Les Étangs de Corot tea time: a bucolic, locavore snack to discover

In summer, facing the ponds of Ville-d'Avray, the Paillotes des Étangs de Corot, small stilted guinguettes listed as historic monuments, offer an enchanting setting for a tea time unlike any other. There's no English buffet here: this French-style tea time is inspired by the sweet treats of yesteryear, sensitively reinterpreted by Baptiste Vial, a young pastry chef trained in the finest Parisian pastry houses.

Having worked at the Plaza Athénée with Angelo Musa, at MAM with Pierre Chirac and at Le Bristol with Juien Alvarez and then Yu Tanaka, Baptiste Vial returns to the establishment where he made his debut, to imagine a taste of tradition and terroir. Every weekend, you'll discover a refined menu of homemade pastries, made exclusively with local, seasonal produce.

We start with a Bourdaloue glacé with pear, lemon balm and almond, a light, plant-based reinterpretation of the famous 19th-century Parisian tart. We love the blend of textures and the freshness of the whole, which makes an excellent appetizer. While my sidekick is tempted by champagne, I choose a homemade iced tea with herbaceous notes.

We then move on to thetarte à partager, which really hits the spot. Cheesecake-style, it marries elderflower fromage blanc with stewed rhubarb and fresh raspberries. Low in sugar, fruity and balanced. Everything about this dessert invites sharing. Baptiste revisits a classic with a light touch: fine shortbread base, fragrant fromage blanc cream, seasonal fruit. Elderberry, picked near Les Étangs de Corot, adds a discreet floral note that goes well with the acidity of rhubarb. Served whole, this tart offers a simple, gourmet moment. A dessert without excess, designed for conviviality.

Then, a Paris-Brest à la pimprenelle, a nod to the area's history. Indeed, Ville-d'Avray was the finish line for a stage of the first Tour de France in 1903, so it's hard to miss out. But Baptiste isn't content with a classic interpretation. Don't let the color fool you: this is not pistachio, but Primprenelle. This wild herb, with its herbaceous yet nutty flavor, adds a subtle and surprising vegetal note. An elegant pastry that discreetly echoes the pimprenelle, walnut and caramel tartelette served at the Michelin-starred restaurant Le Corot - we love it.

• To be read
• This week's best deals and highlights in Paris and Île-de-France, from January 26 to February 1, 2026

Next up is Madeleine au miel de tilleul, revisited with an exceptional honey from the Parc de Saint-Cloud. Its floral, slightly minty fragrance, covered with a lemony glaze, offers a soft, tangy texture.

The Barquette fraise agastache is a fresh, colorful creation. In the shape of a small boat, a nod to the barques that once sailed the ponds, this tart combines a crisp sweet pastry, a melting almond cream and a confit of agastache, a little-known plant with slightly aniseed notes. Strawberry marmalade and fresh fruit balance the whole, underlined by a few agastache leaves for a fresh, vegetable touch. We like the crispness of the whole, provided by the pastry and the bed of kadaïf, as well as the freshness without excess sugar provided by the marinated strawberries. The agastache, far from being a mere decoration, adds a truly aromatic note to the whole.

Finally, for lovers of more intense flavors,Entremet chocolat caramel plays the comfort card. In the shape of a log, a discreet reminder of the woods of the Fausses-Reposes forest, this creamy, melt-in-the-mouth dessert combines soft caramel scented with green cardamom, a melting chocolate base and a hint of fleur de sel. Admittedly, it's quite powerful, and should be reserved for chocolate aficionados.

This locavore snack celebrates the region's sweet heritage, while telling a story about a landscape, a product or a memory. It's also a way of reconnecting with a certain idea of theFrench art of living: simple, gourmet and rooted in the land. We loved this enchanted interlude in a restful, verdant setting. Here's an original and creative snack that awakens the taste buds with products that recall the richness of our local terroir. Forget the clock, here you can relax and let yourself be lulled by the sound of birds.

And at 42€ for the starry Étangs de Corot snack (50€ with a glass of champagne), it would be a mistake to miss out. Note that it's only served on Saturdays and Sundays, from 3pm to 6pm, and must be booked 48 hours in advance.

An elegant and committed guinguette-style tea time is the perfect way to treat yourself. How about a relaxing afternoon by the ponds?

This test was conducted as part of a professional invitation. If your experience differs from ours, please let us know.