Popular East Village Bakery Takes Over Former Julien Boulangerie Space

Peasant Loaf c/o Le Fournil Bakery

A new bakery has opened its doors on the Upper East Side — and the story behind it involves a multi-generational baking family, wartime flour bags from Normandy, and a dream that started with a single visit to New York City.

Le Fournil, the French bakery that has built a loyal following at its East Village location, held its grand opening at 1247 Third Avenue (off the corner of East 72nd Street) on February 28. It’s the bakery’s second outpost in Manhattan, and it replaces one of Julien Boulangerie’s former locations (Julien Boulangerie abruptly closed all three of its UES outposts earlier this year).

The shop is the work of Jean-Francois Hebert and his wife Elizabeth. Hebert grew up in Normandy in a family where baking wasn’t just a trade — it was an inheritance. His father was a baker, his grandfather was a baker, and his great-grandfather was a miller. At the original East Village location, framed flour bags from his grandfather’s 1940s shop are displayed on the walls — bags that were sent as American aid to the Normandy coast during World War II, according to the bakery’s website.

Hebert first fell in love with baking as a kid working in his family’s shop in France. After a trip to New York, he set his sights on opening an authentic neighborhood boulangerie here.

The menu leans heavily on the bread, which the bakery considers the centerpiece of what it does. Options include a sourdough-based peasant loaf, a 7-grain loaf, country loaf with rye, and varieties studded with walnuts or kalamata olives — along with a classic sourdough baguette.

7 grain baguette, everything “bagel” loaves, traditional ficelle c/o Le Fournil Bakery

The pastry case goes deep: croissants in several variations (almond, pistachio, raspberry), pain au chocolat, cannelés, chouquettes, madeleines, beignets filled with raspberry jam or chocolate hazelnut, pain aux raisins, and a pastel de nata. There are also Belgian waffles, apple turnovers, cinnamon cruffins, and an apricot plié.

pain aux raisins c/o Le Fournil Bakery

kouign amann, peach croissant, Belgian waffle c/o Le Fournil Bakery

On the savory side, the lineup includes croque monsieurs, quiche Lorraine, a Provençal pissaladière with caramelized onions and anchovies, a bouchée à la reine with mushrooms in red wine sauce, and a selection of sandwiches — from a classic ham-and-Gruyère parigot to curry chicken on a baguette.