The café royal and Pierre Hermé's patisserie at the Hôtel Les Lumières de Versailles unveiled

Whether you're a Versaillais, a resident of the Yvelines region or a tourist visiting the city and its famous Château de Versailles, here's a great new idea that's sure to please. To the right of the château entrance, the beautiful Hôtel Les Lumières has recently opened. A new boutique - Pâtisserie - and a huge café - salon de thé signed by Pierre Hermé are now available in this historic venue, where you can enjoy sweet and savoury dishes all day long. As you can imagine, this makes it the ideal place to relax before or after a visit to the château or its gardens, for example during the Grandes Eaux.

We'd like to take you on a tour of this new venue for discerning gourmets. The boutique is located on the first floor. From morning to night, this modern showcase invites you to come and taste the emblematic creations of the"World's Best Pastry Chef", either on site or to take away. Legendary pastries, chocolates and macaroons await you. The boutique offers a sweet menu of the chef's must-have creations, prepared with the utmost rigor and the finest ingredients.

Pierre Hermé, named "World's Best Pastry Chef" by the World's 50 Best Restaurants academy, is the undisputed maestro of the pastry world. A descendant of Alsatian artisan bakers, he has become a leading ambassador for French gastronomy. You've already heard of his patisseries and cafés in Paris, but now Pierre Hermé is bringing the sweet experience to Les Lumières with a menu as gourmet as it is refined, all in a setting that would make the Sun King jealous.

We climb a small flight of stairs to the Café Pierre Hermé, located in the famous Galerie des Lumières, a nod to the neighboring Galerie des Glaces. A 6-meter-high ceiling, a large solid oak counter, splendid chandeliers and 19th-century carpets form the decor of this immense room. Kévin, if you can hear us, the ceiling moldings are over here!

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The à la carte menu features a fine selection of hot and cold drinks, sweet and savoury dishes to be enjoyed every day, from 7.30am to 10am for breakfast, from 10.30am to 12pm for drinks and pastries, from 12pm to 3pm for lunch and the savoury menu, from 3pm to 6pm for afternoon tea and, very soon, from 12pm to 3pm on Sundays for brunch in September.

As it's hot, we opt for the Ispahan iced tea with notes of rose, raspberry and lychee, although the exceptional coffees and Pierre Hermé 's infinitely good hot chocolate catch our eye. Alcoholic and non-alcoholic cocktails are also on the menu. Eggs, ceviche, gourmet salads, poultry supreme, flank steak, cod with vegetables and other sandwiches and croque-monsieur are available at lunchtime.

As it's snack time, we let ourselves be tempted by one of the chef's pastry creations: the Jardin Japonais, whose colors perfectly match the pink tones of the place. A shortbread and lemon cookie, Morello cherry compote with tonka bean and lemon, and an infinitely sweet lemon whipped cream, and we're in sweet tooth heaven.

In short, if you're looking for a café or tearoom where you can relax during the day, or a restaurant where you can have lunch in an exceptional setting, the Café Pierre Hermé in Versailles could well appeal to you.