Boulangerie-Pâtisserie Dudot (Metz, FRANCE) ★★★★☆

We’re doing a bit of glamping in the southern part of Metz tonight. To get us a little more prepared, we’re grabbing some supplies from a local supermarket before our check-in.

While my team was busy figuring out what to get from a nearby Auchan, I sneaked out for our sweet treats tonight at a neighborhood boulangerie-pâtisserie.

Boulangerie-Pâtisserie Dudot is a historic artisanal bakery institution in Metz. 

Founded by the Dudot family in 1936, the bakery and cake shop has grown into a beloved local staple with three distinct locations across the Metz area.

I was still deciding what to get from the boulangerie but after seeing this signage outside, I had a pretty good idea.

Eclair Paris-Brest (€3.5) — An éclair-shaped twist on the Paris-Brest, combining the elongated shape of a classic French éclair with the rich, nutty flavors of a traditional Paris-Brest.

Instead of the classic bicycle-wheel ring, this came in a straight-lined choux pastry éclair shell. The filling was a rich, velvety hazelnut praline crème mousseline, piped beautifully inside. The top of the choux was garnished with toasted, flaked hazelnuts, a light dusting of powdered sugar, and a praline-flavored glaze.

It was truly a hazelnut lover’s dream. The richness and nuttiness of the hazelnut praline meshed wonderfully well with the choux pastry. Crisp on the outside, firm yet light overall while keeping everything balanced.

Vanilla flan (€4.2) — 25-year-old pastry chef Clara Rodriguez from Boulangerie-Pâtisserie Dudot has won the national title of “Champion of France” for their pastry flan at the very first Concours National du Meilleur Flan Pâtissier (National Contest for the Best Pastry Flan). So, this was an easy pick for me.

In a perfect world, I would have bought an entire flan (€33) to enjoy for the week, but since we’re on the road, I elected to get a slice of this heavenly dessert instead.

This was simply incredible. Just very delicate and firm texture, and the aroma of vanilla was right on the money.

I’m so blessed to have had the spare ten minutes to sneak away for these two wonderful desserts. Let’s see if I can find the time to sample more while we’re still in Metz.

Food Rating: 7/10

Price: €€

Address: 22 Rue de Pont-à-Mousson, 57000 Metz, France

Tel: +33 (0)3 8762-6152

Website: http://www.boulangerie-dudot.com/

Opening Hours: 6:00am - 7:30pm (Mon - Fri), 6:00am - 7:00pm (Sat), 6:00am - 1:00pm (Sun)