Across the globe—from Paris and London to Singapore and Kyoto—the world of pastry is thriving with innovation, entrepreneurial spirit and a rising wave of women leading the way. This week in Paris, travel guide La Liste has announced the 2025 best in pastry awards from the top pâtisseries to the clever and creative pastry chefs who create the most delightful sweet treats. Over 11 categories, 36 pastry chefs and owners across 18 countries won awards. For the first time, women represent the majority—60% of the awardees. La Liste is a global digital travel guide in 9 languages featuring over 35,000 restaurants, 3,000 pastry shops, and 7,000 hotels across more than 200 countries.
1.The World’s Most Creative Pastry Chef
Maxime Frédéric (Paris, France), a worthy winner of the top award, is at the helm of the French capital’s most highly acclaimed pâtisseries including Cheval Blanc Paris and Café Louis Vuitton. He leads the pastry program for the Louis Vuitton cafés, which are expanding rapidly across the globe. And in 2024 he opened his own beautiful pastry shop, Plein Cœur. He is known for combining French heritage with global influences, creating desserts that are both technically masterful and delicious.
2.The World’s Best Pastry Shop
The best pastry shop in 2025 was awarded to Claridges Artspace Cafe, helmed by Chef Thibault Hauchard (London, UK). The pastry counter in one of Mayfair’s best known luxury hotels offers a mouthwatering selection of French-inspired pastries, including customer favorites caramel Saint-Honoré, pistachio Paris-Brest and the signature Claridge’s Crest Cake.
3.Pastry Game Changer
This award went to Indian chef Pooja Dhingra who after tasting macarons in Paris while training at Le Cordon Bleu, returned to Mumbai and opened her first macaron store in March 2010. Today she is the owner of Le15 Patisserie, a chain of seven shops in India that specialise in macarons and other French desserts. Chef Dhingra is also the author of seven books including The Big Book of Treats.
4.The Award of Honor
Italian chef Iginio Massari was honored for a lifetime of excellence, mentorship, and dedication to his craft.
5.World’s Best Afternoon Tea
Surprisingly this award was shared by a French cafe and one based in Hong Kong, rather than to an English one. The Gouter by Jessica Prealpato, San Regis (Paris, France) offers a nature-inspired, terroir-driven goûter that reinvents the French afternoon tradition. The Butterfly Room, Rosewood (Hong Kong) serves an afternoon tea by Jonathan Soukdeo in a beautiful jewel-toned salon of one of Asia’s top hotels.
6.Pastry Innovation
Another shared award as there were so many brilliant chefs to choose from. Julien Aboutmad of The French Bastards (Paris & Lille, France) creates bold, unapologetic, defiant pastry and viennoiserie with street appeal and high standards. Yazid Ichemrahen of Ytime, (Doha, Qatar); Ycone, (Courchevel & Bahrain); Royal Monceau; Raffles; and At Home, (Paris, France). This visionary entrepreneur is reshaping luxury pastry through concept stores, international reach, and inclusive storytelling.
7.Pastry Talent of the Year
A shared award with five supremely creative British, French, American, UAE, and Singapore pastry chefs. Lily Jones of the cult East London cake shop Lily Vanili has a real flair for mixing artistry with flavor. Melanie and Arnaud Mathez of Le Jardin Sucré (Paris, France) are a pastry duo with a loyal following, known for their fruit-forward finesse and delicate signature tarts. Hannah Ziskin of Quarter Sheets (Los Angeles, USA) serves up excellent pastries in a neighborhood pizzeria with a West Coast spirit. Tom Coll of Les Desserts at Jumeirah Burj Al Arab (Dubai, United Arab Emirates) creates haute pâtisserie with French finesse at one of the world’s most iconic hotels. Makoto Arami at Ami Patisserie (Singapore) is Japanese meets Parisian with superbly refined pastries as a result.
8.Pastry Ethical & Sustainability
The two winners are Patisserie Claire by Claire Heitzler (Levallois Perret, France) capturing the essence of the natural world with exemplary sourcing and sustainability and Green Rabbit by Mathias Dahlgren (Stockholm, Sweden) who uses Nordic grains and natural levains at his bakery.
9.Pastry Artisan & Authenticity
Ducobu by Marc Ducobu (Waterloo, Belgium) offers classic pastry savoir-faire upheld with integrity and elegance in a lovely shop near Brussels.
10.Pastry Opening of the Year
Sweet Sage Patisserie from Thibaut Honajzer & Alix Marin (Lausanne, Switzerland); Aya Belkahia, by Aya Belkahia (Aya Belhahia, Casablanca, Morocco); Paseleria Pia by Pia Salazar & Alejandro Chamorro (Quito, Ecuador); Scoff at the Savoy by Nicolas Houchet, London; Le Fournil, Chez Paillat by Nina Métayer (La Rochelle, France); Patisserie Cafe Sebastien Vauxion by Sébastien Vauxion (Annecy, France); Neja Patisserie from Germain Decreton, Iris Rouche & Rayane Rebouh (Lille, France); Patisserie &Tea Time Mandarin Oriental by Julien Dugourd (Paris, France) and La Matiere by Florian Barbarot & Pierre-Henry Lecompte (Paris, France)
11.Pastry Discovery Gem
There are 11 winners in this category. Lucette by Lucia Hrivňáková (Bratislava, Slovakia) features tasty plant-inspired pastries in the heart of Slovakia. Du Bonheur by Anna Plagens (Berlin, Germany) is one of the German city’s favorites, blending French technique with joyful flair. Fatima Gismero Pastelera by Fatima Gismero (Guadalajara, Spain) features contemporary Spanish pastry rooted in terroir and tradition. Cafe au Petits Verres by Park Joon Woo (Seoul, South Korea) is a refined Korean café where pastry meets poetry and sake. Rau Kyoto from Matsushita Yusuke & Yukiyo Takgi (Kyoto, Japan) features the minimalist elegance you’d expect from a Japanese patisserie. B Patisserie by Belinda Leong & Michel Suas (San Francisco, USA) is a benchmark for French-American viennoiserie and creativity. The other winners are La Maison Alexia Santini by Alexia Santini (Soveria, Corsica, France); Mi Cielo by Diego Cervantes & Blanca Bertely (Bordeaux, France); Jaune Citron by Laura Schneider (Strasbourg, France); Familha by François & Emmanuelle Josse (Chambonas, France) and Maison Malecot by Clémence & Giovanni Malécot (Saint-Malo, France).