Papa d’Amour: Dominique Ansel’s Most Personal Project Yet

There is a particular kind of project that only happens when someone has nothing left to prove. Papa d’Amour feels exactly like that. Tucked into Greenwich Village on University Place, this is Chef Dominique Ansel’s newest concept — and arguably his most honest one. The inventor of the Cronut®, named World’s Best Pastry Chef by the World’s 50 Best and a two-time James Beard Award winner, has built something here that is quieter and more personal than anything that came before it.

The name comes from what his kids call him. The menu comes from where his heart is — a genuine collision of French technique and Taiwanese flavors, dedicated to his two children, Célian and Elise, who are both. Every item reflects either a memory, a place he has traveled, or something made with them in mind. That sincerity is not incidental. You taste it.

The Vibe

The space is warm and unfussy — a neighborhood spot that happens to be run by one of the most decorated pastry chefs alive. It does not announce itself loudly. Open daily from 8am to 7pm, the room hums, the line moves, and the cases up front do the talking. Built equally for a quick grab and a longer stay — the kind of place you find yourself returning to, partly for the food and partly because it just feels good to be there.

The Iced Soufflé Latte

The Iced Matcha Soufflé Latte is the drink that put Papa d’Amour on the map, and it earns every bit of the attention. A creamy matcha latte topped with a soufflé foam that visibly rises as it is set in front of you — dessert and drink, collapsed into one glass. Genuinely fun to watch and genuinely delicious to drink. Available in matcha or chocolate. From the inventor of the Cronut®, a drink with a show built in feels entirely on brand.

The Food

The Crispy Shrimp Sando was, without question, one of the best things on the menu. Homemade shrimp patty, crispy phyllo, chili crisp aioli, pickled radish — all on that signature fresh shokupan. The kind of bite that makes you stop and recalibrate what you were expecting from this place. Precise, satisfying, and gone too fast. A reminder that Ansel is just as sharp in savory territory as he is in pastry.

The Taro Mochi Lace Batter Donut is one of the most talked-about items on the menu, and the reason is easy to see. Inspired by the dim sum taro puff, it comes filled with creamy taro, vanilla mochi, and strawberry guava jam, encased in a crispy lace batter crust that shatters on contact. The Scallion Basil Blossom — scallion and Thai basil pinenut pesto, toasted sesame — is equally considered: light, layered, and a little unexpected in the best way. Both reflect the same instinct: take something familiar from another culinary tradition and make it feel entirely new.

The Kurobuta Hot Dog Sticky Rice Spiral sounds like it should not work as well as it does. Soy-glazed Kurobuta pork hot dogs wrapped in sticky rice and finished with sesame furikake — street food energy run through the filter of serious French training. Playful in concept, precise in execution. Exactly the kind of thing that only makes sense once you’ve tasted it.

The Jam Jars are the kind of thing that earns the lines. Slice one open and the center spills — it is a genuinely satisfying moment, and not just for the photo. Four flavors currently on the menu: Mango Coconut, Ubé, Black Sesame, and Chocolate Hazelnut. Each one composed with the same precision as everything else here. Genuinely hard to pick just one.