Aux Merveilleux de Fred • 1985

This cozy West Village outpost serves merveilleux—ethereal balls of crisp meringue enveloped in whipped cream and rolled in chocolate shavings, created by Northern French pastry chef Frédéric Vaucamps. Opened in December 2015 as the French chain's first North American location, the 450-square-foot shop also turns out buttery croissants baked throughout the day and chocolate-studded cramique brioches. The signature merveilleux, a Belgian-inspired confection that the brand has perfected since the 1980s, remains impossibly light at under 100 calories while delivering rich, melt-in-your-mouth indulgence that draws daily queues to Jane Street.