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Just a stone's throw from the head office in rue Grande, Frédéric Cassel has opened a new store in 21 rue des Sablons a tea room dedicated to on-site tasting. It's an opportunity to do something that the main patisserie, which is packed on Saturday mornings, doesn't really offer: sit down, take your time, and taste the creations in the moment rather than in the pink box you brought home.

Bellifontaine's most exported pastry chef

Frédéric Cassel is over 30 years at Fontainebleau. He opened his first boutique in 1994, having previously worked at Fauchon and been introduced to haute pâtisserie by Pierre Hermé. Since then, his house on the rue Grande has become the flagship of a brand that has spread to Tokyo, Kyoto, Casablanca, Tunis, Berlin and Rabat. Chairman of Relais Desserts since 2003, He also led the French team to victory in the World Pastry Cup 2013. For many Bellifontains, it's the local pride they cite when they want to impress a visitor from Paris.

A real sitting room

Rue des Sablons is quieter than the main shopping streets in the centre. The format here is that of a classic tearoom: table, armchair, cup, plate, conversation. It's the place to go if you're a couple or a duo for an afternoon, and you don't want to queue at the patisserie next door or share a tart with the tourists at the château. The production workshop is on rue d'Avon, which explains why the windows of the three Fontainebleau addresses (rue Grande, rue des Sablons, rue d'Avon) are always freshly stocked.

What you can taste

The Cassel identity is built on signature desserts, the macaroons whose fragrances change with the seasons, the chocolates made in the Fontainebleau workshop, pastries and, as soon as the weather gets warmer, a range of ice creams and frozen pastries. The festive items punctuate the year: galette at Epiphany, eggs at Easter, logs at Christmas, and remain one of the good reasons to push the door at specific times in the calendar. As for drinks, the menu features teas and hot chocolates, as befits the brand.

Address and access

Address: 21 rue des Sablons, 77300 Fontainebleau, France - Tel. 01 60 71 00 64. The shop is located in the city centre, just a few minutes' walk from the Château de Fontainebleau. Town-centre parking (fee payable) nearby. Fontainebleau-Avon station is about a quarter of an hour's walk away, or served by bus from the centre.