Award-winning pastry chef Christian Faure founded Maison Christian Faure and the Pastry School in 2013 near the Notre Dame basilica in Old Montreal. The first international institution specializing in the art of French pastry-making in Canada, the school also offers workshops for amateurs. Occupying several floors of a 300-year-old grey stone building in Old Montréal, customers are greeting with a prominent pastry display of mouth-watering gateaux and pastries, mille-feuilles, éclairs and praline Paris-Brest and seasonal desserts like fresh fruit tarts and maple confections. Baskets overflow with buttery brioches, delicate madeleines, canelés, flaky croissants and chocolatines. A refrigerator showcases Chef Faure’s signature ice cream, intricate wedding cakes and sugar sculptures. For savory snacks, a modern dining room offers a seasonal menu, from club sandwiches and vegetable tarts to quiches and Faure’s famous large Choux pastry stuffed with lobster and crab. A weekend brunch offers eggs Benedict, French toast and more.