Get. This. Now. Tarte Tropézienne at La Tarte Tropézienne, Saint-Tropez

It doesn’t matter how many versions exist now – flower-shaped, bite-sized, foam-whipped or rebranded by someone in Paris wearing black trousers and confidence. The Tarte Tropézienne you want is the one still served on Place des Lices, in Saint-Tropez, where it was invented.

Brioche split and filled with cool, thick cream – part custard, part butter, part mystery (the original recipe is still a secret) – then topped with sugar crystals that catch the light and your attention. The generous slice arrives slightly chilled, holding its shape until your second espresso.

Bardot and the baker

The backstory is part of the appeal. Polish-born baker Alexandre Micka brought the recipe with him when he opened his pâtisserie in the 1950s. While catering the set of And God Created Woman, he served it to actor Brigitte Bardot. She didn’t just like it – she reportedly obsessed over it, telling him to give it a name. He did. And trademarked it in 1955.

Yes, you can get it at airports now. And yes, Cédric Grolet has sculpted his own flower-shaped version. Most pâtisseries along the Cote d’Azur have their own take – some with more cream, some with less – but the original still tastes best. We’ve sampled our fair share.

The proper way to eat it

There’s a rhythm to this ritual. You wait for someone to leave the stoop, claim a cloth-backed chair and order the classic. No takeaway box or paper plate. Just a plate-plate, a napkin and maybe a folded copy of Le Monde you brought mostly for show.

Next, you read your paper. Or pretend to. You glance at vintage convertibles rolling by. This isn’t a sugar rush – it’s a sugar lean-back. One where the cream is cold enough to feel medicinal, the brioche is soft enough to eat with a fork and the vibe is rich enough to make you reconsider your whole life.

They do seasonal versions too – with strawberries, raspberries, even fig – and a whole line of Baby Trop’ minis for those who think they’re being sensible. Don’t be.

For all the fuss over reinvention, the Tropézienne has stayed exactly the same – and is still somehow cooler than everything that came after. No updates needed. Just the right amount of shade, a linen shirt and enough time to do absolutely nothing. Except eat this.