The light as air pastry in Lille, France

The word Merveilleux translates to Marvelous in English. Never was there a more appropriate name for a pastry.

Merveilleux

Likely originating in Belgium, the Merveilleux is airy, whipped merengue with whipped cream and dusted with chocolate shavings.

Pastry chef Frédéric Vaucamps took the traditional recipe and created a Merveilleux empire. Renaming his pastry shop Aux Merveilleux de Fred, they crank out amazing light-as-air treats in all kinds of different flavors from the traditional with chocolate shavings to white chocolate shavings to coffee whipped cream to almond and hazelnut. They even have a mini size you can devour in two bites, but, trust me, it will leave you wanting more!

Aux Merveilleux de Fred has opened shops all over France. There’s even shops in NYC, Tokyo, Dubai, and Montreal, so you can enjoy a Merveilleux all over the world!

When visiting Lille, getting a Merveilleux or a Merveilleux cake that can serve a party is a must-try! And best of all, they’re so light an airy, so you can enjoy them without feeling bloated or bogged down.

Getting to Lille

There is a small airport in Lille (LIL), but it has few flights and many of them are seasonal. It’s much easier to get to Lille by train.

Lille is right on the high speed Eurostar train and line that goes between London and Brussels. You can get to Lille from Paris on the train in as little as an hour and from Brussels in as little as a half-hour. From London, the Eurostar takes about 90 minutes.

About the Author

Brent Petersen is the Editor-in-Chief of Destination Eat Drink. He currently resides in Setubal, Portugal. Brent has written the novel Truffle Hunt (Eckhartz Press) and the short story collection That Bird. He’s also written dozens of foodie travel guides to cities around the world on Destination Eat Drink, including an in-depth eating and drinking guide to Portugal. Brent’s podcast, also called Destination Eat Drink, is available on all major podcasting platforms.