The Met Gala of Chocolate: Easter in Paris
After Christmas, Easter is the most important date in the calendars of pastry chefs and chocolatiers in Paris, offering a chance to truly show off. Pâtisseries and chocolate shops turn into something closer to galleries; you find yourself staring, slightly confused, at what looks like sculpture before remembering it’s edible. Easter here is as much about craft as it is about taste. Every year I look forward to it. As fashion people wait for the Met Gala, chocolate lovers such as myself wait for the unveiling of Parisian Easter eggs!
Yannick Alléno’s debut for Dior feels like a proper crossover moment. The egg takes its cues from the house’s medallion and bow, cast in dark and white chocolate, and inside you get a mix of praline, toasted nuts, crispy rice and sobacha. It’s less about one single flavor and more about the experience of breaking into it. You’ll find it at the Jardin du 30 Montaigne, and while pricing is typically on request, this sits firmly in collector territory. I love seeing fashion and food meet like this – it feels very Paris, and shows off two worlds that the French rule.
Yannick Alléno’s Dior Easter egg, exclusively available at Jardin du 30 Montaigne
Alain Ducasse’s Oeuf Facette is more restrained, but no less striking. The shell is sculpted with geometric precision which I am sure would impress a mathematician – one side faceted like a gemstone, the other stamped with his signature. Inside, a classic almond-hazelnut praline does the heavy lifting, with both milk and dark chocolate shells so you don’t have to choose. Available across his boutiques, it usually lands around the high-end bracket. It’s the kind of egg that appeals to the purist in me – clean and precise, yet with an edge.
Patrick Roger’s Easter collection always has a slightly surreal edge, and this year is no different. Alongside his more classic eggs, he’s created a series inspired by endives – yes, really. The “Q4 Egg Endive” is made from 65% Madagascar dark chocolate and filled with a rich praline, with layered textures of milk, dark and white chocolate inside. At 150g, it comes in at around €65 and is available in his Paris boutiques. I did laugh when I first saw them – especially the chicken-endive-chocolate hybrids. It’s such a distinctly French idea; I’m not sure the UK shares quite the same enthusiasm for endives!
The Ritz Paris leans into nostalgia this year with the Gaufrette Egg by Joris Theysset. It looks like a golden waffle sitting in a puddle of chocolate, which is already quite enchanting. Inside, it’s essentially a refined version of a French childhood snack – crisp waffle, chocolate, hazelnut spread – but done with serious technique. You’ll find it at Ritz Paris Le Comptoir, with prices varying depending on size. I’ve tried their Mad’Famille by François Perret before, and they never miss – rich, indulgent, but somehow not sickly.
The Easter chocolate selection at the Ritz Paris Le Comptoir. Photo: Bonjour Paris
At Shangri-La Paris, pastry chef Timothy Lam goes in a completely different direction with the Imperial Hive. It genuinely looks like a wooden beehive, complete with gold-dusted bees perched on top. The shell is 65% dark chocolate, filled with almond and hazelnut praline layered with honey and floral notes. Available from late March to mid-April, it’s a limited run piece. As someone who loves bees, this one really got me. It’s beautiful and the perfect amount of whimsical.
The Imperial Hive Easter creation displayed at the Shangri-La Paris. Photo: Bonjour Paris
When I lived in Paris, I was a short walk from Wonderland Pâtisserie, and I used to stop almost daily just to look at the window. This year, Rodolphe Groizard has outdone himself with a full collection – Moaï statues, baobab trees, pinecones, even pineapples – all in chocolate. Inside, you’ll find things like peanut praline, salted caramel, pecan praline, all layered with crunchy elements. It’s hard to pick a favorite, but the Champi – simple, sweet, hazelnut praline – is probably mine. It feels playful without losing precision.
At The Peninsula Paris, Anne Coruble’s “Fleur de Lumière” is genuinely surprising. At first glance, it looks like a real sunflower with deep brown petals. Only when you look closer do you realize it’s entirely chocolate. Inside, there’s Venezuelan dark chocolate, vanilla marshmallow, Linzer biscuit and a sunflower seed praline. Designed to be shared, each petal comes away individually, which I think is inspired for sharing with loved ones (if you are one to share your chocolate, that is). Available early April via pre-order, it’s one of those pieces that fills you with intrigue.
Cheval Blanc Paris continues its streak with Maxime Frédéric’s “La Belle Envolée”, an airship-shaped creation built around an egg turned sideways. The balloon holds an almond and vanilla praline, while the gondola hides caramel and biscuit elements. There’s even a subtle mechanical detail suggesting movement. It’s priced at €138, which sounds steep until you see it up close. I’ve followed these releases for years, and they consistently feel like storytelling in chocolate – this one especially.
At the Four Seasons George V, Michael Bartocetti keeps things more classical but adds detail on closer inspection. The egg is decorated with delicate chocolate flowers inspired by the Orangery, and inside there’s a generous Piedmont hazelnut praline, caramelized nuts, and a lime marshmallow that cuts through the richness. Available at the hotel, it sits in the luxury bracket. I like that it rewards a second look. At first it’s traditional, then suddenly much more intricate.
The Mandarin Oriental’s floral egg by Nicolas Guercio is another one that initially fooled me. It looks like a bouquet of peonies rather than an Easter egg, until you see the cross-section revealing the hidden shell. Inside, a Manjari dark chocolate egg is filled with hazelnut praline, while each flower contains different surprises – marshmallow, raspberry chocolate, white chocolate. Available at the hotel boutique, it’s less about one flavor and more about discovery. It’s clever without being overcomplicated.
Ladurée offers some more accessible options alongside Julien Alvarez’s spectacular flower egg. The shell is built from layers of different chocolates, creating an ombré effect from dark to lighter tones, with caramelized peanuts running through the center. The base adds shortbread and praline for texture. You’ll find it in Ladurée boutiques, with smaller pieces like the adorable Lala bunny starting around €16. I really like how it plays with depth and color – it’s visually striking but still very recognizably Ladurée.
Finally, Le Burgundy Paris might have the most unexpected take. Léandre Vivier has created what is essentially a giant chocolate croissant, inspired by the everyday French ritual of coffee and pastry. The shell mimics the flaky layers of a real croissant, and inside you get rich chocolate and praline elements. It’s such a simple idea, but it works – very Parisian, slightly tongue-in-cheek, and instantly recognizable as the creation of a famous French pastry chef.
There are so many extraordinary creations across the city that it’s impossible to cover them all, and that’s part of the charm. Every year, Paris manages to push things a little further – more detail, more creativity, more unexpected ideas – while still keeping flavor at the centre of it all. Whether you lean towards something playful, sculptural, or more traditional, there’s an egg that will stop you in your tracks. For me, it’s become an essential date in the Paris calendar.
Lead photo credit : L’Œuf Toqué by Chef Yannick Alléno
More in chocolaterie, Easter, Easter chocolate, Easter in Paris
Related Articles
By Poppy Pearce