Ile Flottante appears as a signature dish in 1 France cities. See each city's local variant and where to eat it.
Île flottante · Paris
Île flottante is the Paris bistro's standard dessert: poached meringue islands floating on a thin crème anglaise, finished with a streak of caramel that pours over the plate.
The dish takes its name from a 19th-century Carême creation called œufs à la neige, a stiffer egg-white meringue. The simpler floating-island form spread through Parisian bistros in the 20th century as a use for leftover egg whites from sauces and crème pâtissière. Bistrot Paul Bert on Rue Paul Bert has plated the dessert for two on a single oval platter since opening in 1959; the version sets the city's benchmark. Bouillon Chartier still serves a €3.50 single-portion version that has not changed in price since the Euro changeover. The technique is gentle: the meringue must poach, not boil, and the crème anglaise must hit 82°C without scrambling.
Where to eat in Paris:
- Bistrot Paul Bert
- Bouillon Chartier
- Bouillon Pigalle
- Le Comptoir du Relais