FINK depuis 1828 - Centre ville

Chocolates, macarons and glaces since 1828

The counter is sweet from end to end: chocolates made by the house’s own chocolatiers, macarons, pâtisseries, glaces, tablettes and coffrets built for gifting. FINK depuis 1828 is the centre-ville flagship of Maison Fink, a chocolatier, pâtissier and glacier that has been part of Poitiers since 1828, and the date in the name is doing deliberate work: this is a long-running local house rather than a recent arrival. Chocolate, pastry and ice cream all come out of the same house, which is rarer than it sounds and is what makes the display worth reading slowly. It functions as an institution in the city, used for everyday gifts as much as by visitors, and it is a Relais Desserts member boutique.

A boutique first, then a tea salon

The shop reads as retail first. Browse the displays of chocolates, macarons, pastries and ice creams, then choose at the counter. The centre-ville boutique moved into a former Orange store that was rebuilt as a larger and more polished showcase, presented as a bel écrin, a jewel case for the sweets. That extra room is what allowed the Salon de Thé to come back in July 2021 after a long absence. Seating belongs to the salon, so a visit can go two ways: a quick purchase for a gift, or a proper sit-down pause with a pastry and a glace. The house presents its craft collectively, through nos chocolatiers, so the emphasis falls on the team and the finished pieces rather than on a single named chef.

What to order

Order from the core categories: coffrets, macarons, tablettes, pâtisseries and glaces. Macarons have a category of their own and are the easiest way to taste several flavours in one visit. The pastry side covers cakes, tartes and seasonal creations, while the chocolate side runs to truffes au chocolat, tablettes and gift boxes. Tablettes and coffrets are the take-home end of the same production, which is why the boutique works as well for a gift as for a pastry eaten on the spot. Traditional confectionery turns up as marrons glacés, and the end-of-year programme centres on bûches de Noël. A first visit is best spent on the things the house is built around: a selection of chocolates, a few macarons, a pastry or a tarte, and an ice cream if you want the glacier side of the business as well.