28 years old, originally from Libiola (Mantua), pastry chef and new mom to baby Atena, she runs the pastry shop L’Île Douce in Milan together with her husband, Fabrizio Barbato
There’s a pastry shop in Milan’s Isola district that smells unmistakably of France. L’Île Douce is a concept with a clear identity—built on carefully considered choices, top-quality ingredients, refined technique, and a commitment to ongoing training. From sweet to savory, their creations span the entire day, all united by a strong French culinary influence.
France is also woven into both the personal and professional journey of Angela, pastry chef and co-owner of L’Île Douce alongside her husband, Fabrizio. After earning a diploma in human sciences, Angela wasn’t sure where to channel her creative energy. A turning point came during her time at the historic Pasticceria Gamba in Mantua, where she met French pastry chef Pascal Piermattei. That encounter sparked a realization: pastry was exactly what she had been looking for.
After training in haute patisserie at CAST Alimenti, Angela began working in Milan with world champion pastry chef Massimo Pica. But love soon took the lead, and her professional path merged with Fabrizio’s in their shared venture, L’Île Douce—a modern pastry shop where their passion for French gastronomy became a defining feature.
Success came quickly—so much so that the only criticism they ever receive is about the long lines outside the shop. Quite a feat in a city like Milan, where pastry options abound. But for Angela and Fabrizio, this is just the beginning. There’s much more they want to achieve.
“Our team is very young, and that’s probably one reason we like to break up the routine in the kitchen. We often step into the dining area to help with service. It gives us a chance to explain our products more clearly from a technical perspective, while also building real connections and getting feedback directly from customers. People really appreciate that.”
INTERVIEW
Pastry shops that dare to go against the grain.
Lately, I’ve been meeting young pastry chefs who are making bold and often unpopular choices. They refuse to always say yes to the customer, in order to protect their production flow. This applies to the product range, the service model, even the opening hours. You’ve also chosen to educate your customers. Why?
We chose to educate our customers about our “rules” because it’s essential for the way we organize production and for maintaining high quality standards. If we accepted every single request, we’d have to work 24/7, with no boundaries. The problem is, we’re all so used to getting things instantly with a click, that people now expect the same from artisanal businesses. But if we operated like that, our team would have to give up their rest days and work overtime constantly—which wouldn’t be ethical, and very quickly it would just be Fabrizio and me left doing everything alone.
As for our product offering, it’s important that customers understand the quality-driven reasoning behind every one of our choices. With a clearly defined production line, there’s virtually no room for error, and we can guarantee consistent quality. Sometimes we get requests for desserts that not only don’t make sense flavor-wise, but also involve ingredients that fall short of the quality standards we’ve committed to.
Regarding our opening hours, it’s crucial for us to reward our team and give them the chance to spend major holidays with their families, rather than working constantly. We’d rather close the shop for a few days than run a business that offers no freedom to the people who make it what it is. Without that balance, you can’t build a strong team.
Bringing French pastry to Milan with a contemporary twist—how hard was it to make people understand your concept?
At first, the strong French identity of L’Île Douce wasn’t welcomed by everyone. Milanese customers would walk in asking for cannoncini, mignon, or brioches—and they’d leave disappointed. But over time, those customers were replaced by a new clientele who not only appreciate but actively seek out this type of format.
Angela, you’re in charge of production. How have you organized the lab to manage seasonal peaks and balance sweet and savory?
I handle production and the day-to-day planning of our lab, which is in Porta Genova—so it’s separate from the shop. I plan everything on a weekly basis, although when it comes to major holidays, we need to start months in advance. We start preparing for Christmas in August, and for Easter during the Christmas season.
I use digital tools and apps that help streamline the process—I break everything down into daily tasks and subtasks, all documented in extreme detail. That includes everything from ingredient measurements to how we tie the ribbon on our packaging. This ensures that the workflow is as standardized and replicable as possible for the whole team.
Because we also offer savory dishes, I plan the lunch menu production during quieter periods in our sweet production cycle—this way, there’s never downtime, and we’re always working efficiently without being overwhelmed.
Piermattei, Pica, Grolet—how important has the influence of great masters been in shaping your professional path?
The mentors I’ve had throughout my training have definitely played a major role. I’ve learned not just techniques, but also how they organize their work. That said, I tend to do things my own way—I take something from each of them, but in the end, I follow my own instincts, even if that sometimes means making mistakes. And of course, I have to say the biggest influence of all is my husband. Since we work together every day, his impact on my development has been constant and significant.
What do you think is behind the success of L’Île Douce?
I wish there were such a thing as a “winning formula”! What people call success usually comes down to a lot of sacrifice—long hours, constant effort, and significant financial investment. One thing that has definitely paid off over time is giving our project such a strong and distinct identity. These days, you often see places trying to do a bit of everything without a clear direction. That kind of approach might work for the first few months, but rarely holds up in the long run.
What are your memories of your time at CAST Alimenti?
I have really fond memories of my training at CAST. Our class formed a strong bond that’s still intact. We were a group of people deeply passionate—not just about pastry, but about food and wine culture in its entirety. I had excellent instructors and studied a lot (I started from scratch, unlike many of my classmates who already had experience), and I even appreciated the discipline they instilled in us from day one.
What are your plans for the future?
Our biggest future goal is definitely a second location—outside of Milan. It’s not happening immediately, but it’s something we’re working toward. We also want to strengthen our savory offering. What started almost as a joke—our monthly French-themed dinners and events—has grown into something really popular, and now we want to expand it by offering even more French-inspired events with new twists each time.
But for now, the future is all about Atena—our daughter, who’s just three weeks old. And whenever I can, I hold her tight in my arms!
