Pâtisserie Carl Marletti

"It’s easy to confuse Carl Marletti’s pastry shop for a jeweler’s. From the pale pink rose-scented religieuses with whipped cream collars to massive fuschia macarons lined with a layer of raspberries, their cakes are as beautiful as they are delicious. And that holds whether you’re looking for something traditional, like the opéra cake with impeccable layers of coffee and chocolate, or unique, like the Lily Valley, a violet-scented version of the Saint-Honoré created for the founder’s florist wife. You might get overwhelmed here, so zero in on an éclair (the salted butter caramel is a no-brainer), the zingy lemon tartlet, and a shortbread gâteau basque stuffed with praline or lemon curd." - sara lieberman, emily monaco

"It’s easy to confuse Carl Marletti’s pastry shop for a jeweler’s. From the pale pink rose-scented religieuses with whipped cream collars to massive fuschia macarons lined with a layer of raspberries, their cakes are as beautiful as they are delicious. And that holds whether you’re looking for something traditional, like the opéra cake with impeccable layers of coffee and chocolate, or unique, like the Lily Valley, a violet-scented version of the Saint-Honoré created for the founder’s florist wife. You might get overwhelmed here, so zero in on an éclair (the salted butter caramel is a no-brainer), the zingy lemon tartlet, and a shortbread gâteau basque stuffed with praline or lemon curd." - Emily Monaco

"This is the independent Latin Quarter boutique from talented pastry chef Carl Marletti. Modern and slim, the shop turns out beautifully executed riffs on classic recipes. Try the Lily Valley, a violet-infused twist on the Saint-Honoré dessert (multiple layers of small cream puffs are filled with pastry cream, then caramelized and topped with whipped cream), and, in spring, the fraisier (strawberry shortcake) that was once heralded as the city’s best by Le Figaro." - Lindsey Tramuta