Founded in Lourdes in 1729, Pailhasson is considered France’s oldest chocolate house. Nearly three centuries later, the Maison is opening a new chapter in its history, with the ambition of bringing its heritage back to life while expressing it in a resolutely contemporary way.
To support this revival, retail3D designed and delivered a new tea room and chocolate boutique in Lourdes, on the very site where the Pailhasson story first began: a place able to celebrate almost 300 years of craftsmanship while bringing the Maison firmly into the present.
retail3D conceived the space as a dialogue between heritage and contemporary creation: preserving the soul of Pailhasson without falling into historical reconstruction, and creating a setting worthy of the Maison’s renewed ambitions.
The concept draws on its roots as both apothecary and chocolatier — with furniture inspired by apothecary drawers, antique objects and moulds, and archival photography — while integrating them into an elegant, warm and contemporary environment. Certain features from the previous premises, such as the old ‘Pharmacie Centrale’ lettering and part of the façade, have also been preserved and restored.
From concept design through to project management and construction supervision, retail3D brought this new expression of the brand to life in a place designed for both tasting and discovery: chocolates, pastries, savoury products and drinks, with future workshops and experiences around chocolate and pastry-making.
A new tea room in the heart of Lourdes that brings Pailhasson back to its roots while projecting it into the future.
Opened on 25 September 2026, just before Pope Leo XIV’s visit to Lourdes, the venue also creates a symbolic link with the Maison’s history, as Pailhasson once supplied Pope Leo XIII.
Nearly 300 years after it was founded, Pailhasson has returned to its historic address — with a new setting in which to write the next chapter of its story.
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