Bernachon
Baba au Rhum
Mille-feuille
Pecan tartelette
Cream Puff
Coffee Éclair
Chocolates
Founded in 1953, and as such a relative youngster compared to some of the oldest purveyors of fine chocolates and confections throughout France, some would suggest Bernachon an essential part of any visit to Lyon, and having already sampled two of their cakes plus several chocolates during dessert at L’Auberge du Pont de Collonges a stop proved inevitable, the bean-to-bar production values an added incentive as other more fashionable names simply melt down and refashion previously purchased chocolate – the French calling these retailers ‘fondeurs.’
Not as focused on the purity of beans as many modern artisans such as Dandelion, Rogue, Mast, or Vegas’ own HeXX, but instead offering a full line of truffles, caramels, candies, and confections in addition to both single origin and blended bars the experience at Bernachon can almost feel like a spiritual one as a the staff steps softly while speaking in light tones, but once the guest is finally ready to order it is with great knowledge of both product and process that questions are answered, my eventual order probably not quite normal as a solo tasting of chocolates really is not something I’m into, though the five tasted were indeed quite special, a boozy rum tablet and chocolate lacquered biscuit particularly smooth and refined.
Progressing to pastries, something for which high hopes were held given the quality of cakes at Paul Bocuse, it was in five petit-fours that the majority of 11.20€ was invested and although the Mille-Feuille came off far too soggy at 14h30 the rest of the items proved well concocted with flavors aplenty, the choux-based éclair and cream puff offering a clean break over cream fillings while the pecan tartlette and baba au rhum were each unique in their own way – the former trending bitter and nutty in a city where pink pralines are far more common while the yeast-cake’s cream center offered both balance and texture amidst lightly spiced rum.
http://www.bernachon.com/fr/