eve, and just before our scheduled visit to Saga Castle (佐賀城跡), we figured it was the perfect time to start the day with something sweet.

I had done a bit of homework before the trip and bookmarked a local patisserie — Pâtisserie Mars Nabeshima (パティスリーマルス) — conveniently located a couple of blocks from our hotel.

Founded in 2002, this cozy little spot has earned a loyal following for its French-style pastries infused with subtle Japanese nuances. And with Christmas just one sleep away, it was no surprise to find the shop already buzzing with early-morning customers, all picking up celebration sweets for the evening ahead.

With Christmas just around the corner, it came with very little surprise that the shop was already buzzing with early-morning customers all picking up celebration sweets for the holidays.

But we were there for something a little less ceremonial — a sweet breakfast to kick off our holiday morning.

Mont Blanc (560 yen) — Silky smooth chestnut purée layered over a base of hazelnut praline cream and what was described as a sponge cake, but I thought the sponge tasted more like a crispy tart shell.

To start, the chestnut purée perhaps a little too smooth, was lacking that characteristic grainy texture associated with a good Mont Blanc. Still, the hazelnut praline cream added a lovely nutty depth, and the crisp pastry base brought a welcome contrast in texture. Not bad at all.

和栗 Mont Blanc (626 yen) — The second version of their Mont Blanc was made with Japanese chestnut from Kumamoto (熊本) and the quality showed. The purée was noticeably more refined and had a beautifully natural, mellow sweetness (without sweetener?). 

Unfortunately, the base this time was a brownie-like cake that felt a bit mismatched with the purée. 

While the selection at Pâtisserie Mars wasn’t extensive, it was more than enough for what we were looking for. On a festive morning when we were craving European-style sweets, they delivered just what we needed to satisfy our holiday cravings. A charming little shop well worth a visit if you’re ever in town.

After enjoying the sweets, we found time to squeeze in a quick visit to the Saga Prefectural Art Museum (佐賀県立美術館/博物館), just across the street from Saga Castle. And best of all? Little nugget got to meet one of his favorite dino — the perfect ending to a sweet Christmas Eve morning.

Food Rating: 5.8/10

Price: ￥￥￥

Address: G/F Shinsakae Mansion, 1351-2 Hachinohe, Nabeshima-ku, Saga, 840-0857 Japan

Closest Train Station: Saga

Tel: +81 (0)952-29-5546

Opening Hours: 10:00am - 6:30pm (Mon, Wed - Sat), 10:00am - 6:00pm (Sun)