L'Atelier de Yann (Colmar, FRANCE) ★★★★☆

I have tagged two dessert spots in Colmar on the map as “must-do” for this afternoon. After a pretty long lunch at Bord’eau Restaurant, I managed to quickly cross the first one off my list (Patisserie Gilg) before heading over to the second. Luckily, Colmar isn’t a very big town, so I was able to arrive within a few minutes.

I was supposed to meet up with my team there, but they were nowhere to be found. I guess I would just go in on my own.

L’Atelier de Yann is an upscale artisanal pastry shop, chocolatier, and tea salon located in the historic centre of Colmar. Founded by pastry chef Yann Navarro, the famed dessert spot features an indoor tea salon and an outdoor garden. Some online reviewers also raved about its gorgeous view of the nearby Saint-Martin Collegiate Church.

After seeing all the beautifully presented pastries inside the display counter, I was even more impressed. So I quickly got in line to be served. 

Like little kids in front of a candy shop, my eyes stared wide-eyed at the colorful treats inside, almost jumping up and down with joy.

Nirvana (€8) — I decided to sit down and indulge on a quick afternoon tea.

One of the signature pastries created by Chef Navarro, designed especially for chocolate and hazelnut lovers. 

This decadent, texture-rich dessert features a base of soft, moist hazelnut biscuit, paired with a crunchy praline crust. In the middle is a rich, velvety milk chocolate mousse, finished with a smooth chocolate coating mixed with toasted, grilled hazelnuts for a satisfying crunch.

The real surprise here was the hidden crunchy chocolate pearls embedded inside, adding an extra dimension to every bite.

I’m glad I got to cross both Patisserie Gilg and L’Atelier de Yann off my bucket list today. We’ll take it easy with the remaining minutes we have in Colmar, and next on our agenda — dinner at Petite France in Strasbourg.

Food Rating: 7.3/10

Price: €€€

Address: 11 Place de la Cathédrale, 68000 Colmar, France

Tel: +33 (0)3 8920-0100

Website: http://www.atelier-de-yann.com/

Opening Hours: 9:00am - 6:00pm (Tue - Sat)

Donatien Maître Eclair (Strasbourg, FRANCE) ★★★★☆

It was good to be back in Strasbourg. I missed the stunning medieval architecture, the unique mix of French and German cultures, and the historic centre which it was very walkable. Our drive from Baden-Baden was easy, but once we reached the heart of Strasbourg (and by “heart”, I mean the historic centre), things got a lot tougher. With all the traffic, pedestrians, and one-way streets, it proved to be a nightmare for any driver, especially one with zero patience.

And because we missed our destination a couple of times, we ended up driving in huge circles just to get back on track. But hey—we made it. We’re finally here, safe and sound.

For the first order of business, our little nugget peeled off to check out his toy stores, while yours truly headed straight to the first pastry shop in France on this trip — Donatien Maître Éclair.

Donatien Maître Éclair is technically a specialty éclair shop on bustling Grand’Rue. Founded by pastry chef Donatien Fehr, it offers classic French éclairs with an innovative, modern twist spanning both sweet and savory flavors.

While the savory options including the Scandinave (salmon) and the Aperitif Éclair (goat cheese mousse, olive cake, sun-dried tomatoes, and hazelnuts) all looked promising, I knew I couldn’t let my sweet tooth down this afternoon.

Éclair Caramel Beurre Salé (Salted Butter Caramel) — How could I resist the chef’s signature creation?

I was first attracted by its shining golden color, but it ended up tasting even better than it looked.

This beautiful dessert strikes a delicate, rich balance between deep caramel sweetness and velvety textures, with an explosive crunch from the roasted peanuts on top. The salted caramel cream adds richness with savory notes, perfectly matched with a mascarpone filling right alongside the crisp choux pastry, a 40% milk chocolate glaze, and roasted peanuts on top.

The heavy rain cost me the chance to visit a couple more pastry shops on my list, including Avellina, also on Grand’Rue. Let’s hope I still get the chance tomorrow.

Food Rating: 7.2/10

Price: €€€

Address: 111 Grand'Rue, 67000 Strasbourg, France

Tel: +33 (0)9 5167-9955

Website: http://donatien-maitre-eclair.fr/

Opening Hours: 10:00am - 8:00pm (Sun - Thu), 10:00am - 9:00pm (Fri - Sat) 

Maison Karl (Stuttgart GERMANY) ★★★★☆

I had time to visit just one dessert shop this evening, so I decided to make it count.

Maison Karl is very much on top of my list when it comes to sweet spots in Stuttgart. It’s a dessert café that also functions as a coffee shop, seamlessly combining contemporary café culture with high-quality, French-inspired patisserie.

The highlights of their desserts include their viral cheesecakes, tiramisu, and a few others — all freshly handmade daily without preservatives in their own artisan kitchen.

There were a number of pastries that caught my eye, and not surprisingly, I had a problem picking out a couple for our late-night snacks tonight. In the end, I decided to consult with the staff here, and she kindly shared two of their signature desserts — their best sellers.

All set!!! 

Karl’s Original (€7.2) — Their modern take on a gourmet cheesecake.

The exceptionally smooth and rich cheesecake in the middle is infused with Madagascar vanilla. It’s nicely decorated with a dense layer of cream cheese, a vibrant strawberry jelly topping, and finished with a crunchy hazelnut biscuit crust.

A pretty filling cheesecake, with both richness from the cheese and fruity notes from the fresh strawberry jelly. 👍👍

Karl’s signature tiramisu (€6.9) — A unique and contemporary twist on the Italian classic. Instead of a traditional loose, scooped tiramisu, it was reimagined as a stand-alone piece with distinctive layers.

The dessert utilizes Maison Karl’s own specialty coffee, creating a deeply aromatic espresso soak. Hidden in the middle is a silky mascarpone cream and a crunchy praline core offering a luxurious, creamy, and crunchy experience. The shell is a Belgian chocolate coating, giving the dessert a crisp outer layer that contrasts beautifully with the relatively soft interior.

It truly felt like having tiramisu. All the flavors and textures were there like a traditional tiramisu, but it also felt more like having an ice-cream bar than a piece of cake. No wonder it’s considered a signature item. During the summer, I bet it’s even more popular thanks to the heat.

Maison Karl’s creations are just as much a visual feast as they are a treat for the palate. We’re so grateful to have the opportunity to experience two of their signature offerings tonight before leaving for France early tomorrow morning.

Food Rating: 7.3/10

Price: €€€

Address: Calwer Straße 50, 70173 Stuttgart, Germany

Tel: +49 711 9357-3591

Website: https://www.maisonkarl.com/

Opening Hours: 9:30am - 9:00pm (Mon - Thu), 9:30am - 10:00pm (Fri - Sat), 10:00am - 8:00pm (Sun)

Konditorei Café Mohrenköpfle (Ulm, GERMANY) ★★★☆☆

Following a quick tour of the famous Ulm Minster and the adjacent Münsterplatz, we decided to sit down for a quick snack at century-old Konditorei Café Mohrenköpfle since our previous lunch was disrupted when I was bitten by a wasp. 

Konditorei Café Mohrenköpfle is a traditional café and confectionery located in the heart of Ulm, just a short walk from the Ulm Minster.

Established in 1910, this family-run business is currently managed by the third generation of the Eckhardt family and is celebrated for its artisanal, handmade cakes, tarts, and regional chocolate specialties.

They have over 20 different varieties of cakes on display. While we were choosing the ones we wanted, guess what — there were a few wasps and bees circling around us (and not the cakes!) again.

Little nugget seemed especially scared after seeing me get bitten not too long ago, so he was running around trying to avoid them. A lady — possibly a member of the owner’s family, looked noticeably unhappy with this Asian boy running around recklessly in her tea salon. She went up to him and told him politely that he shouldn’t be running around like that, because it would only upset the wasps and bees more.

That of course didn’t stop him. So while I agreed with what she said, I explained to her why he was so afraid — because daddy had just been bitten. That was when she decided to walk away, still clearly disturbed by the Asian boy running around.

Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte (Black Forest Cake) — This was an excellent example of the German classic, with an authentic flavor profile. 

It featured light, airy chocolate sponge layers, fresh whipped cream, and tart sour cherries, properly laced with Kirschwasser (cherry brandy). I personally like a little more of those sponge cake and less whipped cream but that's just my personal preference.

Classic Käsekuchen —  A traditional baked German quark cheesecake, with a bit of raisins in the middle. 

It was much lighter than American cheesecake and much closer to the Japanese version, with its light, fluffy texture.

Despite being bitten by a wasp earlier, I managed to squeeze in a brief look at the Ulm Minster.

Its construction began in 1377 and wasn’t completed until 1890. It held the record for the highest church steeple in the world for over 135 years until it was surpassed in late 2025 by, of course, the Sagrada Família in Barcelona.

That was all the time we had for Ulm. Time to head up to Stuttgart and let’s hope my swollen forearm holds up for the two-hour drive.

Food Rating: 6/10

Price: €€

Address: Kramgasse 1, 89073 Ulm, Germany

Tel: +49 731 3749912

Website: http://www.mohrenkoepfle-ulm.de/

Opening Hours: 9:00am - 5:00pm (Tue - Sat), 12:00pm - 5:00pm (Sun)

Restaurant Dorfwirt (Schwangau-Hohenschwangau, GERMANY) ★★★☆☆

I still remember my first visit to Neuschwanstein Castle back in 2010. We got admission tickets to enter the castle, but a sudden heavy rain ended our day early. We didn’t have an umbrella, and there weren’t many covered areas there. For the longest time, I considered it “unfinished business,” and I even wrote a note to myself to revisit the castle. It ended up taking me more than 16 years to finally do it.

On the bright side, we have little nugget with us this time around. 

Almost there!

Apparently, we missed the chance to get online tickets to enter the castle, so we could only tour the exterior and take photos of the castle from the outside.

There was a huge lineup for the Marienbrücke (Mary's Bridge) so we decided to turn our attention to the Hohenschwangau Panorama Point instead.

We ran into a couple of large tour groups on our way up to the foot of the castle, and we had to really squeeze into the tour bus on our trips up and down the road. I have to admit, they could have done a much better job organizing this. Tour groups should take a separate bus from us. It wasn’t fun having your ass stuck next to some stranger’s leg. I’m sure they felt the same way too.

After coming down the hilly road by the same tour bus, we decided to sit down for a quick drink to cool off. Right in front of where we parked our car, we found Heimatladen im Dorfwirt.

Heimatladen im Dorfwirt is a curated marketplace located in Hohenschwangau — the same village right below the famous Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau castles. At the same Dortwirt complex, they also have Restaurant Dorwirt, a main restaurant (stuben) offering a full sit-down experience, serving beverages and light bites.

I decided to get an iced chocolate to bring my temperature down a little, but they didn’t have anything icy on the menu other than coffee. So our server told me that the best he could do was to give me some ice to go with my hot chocolate. I bet the kitchen staff must have thought I was crazy having hot chocolate in the summer!

Apple strudel was next. It’s been a few days since we arrived in Germany, and we still haven’t had a chance to sample this German classic. It was pretty tasty. 

I liked that it was served warm  creating a nice temperature contrast with the vanilla ice cream.

Time to head back to the parking lot and drive down to Kempten. We’re staying there tonight as a stopover before turning our sights on Stuttgart.

Food Rating: 5.3/10

Price: €€€

Address: Alpseestraße 15, 87645 Schwangau-Hohenschwangau, Germany

Tel: +49 8362 887723

Website: https://www.hohenschwangau.de/gastronomie/dorfwirt

Opening Hours: 11:00am - 7:00pm daily

Café - Patisserie Artisanal (Augsburg, GERMANY) ★★★☆☆

It didn’t take long for us to finish exploring Augsburg’s fairytale Old Town, despite arriving a little later than expected this afternoon. One bonus agenda item which wasn’t on our original itinerary, was a visit to Café – Patisserie Artisanal.

We stumbled upon this café and cake shop while browsing local stores around Fuggerplatz at the heart of Augsburg’s historic centre.

Café – Patisserie Artisanal is a specialty artisan café located inside a historic ballroom at Fuggerplatz 9 in Augsburg. The moment I pushed the door open, I was immediately drawn in by its beautiful décor.

It was a little too late for dine-in at this hour, but we still had the option of grabbing a sweet treat to go.

Pistachio Royale (€7) — This tasted a lot like a pistachio mille-crêpes cake. I thought the pistachio flavor would be front and centre, but that wasn’t entirely the case. (The cake took a bit of a tumble on our way back to the hotel while we were walking in the rain.)

The different layers of crêpes were sandwiched together with pastry cream in between (but there wasn’t much pistachio flavor there). There were also crushed pistachios to add to the overall texture.

All in all, it wasn’t bad, but the pistachio flavor could have been much richer and deeper to truly qualify as a pistachio lover’s dream.

Food Rating: 6/10

Price: €€€

Address: Fuggerplatz 9, 86150 Augsburg, Germany

Tel: +49 821 4701-9919

Website: https://cafe-artisanal.com/

Opening Hours: 10:00am - 6:00pm (Tue - Thu), 10:00am - 9:00pm (Fri - Sat), 9:00am - 5:00pm (Sun)

Tortelier Café & Patisserie (Salzburg, AUSTRIA) ★★★☆☆

After checking into our hotel and having our luggage transferred into our room, it was time to explore the old town of Salzburg. We decided to do a walking tour by leaving our car behind in the hotel garage and that turned out to be a poor decision. As the rain poured harder and harder, we ended up sitting down near the edge of the old town for a drink while we waited for the pouring to slow down a bit.

Situated just a few steps from the old town, Tortelier Café & Patisserie was the perfect place for us to rest our feet after all the walking we have done in Munich.

Tortelier is a cozy café not far from the Mozart Residence (Mozart-Wohnhaus). It’s known for its handcrafted cakes and an extensive beverage menu. The café was packed with rain-dodgers — people who seemed to be escaping the downpour just like we were.

Matcha latte — Not so much matcha flavor as I first hoped (but this ain't Kyoto!). It was very, very light.

Mandarin cheesecake — There was a fair amount of acidity coming from the mandarin compote topping. I thought the balance was slightly off.

Apfel Torte — What sets this multi-layered German apple torte apart from a rustic apple pie is its more structured base with a sponge cake and shortcrust pastry, topped nicely with a thick, juicy apple compote. Not bad and I thought it was a little better than the cheesecake.

As the rain was about to ease up, we settled the bill and started our march towards our destinations, of which there were quite a handful in the old town. Thankfully, we didn’t have a dinner plan for tonight, so we should have all the time in the world to explore this music town.

And we managed to check quite a few of these tourist spots off our list despite the poor weather conditions.

Mozart Geburtshaus (Mozart's Birthplace) — Arguably the most frequently visited tourist attraction in the city and an essential pilgrimage site for music lovers.  Located at No. 9 Getreidegasse in the heart of Salzburg, the bright yellow townhouse is the exact location where Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born on January 27, 1756.

Florianibrunnen (St. Florian's Fountain) — A landmark historic monument located in the center of the Alter Markt (Old Market) square, just a short walk from the Residenzplatz.

DomQuartier Salzburg



Residenzbrunnen (Residence Fountain) — A magnificent 17th-century Baroque monument located in the center of Residenzplatz.

Food Rating: 5.7/10

Price: €€€

Address: Wolf-Dietrich-Straße 8, 5020 Salzburg, Austria

Tel: +43 664 128-2207

Website: https://www.tortelier.at/

Opening Hours: 8:00am - 6:00pm (Fri - Mon)