The 7 Best Floating Islands in Paris

In the "oldie but goodie" category, we request the floating island! This irresistible brasserie dessert, made of a cloud of egg whites floating on a creamy, intensely vanilla custard, delicately concludes any meal. Here’s a tour of the Parisian addresses that guarantee a thrill with this classic and delightful treat.

Stop everything! Jean Imbert’s minute floating island at Relais Plaza is a little bombshell. The wow effect is guaranteed when this small copper pot arrives. Is it a cake? Is it a painting? If the egg white isn’t immediately distinguishable with its caramel coating and almonds, hazelnuts, and pistachios topping its brown "hairstyle," dive in with your spoon and admire this almost sticky texture reminiscent of Italian meringue: a delight. But are you really ready to handle the ultra-vanilla custard underneath, which you could drink by the liter? This dessert is intended for two, but you could easily come just for it… and never share.

Le Relais Plaza, 25 avenue Montaigne, Paris 8e. 01 53 67 64 00. Open every day for lunch and dinner. Minute floating island for two, 30€.

The creation of a talented duo of chefs, Yannick Alléno and Hendry Angwe-Mezah, at Prunier, this floating island in trompe-l'œil is a true gourmet fantasy. The initial brief? To imagine a floating island with caviar… without caviar! And here’s a little gem of a dessert arriving in an authentic Prunier caviar tin, capturing a mousse of egg whites whipped to perfection, covered in a hundred tiny black vanilla pearls. To add to the chic factor, the custard, presented in a gravy boat, is delicately poured into a deep plate before being crowned with generous spoonfuls of whipped egg whites. Magnificent.

Restaurant Prunier, 16 avenue Victor Hugo, Paris 16e. 01 44 17 35 85. Open Monday to Friday from 12 pm to 2:30 pm and from 7 pm to 10:30 pm, Saturday from 7 pm to 10:30 pm. Vanilla caviar floating island, 28€ for two people.

The floating island fits so well at this retro establishment, recently taken over by the Dumant family, that it needs no introduction! At Aux Lyonnais, traditional dishes shine, enhanced by a touch of generosity that delights hearty appetites. In the realm of indulgence, the floating island steals the spotlight from other desserts on the menu. It arrives triumphantly on a large plate, covered in custard. In the mouth? The softness of the egg whites, the crunch of the pralines, and the smoothness of a perfectly textured custard. Yummm!

Aux Lyonnais, 32 rue Saint-Marc, Paris 2e. 01 42 96 65 04. Open Tuesday to Saturday from 12 pm to 2:15 pm and from 7 pm to 10:30 pm. Floating island, 14€.

Within the wood-paneled walls of this iconic brasserie on the Champs-Elysées, where it’s always a pleasure to sit down, the floating island takes on a new dimension. At Fouquet’s, Chef Bruno Guéret and his team have a love for fine ingredients and the taste for classic French dishes. The floating island, a star dessert on the menu and number 1 in sales alongside Millefeuille, receives special treatment and an elegant service. The plate arrives with a mountain of whipped egg whites, dotted with caramel tips before being generously drenched in a vanilla-scented custard from Madagascar. Given its size, this floating island can easily be shared without causing any frustration!

Le Fouquet’s Paris, 46 avenue George V, Paris 8e. 01 40 69 60 50. Open daily from 7:30 am to midnight. Floating island, 18€.

Just a stone’s throw from Maxim’s, on rue Royale, its little brother Minim’s has just opened: a quintessentially Parisian bistro with Belle Époque decor designed by Cordélia de Castellane. For dessert, their floating island wraps up the meal in lightness. Its recipe for happiness? A well-seasoned vanilla custard, crispy grilled and slivered almonds, and a crunchy caramel contrast for the cold-hot effect, paired with exceptionally airy egg whites.

Minim’s, 7 rue Royale, Paris 8e. 01 42 65 30 30. Open Monday to Saturday, lunch and dinner. Floating island, 9€.

If this high-flying, monomaniacal address perched on Montmartre, led by Chef Antoine Westermann, devotes all its love to French poultry and serves the best roasted chicken in Paris, it surprises guests at dessert time with a floating island that will blow your mind! Round and airy, dotted with tiny pink praline grains, it delivers a huge pleasure from the very first spoonful in the delicacy of an ultra-vanilla custard. Its secret? No less than 12 vanilla pods per liter! Completely addictive.

Coq & Fils, 98 rue Lepic, Paris 18e. 01 42 59 82 89. Open daily from 12 pm to 2:30 pm and from 6:30 pm to 10 pm. Floating island, 14€.

This is the choice of eternal gourmands who can devour kilos of floating island (when it melts in your mouth, it doesn’t count, right?). At La Coupole, it’s served in XXL size in a large bowl, literally floating on a small ocean of custard. For crunch: slivered almonds. For the nostalgic indulgence: salted butter caramel coats it all.

La Coupole, 102 boulevard du Montparnasse, Paris 14e. 01 43 20 14 20. Floating island, 9.50€.