Where to Eat Awesome Croissants in Paris

Where to Eat Awesome Croissants in Paris


Discover where to eat awesome croissants in Paris. The best ones are flaky, delicious and mandatory for any food trip to the City of Light.

Croissant at Stohrer in Paris
Image: ©2foodtrippers

Eating a freshly baked croissant in Paris is something you can and should do every morning when you visit the City of Light. Yes, every morning. You won’t be alone – many Parisians do the same exact thing. Don’t worry about getting bored – popular options include classic plain croissants (i.e. croissants au beurre), chocolate croissants (pains au chocolat) and almond croissants (croissants aux amandes). Plus, with the proliferation of boulangeries throughout the city, some bakers have expanded croissant flavors to include raspberry, hazelnut and even salted caramel.

However, while there’s an abundance of excellent croissants at the city’s many pastry shops and boulangeries, some croissants are better than others. Sure, you may need to walk a bit or even take a metro in your noble quest to find and eat the best croissant in Paris. But you’ll be glad you made the effort when you take your first and last blissful bites.

Fun Fact
Parisian bakeries have epanded the croissant concept with hybrids that include the brookie, crookie and cruffin. The crookie hybrid that melds American chocolate chip cookies with French croissants is currently having a moment on TikTok. In our opinion, the crookie is a fad, so consider yourself warned.

Our Favorite Croissants in Paris

Croissant Selfie at Mamiche in Paris
Any day is a good day when it starts with a Parisian croissant. | Image: ©2foodtrippers

The French didn’t invent croissants – that honor goes to the Austrians. (Croissants fit into a group of flaky pastries which the French call viennoiseries.) However, although Vienna’s crescent-shaped kipferl debuted first, France’s refined version is the one that thrived and conquered the world.

Over time, French croissants have become a global breakfast staple. We’ve eaten fine versions in America as well as in Denmark and Vietnam. However, there’s nothing like eating buttery, flaky croissants in Paris. They’re literally all over the city with literally thousands of boulangeries producing fresh croissants each morning. Much like pizza, which is having a moment in Paris, each Parisian croissant is an expression of the baker. Some croissants are buttery, some are airy and some have a magnificent flake and crunch. And, while the freshest croissants are usually the best croissants, some croissants are simply better than the rest.

We’ve done the research and we’ve eaten a LOT of croissants during multiple trips to Paris. These are our favorite spots to eat hot-out-of-the-oven croissants in Paris:

1. Stohrer (2nd Arrondissement)

Inside a Croissant at Stohrer in Paris
Croissant at Stohrer | Image: ©2foodtrippers

People flock to Stohrer, Paris’ oldest bakery, to eat a boozy baba au rhum (we’re partial to the version topped with a lovely cloud of chantilly cream) though some opt instead for a creamy saint-honoré or a tangy lemon tart. However, ruling out Stohrer’s croissants would be a mistake since one bite into a Stohrer croissant reveals countless layers of buttery goodness.

This historic patisserie has sold croissants and other magnificent, textbook viennoiseries for over 100 years. If Stohrer’s croissant isn’t the best croissant in Paris, it’s certainly a top contender.

The flagship Stohrer is located at 51 Rue Montorgueil, 75002 Paris, France. This is the one that you want to visit.

2. Mamiche (9th and 10th Arrondissements)

Croissant at Mamiche in Paris
Croissant at Mamiche | Image: ©2foodtrippers

Thanks to their decadent chocolate babka and addictive vanilla choux crème pastries, female chefs Victoria Effantin and Cécile Khayat achieved fame soon after they opened the original Mamiche boulangerie in 2017. We understood the hype after we finally visited Mamiche seven years later and ate two croissants. The hefty pastries left a buttery trail in our mouths that we savored long after the croissants were gone.

Mamiche has multiple locations. We visited the shop located at 45 Rue Condorcet, 75009 Paris, France.

3. Bontemps Pâtisserie (3rd Arrondissement)

Croissant at Bontemps la Patisserie in Paris
Croissant at Bontemps Pâtisserie | Image: ©2foodtrippers

We discovered Bontemps’ croissants during a leisurely brunch in the pâtisserie’s charming outdoor space. While they didn’t have thousands of layers or fancy fillings, those croissants were wonderfully executed with a crunchy caramel brown layered exterior that opened to an airy yet even web of pastry. While great croissants are easy to find in Paris, Bontemps’ version ranks as one of our favorites.

Pro Tip
Weather permitting, eat your Bontemps croissant in the pâtisserie’s ‘secret’ courtyard and pair it with a glass of champagne or a mimosa.

Bontemps Pâtisserie is located at 57 Rue de Bretagne, 75003 Paris, France.

4. Carton Paris (10th Arrondissement)

Raspberry Croissant at Carton in Paris
Raspberry Croissant at Carton Pari | Image: ©2foodtrippers

We discovered Carton Paris when we needed a quick bite before boarding a train at Gare du Nord – the boulangerie is less than a five minute walk from the station. However, we were far from the first. Not only has Carton been open since 1956, but its butter croissant won the title of Best Croissant of Île-de-France in 2022. We’re partial to Carton’s raspberry croissant. While it’s not the croissant that won the award, it’s a colorfully crispy bauble that’s jam packed with sweet raspberry jam.

Pro Tip
Carton is an excellent stop if you’re traveling to one of the Paris’ airports or If you have time to kill before boarding the TGV at one of the ‘deux gares’. Once you’ve enjoyed your croissant break, you can then hit the RER B and/or Metro to Charles de Gaulle or Orly.

Carton Paris is located at 6 Bd de Denain, 75010 Paris, France.

5. Boulangerie Utopie (11th Arrondissement)

Croissant at Boulangerie Utopie in Paris
Croissant at Boulangerie Utopie | Image: ©2foodtrippers

Boulangerie Utopie is famous for its carbonized black breads and pastries but don’t count out the bakery’s finely crafted croissants. Utopie’s chefs follow a three-day process to make their beautiful multilayered crescent pastries using a sourdough starter and special Montaigu butter sourced from Eastern France. The flaky result is nothing short of wonderful.

Boulangerie Utopie is located at 20 Rue Jean-Pierre Timbaud, 75011 Paris, France.

6. Du Pain et Des Idées (1oth Arrondissement)

Croissant at Du Pain et des Idees in Paris
Croissant at Du Pain et Des Idées | Image: ©2foodtrippers

Although the queue at Du Pain et des Idées often snakes around the corner, most people aren’t necessarily there for the boulangerie’s well-structured croissants. Instead, they come for the über-popular chocolate pistachio escargot that they saw on social media. We tried that famous escargot and it was great as was the boulangerie’s legendary pain des amis.

The croissant we ate was pretty awesome too. Handcrafted with organic ingredients, the flaky, hand crafted viennoiserie was light, airy and special.

Du Pain et des Idées is located at 34 Rue Yves Toudic, 75010 Paris, France.

7. L’Éclair de Genie (Multiple Locations)

Inside a Vanilla Croissant at Eclaire de Genie Cafe in Paris
Vanilla Croissant at L’Éclair de Genie | Image: ©2foodtrippers

A destination for éclair fans since it opened in 2012, L’Éclair de Genie’s made the oblong choux pastry exciting with flavors like blood orange, sesame and passion fruit. Christophe Adam applied similar culinary finesse to crescent shaped pastries when he started filling croissants with chocolate, pistachio, raspberry and vanilla cream.

Topped with white chocolate swirls, the vanilla croissant we shared was decadently delicious. In fact, it was so rich and luxurious that we recommend eating one as an afternoon dessert instead of for breakfast.

The original L’Eclair de Genie is located at 14 Rue Pavée, 75004 Paris, France.

8. Hugo & Victor (7th Arrondissement)

Croissant at Hugo and Victor in Paris
Croissant at Hugo & Victor | Image: ©2foodtrippers

Regardless of any reference, intentional or otherwise, to the heavy themes in Vicor Hugo’s opuses, Victor Pouget infuses positive energy into the contemporary pastries he bakes and sells at Hugo & Victor. In fact, we felt the opposite of miserable when we ate one of his croissants thanks to its glossy shell and buttery, flaky layers.

Hugo & Victor is located at 40 Boulevard Raspail, 75007 Paris, France.

9. SAIN Boulangerie (3rd and 10th Arrondissements)

Croissant at Sain Boulangerie in Paris
Croissant at SAIN Boulangerie | Image: ©2foodtrippers

SAIN Boulangerie’s Anthony Courteille’s is fully commited to organic ingredients. He’s been baking SAIN’s signature sourdough croissants with milk sourdough, AOP butter, unrefined sugar and organic T65 flour since opening the original shop in 2018. He adds an additional ingredient to SAIN’s pain au chocolate recipe – lecithin-free chocolate. We approve of both of those dense yet flaky pastries as well as the smart cookie, topped with dark chocolate and candied ginger, that we taste tested too.

The original SAIN Boulangerie is located at 13 Rue Alibert, 75010 Paris, France.

10. Cédric Grolet Opéra (2nd Arrondissement)

Croissant at Cedric Grolet Opera in Paris
Croissants at Cédric Grolet Opéra | Image: ©2foodtrippers

Open since November of 2019 and located near the epic Palais Garnier, Cédric Grolet Opéra has a permanent line that forms before the shop opens in the morning and ends when it closes (or sells out). We celebrated surviving a seemingly endless queue by ordering a fleur-brest pastry shaped like a flower, a vanilla pod trompe-l’oeils and a seemingly simple croissant during our visit. Easily the most stunning croissant in this guide, it was solid choice to eat a la minute while saving the shop’s more ornate pastries for later.

Cédric Grolet Opéra is located at 35 Avenue de l’Opéra, 75002 Paris, France.

11. Liberté (Multiple Locations)

Croissant at Liberte in Paris
Croissant at Liberté | Image: ©2foodtrippers

The culinary team at Liberté sources its flour from nearby Verdelot, its dairy products from Normandy and its butter from Nouvelle-Aquitaine. They put those products to good use when they bake textbook croissants and sell them at shops located in eight different Paris arrondissements.

While American patriot Patrick Henry demanded either liberty or death back in the day, leisurely eating one of Liberté’s freshly baked croissants is our personal version of freedom.

The original Liberté is located at 39 Rue des Vinaigriers, 75010 Paris, France.

12. Tapisserie (11th Arrondissement)

Pains au Chocolate at Tapisserie in Paris
Pains au Chocolate at Tapisserie | Image: ©2foodtrippers

Not to be confused with a textile shop despite its locale in a former tapestry neighborhood, Tapisserie (a fun play on the word pâtisserie) bakes one of our favorite Paris pastries – the tartelette au sirop l’érable. However, it’s not the only worthwhile pastry to eat at the pastry shop opened by the Septime team in 2020.

Tapisserie’s croissants and pains au chocolate are so good that they tend to sell quickly each morning. We recommend pairing one or both with a cup of coffee. Yes, Tapisserie serves good coffee too.

Tapisserie is located at 65 Rue de Charonne, 75011 Paris, France.

13. The French Bastards (Multiple Locations)

Croissant at The French Bastards in Paris
Croissant at The French Bastards | Image: ©2foodtrippers

Despite its tongue-in-cheek name, The French Bastards is an excellent boulangerie/pâtisserie hybrid that’s devoted to baking great bread and magnificent pastries. We met the owners (i.e. bastards) when the shop was new in 2019 before it grew into a trendy chain. Even back then, the bakery pushed the envelope with its tartes au charbon (charcoal black tarts), mini babkas and puffy cruffins.

However, both then and now, the three ‘bastards’ haven’t neglected the simple pleasure derived from biting into a freshly baked baguette or a well crafted croissant. Their croissants are airy yet firm with just the right amount of butter.

The original The French Bastards is located at 61 Rue Oberkampf, 75011 Paris, France.

14. KL Pâtisserie

Pain au Chocolat at KL Patisserie in Paris
Pain au Chocolate at KL Pâtisserie | Image: ©2foodtrippers

** Important Update – KL Pâtisserie has permanently closed. **

True confession – we journeyed to KL Pâtisserie near the Wagram metro station specifically to try one of Chef Kevin Lacote’s special à la minute creations, namely his version of Spanish churros. However, that mission didn’t stop us from trying the chef’s pain au chocolate too. While the churros were the star of the show, Lacote’s more traditional viennoiserie was excellent in its own buttery way.

KL Pâtisserie was located at 78 Avenue de Villiers, 75017 Paris, France. It has permanently closed.

15. Boulangerie Poilâne (Multiple Locations)

Chocolate Croissant at Poilane in Paris
Pain au Chocolate at Boulangerie Poilâne | Image: ©2foodtrippers

A Paris institution since 1932, Boulangerie Poilâne has retained a sense of modernity despite its octogenarian status. Original owner Pierre Poilâne was clearly ahead of his time when he devoted himself to baking artisan bread in a wood-fired oven. Two generations later, after the untimely death of Pierre’s son Lionel in 2002, granddaughter Apollonia took over the business at just 18 years old and has since grown the bakery into one of Paris’ most succesful boulangeries.

Poilâne’s pastry chefs bake their croissants using traditional methods. They also fill their pains au chocolat with dark chocolate that’s locally produced by chocolatier Michel CLUIZEL. The extra efforts speak for themselves after just one bite.

The original Boulangerie Poilâne is located at 8 Rue du Cherche-Midi, 75006 Paris, France.

More Croissants in Paris

Pain au Chocolate at Cafe les Deux Gares in Paris
Add caption. | Image: ©2foodtrippers

Don’t limit your quest to eat the best croissants in Paris. Instead, eat as many as possible starting with the following contenders:

Frequently Asked Questions

What are croissants?

The croissant is a buttery, flaky, laminated (ie. puff) pastry that’s shaped like a crescent. Traditionally baked without fillings, popular flavors include almond and chocolate while more modern flavors include raspberry, hazelnut and salted caramel.

Where was the croissant invented?

Despite its association, the croissant was invented in Austria. The croissant,, however, was later refined in France.

Where do Parisians eat croissants?

While people eat croissants all over the world, the croissant is especially popular in French cities like Paris and Lyon. French people typically eat them with coffee at boulangeries, cafes and pâtisseries.

Video Recap

More Food in Paris

[cp_popup display=”inline” style_id=”176763″ step_id = “1”][/cp_popup]



Source link