Julien Boulangerie Says ‘Au Revoir’ to Upper East Side
The award-winning French bakery shop had expanded rapidly on the Upper East Side four years ago. Now his three UES shops, as well as the original in Park Slope, have all closed suddenly.
| 18 Feb 2026 | 04:35
In happier times, Julien Khalaf shows his three consecutive People’s Choice Awards won by Julien Boulangerie shops in the New York’s Best Croissant Competition. (
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A shut down Julien Boulangerie French pastry shop on the Upper East Side. (
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French pastries in the three Julien Bouglangerie shops on the UES were favorites of the neighborhood. (
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The short and tasty life of the Julien Boulangeire French pastry shops have come to an end.
Four years ago, upper east siders were wishing “bonjour” to Julie Kalaf. His award-winning French pastry shop that had gained a huge following in Park Slope after it opened in the midst of the pandemic, was expanding rapidly on the UES with three outlets opening across the neighborhood in 2022.
Now he is saying “au revoir.” His Julien Boulangerie confectionary shops suddenly closed their doors in early Feb. leaving neighbors and employees alike searching for answers.
The news was first announced on the Park Slope Living Instagram account, with the post confirming they had received the information from Khalaf himself.
“On a personal note, this is really saddening,” read the post regarding the Park Slope location. “I’ve been going since they first opened up nearby, and it’s been a part of my family’s life for years.”
The post said Khalaf described the closure as a “difficult decision,” and he is expected to make his own statement to express his feelings.
After studying in pastry school in France and working as an Executive Chef for François Payard in New York, Khalaf launched Julien Boulangerie in Park Slope in 2020 with the promise of bringing a little bit of Paris to New York. Its immediate success in Brooklyn would lead to its expansion to three locations on the Upper East Side in 2021, first at 1275 Madison Ave. and later to 1431 York Ave. and 1247 Third Ave.
Beloved for its assortment of authentic French pastries, including croissants, macarons, and baguette sandwiches, Julien Boulangerie even won three competitive awards at New York’s Best Croissant Competition in 2025.
A 2025 Department of Health Inspection of the Madison Ave. location showed only one non-critical violation regarding plumbing installation and another for a countertop not being properly cleaned. Still, the Department never issued an official grade.
Julien Boulangerie is a place that many neighbors are sad to see leave the Upper East Side and Park Slope. A Reddit post from a former employee regarding the closing was met with many well wishes from neighbors who shared fond memories of interacting with staff, the welcoming atmosphere, and the delicious pastries at any of the four locations.
Khalaf has also recently teamed up with longtime friend Anthony Le Mezec to open Le Petit Paris, a second bakery in Long Island City, Queens.
Our Town has reached out to all four locations of Julien Boulangerie over the phone for a comment, but the lines were disconnected. Efforts to solicit a comment via social media also met with no answer.