Manhattan Welcomes Its First Fully Vegan French Pâtisserie

On September 13, New York’s dining scene gets a sweet twist with the debut of Délice de Bernay, billed as Manhattan’s first fully vegan French pâtisserie. The project comes from Christophe Caron, co-owner of Délice & Sarrasin, the beloved West Village bistro that has built its reputation on plant-based takes of French staples like boeuf bourguignon and duck confit. This time, Caron has turned his attention to the country’s most iconic contribution to global cuisine: pastry.

To make it happen, he partnered with Laurent Dupal, a French-trained chef celebrated for his former Soho institution Ceci-Cela, which closed during the pandemic. For Caron, working with a non-vegan veteran was part homage, part transformation. “Partnering with a non-vegan legend like Laurent Dupal shows that even the most iconic French pâtisserie can be reimagined—vegan and elevated. Laurent is a true pioneer in French pâtisserie, celebrated from the US to France for his technique and traditional recipes,” Caron said.

Délice de Bernay

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“I’ve always admired his craft and, as a vegan, wished I could enjoy his creations every day. Now, by bringing his mastery into the plant-based world, we’re making that wish a reality. This opening is only the beginning of all the pastries and gateau that we are about to veganize.”

Reimagining butter and cream

French pastry has long been defined by its reliance on butter, eggs, and cream—ingredients once considered irreplaceable. Yet the last decade has shown how vegan innovation can make space in even the most tradition-bound categories. Plant-based butter options have increased in recent years, while egg alternatives are also becoming more common in both grocery and restaurant settings. Délice de Bernay is stepping directly into this momentum, proving that flaky croissants and rich custards no longer have to be tethered to animal products.

Délice de Bernay

The opening menu will span sweet and savory. Almond croissants, croissant éclairs, and cookie-dough croissants sit alongside truffle croque monsieurs; quiches; and a bacon, egg, and cheese pastry. The showstopper, though, may be the Petrossian Croissant: a twenty-dollar creation layered with crème fraîche, smoked salmon, dill, and Zeroe caviar made from Mediterranean seaweed.

A Parisian jewel box in the West Village

While the counter will launch first, Caron plans to expand into a dining room and garden space. The design is set to evoke a Parisian jewel box, with Prussian blue walls, gold moldings, and antique chandeliers illuminating polished counters stacked with pastries. The effect is intended to mirror the richness of French café culture while offering a distinctly New York sensibility: cosmopolitan, experimental, and unapologetically plant-based.

Délice de Bernay

To celebrate the launch, Délice de Bernay will be giving away its first 50 almond croissants on September 13th, from 8am to 9am. The bakery will run daily from 8am to 4pm at the front of Délice & Sarrasin. It is one of the most anticipated vegan openings of the year, landing in a city where vegan croissants, despite their growing presence, rarely achieve the delicacy and decadence associated with their traditional counterparts. Délice de Bernay is aiming to change that, one buttery—yet butter-free—layer at a time.