Why go
A Breton counter of chocolate, macarons and gateaux
The display at Locoal-Mendon is arranged the way a chocolatier thinks: bonbons and tablets on one side, macarons and gateaux on the other, and a run of confectionery that keeps circling back to Brittany. Named house creations set the tone, from BONBON TEMPÊTE and HUITRES DE LA RIA to LES PAVÉS DE ST GOUSTAN, L'ILOT DE SAINT-CADO and OURSONS GUIMAUVE. The vocabulary is local on purpose: the Ria, St Goustan and Saint-Cado all turn up on the labels, so the counter reads as a piece of the coast rather than a generic luxury pastry shop. Chocolate is the through-line through all of it, from those coast-named bonbons to the tablets and moulded pieces, and it is what a boutique of this kind is judged on.
One shop in a Brittany network
Locoal-Mendon is one boutique in the Au Petit Prince group, alongside Arradon, Auray, Baud, Belz, Carnac-Plage and Pluvigner. The house was founded by a chef from Lorient and has kept its centre of gravity in Brittany rather than moving the operation to Paris. A win at the 2019 edition of Le Meilleur Pâtissier: Les Professionnels on M6 carried the name to a national audience, and the boutiques hold a Relais Desserts membership. Cakes are part of what Locoal-Mendon sells as well as chocolate, and an espace snacking sits beside the sweet counter for something quicker.
How to work the counter
Come at it as a boutique rather than a café: look over the cases, choose across pastry, chocolate and macarons, and pay at the counter. Macarons are the easiest entry point and the most portable; the Breton-named bonbons make the better gift; a gateau from the cake range is the order for a table waiting at home. The calendar matters too. Christmas brings gourmandises de Noël and an open-workshop day across the boutiques, Locoal-Mendon included, so the case shifts with the season. If you are buying for someone else, the macaron boxes and the bonbon assortments are the formats built to travel; if you are buying for the next ten minutes, the snacking side is there for that. The same kitchen supplies professionals as well, from bakers and pâtissiers to caterers, restaurants and delicatessens, which is a fair signal of the volume and consistency behind the retail display. The house sums its own aim up as exceptional quality and local skill, and the second half of that phrase is the one that explains the shop.
Frequently asked questions
What should I order at Au Petit Prince in Locoal-Mendon?
Start with the macarons and the Breton-named bonbons, which are the house signatures. The counter also runs to gateaux from the cake range and confectionery such as OURSONS GUIMAUVE, and the Christmas weeks bring a seasonal line of gourmandises. If you want something savoury or quick, the espace snacking sits beside the sweet counter.
Is the Locoal-Mendon shop a cafe or a boutique?
It works as a boutique counter first: you choose from the cases and pay at the counter, and most orders leave with you. An espace snacking sits alongside the sweet counter for something quick, but the shop is built around retail selection of chocolate, macarons, gateaux and confectionery rather than table service.
Compare nearby places
| Venue | Type | Area |
|---|---|---|
| Au Petit Prince | Café | /editorial/ Village center of Belz, around rue Général de Gaulle in Morbihan, Brittany.[3][4][5] |
| AU PETIT PRINCE - PLUVIGNER | Bakery | Talhouët |
| AU PETIT PRINCE - AURAY | Café | place de la République |
| AU PETIT PRINCE - CARNAC | Café | Carnac-Plage |
| Au Petit Prince | Bakery | Baud |
