The best mille-feuille in France 2026 can be enjoyed in this bakery-pastry shop in Yvelines
The mille-feuille requires as much precision as creativity, and the national competition dedicated to it leaves nothing to chance. For this 2026 edition, ten artisans competed. In the end, it was a bakery-pastry shop from the Yvelines region that took home the most coveted prize.
Crispy, delicate, and incredibly difficult to execute, the mille-feuille leaves little room for error. Between the evenness of the puff pastry, the finesse of the cream, and the overall balance of the dessert, this great classic of French pastry demands a particularly high level of technical skill.
On October 3, 2026, ten artisans from across France competed to create the best version. Following the competition, the Yvelines region is now the place to go to taste the mille-feuille crowned the best in France this year.
The third edition of the national millefeuille Master took place in Paris, as part of the Pâtiss'Art Salon organized at the Espace Étoile-Saint-Honoré by the National Confederation of French Bakery and Pastry, reports the website Sortir à Paris.
During the competition, the ten selected candidates had to create their desserts live, under the watchful eye of a jury of professionals. This edition also featured a theme inspired by Fashion Week, inviting pastry chefs to be imaginative while remaining true to the fundamentals of this iconic dessert.
A pastry chef from Saint-Germain-en-Laye wins first prize
To judge the creations, the jury considered both the visual presentation and the taste. Quality and consistency of the puff pastry, technical precision, balance of flavors, and aesthetics were among the factors taken into account.
The jury was chaired by pastry chef Christophe Felder, who was joined by several renowned professionals, including Matthieu Carlin, pastry chef at the Hôtel de Crillon, and Gaël Clavière, pastry chef at Matignon. This high standard was befitting a dessert whose apparent simplicity concealed a true work of precision.
At the end of the competition, Alexia Léard won first prize in the 2026 National Millefeuille Master. The pastry chef works at the Saint-Germain bakery-pastry shop by Julien Duhamel, located in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, in the Yvelines.
His mille-feuille stood out among the ten entries presented, earning him the national title. For pastry lovers in the Paris region, this location takes on a special significance: the best mille-feuille in France for 2026 is now located just a few kilometers from Paris.
The puff pastry is the focus of all attention.
Beyond the award given to Alexia Léard, the competition also aims to highlight skills that are sometimes less visible to the general public. The making of a mille-feuille relies in particular on the work of the pastry chef, a specialist in puff pastry and laminated leavened doughs, whose precision largely determines the final result.
Through this competition, the French National Confederation of Bakery and Pastry is promoting an essential technical skill, from folding the dough to obtaining thin, regular and sufficiently crispy layers.
Other candidates also received awards at this 2026 edition. Morgan Jullian, from United Lab in Aix-en-Provence, won the Creation Prize, while Jordan Froissard, from Boulangerie Rosa in Meximieux, took home the Aesthetics Prize. The Taste Prize was awarded to Thibault Rassemont, from Maison Rassemont in Damery.
But for the first prize, it's off to Saint-Germain-en-Laye: it is indeed at Saint-Germain by Julien Duhamel that the winner of the best millefeuille in France 2026 now works.
