[Photo: Kathy YL Chan]

At François Chocolate Bar, one of the few pastry creations with no dark or milk chocolate is the Tout Vanilla ($6), pure white from top to bottom. The base is a buttery, crumbly sable breton, under vanilla mascarpone cream and an extra moist bit of bourbon rich vanilla pound cake. Then there is Tahitian vanilla bavarois, simultaneously airy and creamy. The individual components are lovely enough on their own, but still don't quite match the Louvre ($6), a swoonworthy chocolate and hazelnut creation, our current favorite from Payard's lineup of sweets.

François Chocolate Bar

Maboussin, 4th Floor
714 Madison Avenue, New York NY 10065 (map)
payard.com