Pâtisserie Vanessa, a French bakery, is now open at 1340 Lexington Avenue on the corner of 89th Street.
The sleek new space, which owner Magali Vanessa Silengo spent months renovating, was last occupied by clothing shop Emmelle.
c/o Pâtisserie Vanessa
Pâtisserie Vanessa’s pastries were originally sold at La Marqueta in East Harlem; one customer favorite is their canelé, a “pastry flavored with rum and vanilla with a soft and tender custard center and a dark, thick caramelized crust.” Patisserie Vanessa’s contain a white chocolate custard cream.
c/o Pâtisserie Vanessa
Pâtisserie Vanessa opened on Saturday to what appears to have been a very receptive crowd. “Open for 30 minutes and you are a total home-run. The cannele and La Charlotte were delicious, thank you!!” said one Instagram fan.
Here’s a video displaying a few treats behind the newly-installed glass, and here’s a 2017 profile of the owner.
https://youtu.be/ya65Uj5xWFQ
Pâtisserie Vanessa’s pastry chef is Tom Smallwood, who in 2022 was honored in Out.com‘s list of “LGBTQ+ Moguls of Fashion and Business” for his involvement in Sugar Wood, an adult-themed bakery in Soho. Smallwood has also worked at bakeries throughout the city, including Magnolia Bakery, and he competed on the Food Network’s Spring Baking Championship.
To learn more, follow @patisserievanessa on Instagram and visit patisserievanessa.com.
