Paris: Croissant Guide
a list of the croissants i tried during my two week stay in paris
During the two weeks I spent in Paris, I visited 9 boulangeries, doing what I love to do most - revel in croissants.
It’s difficult for me to accurately rate the croissants since a couple of them were warm out of the oven (giving them an unfair advantage), while others were enjoyed room temp. Despite the differences in temperature, I’ve placed my favorite croissants at the top of the list. While I was able to try most of the croissants on my list, there were a handful of bakeries I wasn’t able to visit this trip, but I’ve listed them at the end of this post.
If there’s a croissant you adore, please leave the name in the comments below:)
xx, Sydney
Boulangerie Terroirs d’Avenir
Terroirs d’Avenir is a bakery with locations in the 2nd, 4th, and 11th arrondissement (one on rue Paul Pert and the other on Rue Jean-Pierre Timbaud). I visited the location in the 2nd arrondissement on rue de nil.
The croissant and pain au chocolat were both warm, extremely flakey, with a buttery, luxurious interior. Just divine.
Mamiche
Mamiche has locations in the 9th and 10th arrondissements. I got a croissant and pain au chocolat which were both warm. Their pain au chocolat along with Terroirs d’Avenir’s pain au chocolat were definitely my top two of the trip. Their croissants were flakey, buttery, and the flavor was delicious.
Maison d’Isabelle
La Maison d’Isabelle is a boulangerie located in the 5th arrondissement. It was rated Best Croissant in 2018. Their croissant had a crispy, flakey, golden exterior and soft interior. Definitely recommend. I didn’t love their pain au chocolat - too bready.
Boulangerie Utopie
Utopie is a boulangerie located in the 11th arrondissement. Amazing croissant, pain suisse (filled with custard and chocolate chips), and absolutely delicious baguette (they won best baguette this year I believe). Everything tasted very fresh. Skip the black sesame croissant - nice flavor, but the icing was too sweet for my taste.
The French Bastards
While doing my research on the best croissants in Paris, The French Bastards was recommended by many. I was reluctant to try this boulangerie since it’s a chain with several locations across Paris. I have to admit that I was pleasantly surprised. While the croissant was not the best I had in Paris, it is most definitely a solid and reliable option. Compared to the previous croissants, these ones had a higher rise and were more picture perfect. Nice flake, buttery interior. I definitely preferred the croissant to the pain au chocolat.
Mesa d’Hoy
Mesa is a latin american-inspired, plant-based cafe/restaurant located in Hotel Hoy in the 9th arrondissement. It’s a lovely spot to work, have a coffee, or something to eat. Their croissant is vegan and made from quinoa and spelt flour. I loved the flavor and texture despite it being butter-less.
Cloud Cakes
Cloud Cakes is a vegan cafe with locations in the 2nd and 9th arrondissements. While their vegan croissant has a delicious flavor, it’s texture is on the denser, bread-y side.
Sain Boulangerie
Sain is an organic boulangerie located in the 10th arrondissement. The croissant had a crispy exterior, but I found the interior to be a little dry and dense. The boulangerie itself is beautiful and if you’re in the area, I would still recommend popping in and trying something.
Stohrer
Stohrer is the oldest patisserie in Paris and it was my first stop in Paris. I had high expectations for this croissant, but I was left disappointed. I found it to be bready and dense.
My Croissant Wish List
Boulangerie du Sentier (kosher) - 2nd arrondissement
Tapisserie - Motte Picquet/Charonne - 7th/11th arrondissements
Norma the Bakery - 9th arrondissement
Du Pain et Des Idees - 10th arrondissement
Carton (best croissant 2022) - 10th arrondissement
Maison Doucet (won best croissant at some point) - 12th arrondissement
Ble Sucre - 12th arrondissement
Shinya Pain - 18th arrondissement
Cedric Grolet - several locations
La Patisserie Cyril Lignac - several locations