A relaxing way to spend the hot afternoon was at Patisserie Conte. This was a colourful tea room with exquisite cakes. A tranquil and relaxing atmosphere was provided with no background music. Deep red walls and red table cloths contrasted the bright comfortable seating. The cafe was clean, tidy, light and airy. Beautiful crystals were hanging as the side lights which coordinated with the chandelier theme. There was something quite classy and peaceful about Patisserie Conte.
It was hard to find the Toulouse speciality of the Fenetra. Many boulangeries and patisseries were visited in the search and luckily this speciality was finally found at Patisserie Conte. They only did regular sized ones and not a miniature version. It was a nice surprise to be welcomed by a big range of other sweet delights at this patisserie.
Temptation kicked in after seeing the range of the mini pastries and cakes. In addition to the Fenetra, mini versions of a Coffee Eclair, Carraque and Puit d’Amour were had. The friendly staff cut the Fenetra in half just in case I wanted to have one half to take away.
The Fenetra was definitely the highlight. A light buttery shortcrust pastry base was topped with lemon confit and apricot jam. There were also orange strips in this layer. The crumbly almond topping brought it all together. The fruits gave a lovely tangy and sweet flavour.
The bright green Carraque was chocolate based. The green fondant enveloped a thin almond base and a dark chocolate filling. The result was quite a sweet dessert with a rich dense chocolate interior. The Carraque is named after a 15th century sailing ship.
The Coffee Eclair was generously filled with a custard like coffee filling and not the expected fresh cream. The Puit d’Amour was different. The choux pastry was filled with creme chiboust. The staff described it as meringue based creme patissiere. The choux pastry also had tart raspberries and was topped with crunchy caramel.
Patisserie Conte is a delightful place to come. The staff don’t rush you and they are attentive. Savoury items such as pizzas, souffles, quiches are available. This cafe is only a short walk away from the grand St Etienne Cathedral.
Patisserie Conte, 37 Rue Croix Baragnon, 31000 Toulouse
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