patisserie

American  

[puh-tis-uh-ree, pah-tees^uh-ree] / pəˈtɪs ə ri, pɑ tisəˈri /

noun

• patisseries
  plural

1. a shop where pastry, especially French pastry, is made and sold.

2. French pastry.

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patisserie British  

/ pəˈtiːsərɪ /

noun

1. a shop where fancy pastries are sold

2. such pastries

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• patisseries
  plural

Etymology

Origin of patisserie

1760–70; < French pâtisserie, Middle French pastiserie, equivalent to pastis-, presumed Old French *pastitz pastry (< Vulgar Latin *pastīcium; see pasticcio) + -erie -ery

Explanation

A patisserie is a fancy French bakery. Hungry for a croissant, an eclair, or some macarons? If there's a patisserie in your town, you're in luck! Patisserie is a French word that means "pastry shop," from a Latin root that translates as "composed of paste," which makes more sense when you know that paste meant "dough" before it meant "glue." In French-speaking countries, it's spelled with a circumflex accent: pâtisserie. You can also use this word to describe French cakes and sweets in general: "Their selection of patisserie is really impressive, and I love their pain au chocolate!"

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

patisserie patisseries

I learned about chocolatines last year from the Journal’s Joshua Robinson, who fainted from embarrassment when I walked into a Toulouse patisserie and ordered a “chocolatini,” like it was happy hour at an airport Chili’s.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026

It will shut down its remaining 61 cafés and, as well as pizza and patisserie, will also dispense with its hot food counters.

From BBC ● Jan. 23, 2025

Panterelli patisserie showcases eclairs and cream puffs in West Seattle.

From Seattle Times ● Sep. 21, 2023

Instead, the contestants will focus on "cakes, biscuits, bread, patisserie, chocolate," plus Smith adds, "party cakes is a new theme."

From Salon ● Sep. 5, 2023

Hand-painted plates boast a kaleidoscope of patisserie and petit-cakes pierced with flaming sparklers.

From "The Belles" by Dhonielle Clayton

Pistachio cold foam now perches atop iced coffees from nationwide chains, Dubai chocolate knock-offs sit at every grocery checkout stand and boutique patisseries fill croissants with pistachio butters and creams.

From Salon ● May 6, 2026

Influencer-driven bottlenecks have become commonplace at Paris’s Insta-famous patisseries.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 14, 2026

Moroccan and Senegalese cafes line the streets of Paris alongside traditional boulangeries and patisseries.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2023

For years, I’ve seen “cookies” in Parisian patisseries and even shops devoted to them.

From New York Times ● Dec. 1, 2021

“They say that the head bakers from the finest patisseries in Paris come to the Fern Court, take one bite of tarte Philippe, and collapse, weeping with envy.”

From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood