The world’s best pastry chef is opening a new gourmet address in the 11th
The world’s best pastry chef is about to open a brand-new address in Paris. Benoît Castel, crowned at the pinnacle of his craft on 14 July 2026 in Singapore, has decided to give his loyal food lovers an entirely new space in the 11th arrondissement. The project is set to open its doors this autumn, and it promises far more than a simple bakery.
A world title and a new address to match
On 14 July, in Singapore, Benoît Castel was awarded the title of world’s best pastry chef. A rare consecration, it places the French chef at the very top of the global pastry world. The timing of this new opening aligns particularly well with that international recognition.
After two addresses in the 20th arrondissement, both located in the Ménilmontant neighbourhood, and a spot on rue Jean-Pierre Timbaud, Benoît Castel is now deepening his presence in the 11th. It is at 6, rue Paul-Bert that this new project will come to life, a street already well known to lovers of good food.
Rue Paul-Bert is home to several Parisian institutions, including Cyril Lignac’s pâtisserie, a Breizh Café outpost, and the celebrated bistrot Paul Bert, run by Bertrand Auboyneau. The world’s best pastry chef is therefore setting up shop in a neighbourhood already firmly on the gourmet map.
A strategic location at the heart of the 11th
Rue Paul-Bert is no random choice. It concentrates benchmark addresses and draws a discerning clientele with a keen eye for quality. Benoît Castel slots naturally into an already solid gastronomic ecosystem.
Yet this new address will look nothing like his previous ones. The chef has no intention of replicating the classic bakery-pâtisserie model he has already established elsewhere. Instead, he is aiming for something broader, more generous.
“A speciality coffee to start the day, a seasonal lunch offering, and a bakery-pâtisserie for indulgent afternoon breaks.”
A concept that goes well beyond pastry
The central idea behind this new space is to create a genuine neighbourhood house. Benoît Castel wants to move from the role of artisan to that of host, welcoming local residents at every hour of the day.
From 7:30am to 8pm, seven days a week, the address will offer a programme that evolves with the time of day. Mornings kick off with a speciality coffee. At midday, a seasonal menu takes over for lunch. Come the afternoon, the pastries and viennoiseries of the world’s best pastry chef step into the spotlight.
- Opening planned for mid-September 2026, subject to delays
- Address: 6, rue Paul-Bert, Paris 11e
- Hours: 7:30am to 8pm, every day
- Offering: speciality coffee, seasonal food, bakery-pâtisserie
- Concept: a neighbourhood house, beyond the classic artisan model
Bread, viennoiseries and pastries will all be present, of course, but they will form just one part of the overall experience. The chef wants every moment of the day to find its place within this new space.
From artisan to host: a clear ambition
Moving from artisan to host is the stated ambition Benoît Castel has for this project. It implies a different relationship with customers, closer, more attentive. It also calls for an offer designed to sustain itself from morning through to evening.
This positioning clearly sets the address apart from the chef’s other shops. The quality of the products, however, remains at the heart of the project. Every hour of the day, the world’s best pastry chef will be expected to deliver on that promise.
A mid-September rendezvous for sweet-toothed locals
The opening is announced for mid-September 2026, barring any delays. Residents of the 11th and lovers of exceptional pastry have a few more weeks to wait, though the anticipation feels entirely warranted given the title claimed this summer.
For fans of the chef, this address represents a rare opportunity: the chance to encounter the work of the world’s best pastry chef on a daily basis, in a space designed for shared pleasure. Rue Paul-Bert looks set to become a new unmissable destination for Paris’s sweet-toothed crowd.
With this project, Benoît Castel confirms that his title of world’s best pastry chef is more than a symbolic accolade. It is a springboard towards a more ambitious vision of indulgence, one rooted firmly in neighbourhood life.
