Everything you wanted to know about croissants in Paris – including recommendations for worthy patisseries

Like theBaguette, its breakfast companion, the croissant is not 100% French either and has its roots in Austria. Legend has it that in 1683, during the Turkish siege of Vienna, bakers who got up early to work noticed that the Turks were digging a tunnel under the city walls. The bakers, instead of offering their guests an early breakfast, reported it to the city guard and the Turkish plot failed. To commemorate this event, the croissant was created, whose shape resembles the crescent moon that appears on the Turkish flag to this day.

How did the croissant go from Austrian to French?

How did the croissant come to France? Legend has it that the croissant was brought by Marie Antoinette, who knew a thing or two about bread and cakes. However, the croissant apparently came to Paris later and was first baked by August Zang, who opened a Viennese bakery in Paris in 1839 opposite the then National Library at 92 Rue Richelieu.

Along with the croissant, August brought a number of other pastries that became integral parts of French cuisine – chocolate bread (Pain aux Chocolat) and raisin bread (Pain aux Raisins). These are still called Viennoiseries by the French today – after the city of Vienna from which they came.

In 1875, croissants began to establish their status as an integral part of the French continental breakfast, and today it is very rare to find them in cafes after 10 a.m., because no French person would dare order them after that hour.

Excellent croissants in Paris

As with the baguette, so with thecroissant It's very hard to go wrong and almost any fresh croissant you buy at a bakery will taste heavenly. However, there are good patisseries and there are simply excellent patisseries. If you admire this buttery pastry, you certainly won't settle for anything less than the best.

Here is a list of some of the patisseries that make the best croissants in Paris. The list is not arranged in any order of quality, price or location. You will find famous patisseries as well as those that are quite anonymous. What they all have in common is, of course, quality.

Isabelle's House

Address: 47 ter Boulevard Saint-Germain

This patisserie won the award for best croissant of 2018. They use flour and butter without preservatives and all kinds of additives and perhaps that's part of their charm.

I heard from Francophiles who visited the place that the croissant here is especially buttery, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. In short - perfect.

Pierre Hermé

Address: 72 Rue Bonaparte (it has a few other branches but this is the mythical address).

Pierre Herma is known for his legendary macarons, but that doesn't mean his croissants are any less good. At Pierre Herma you can find different types of croissants beyond the classic buttery croissant. For example, a Hispanic croissant with berries. These aren't just any croissants, they're mega croissants!

Boulangerie Alexine

Address: 40 rue Lepic

Recommendation of Judith Mermelstein (who is also an excellent tour guide): This is a no-frills boulangerie located on Rue LEPIC, one of the tastiest streets in18th District (along with the nearby Rue ABBESSES). The place won the Best Baguette in Paris award in 2016. Not only are its croissants excellent – ​​any other pastry you buy there will be especially delicious. Despite the high quality, the price of the croissants here is not particularly expensive.

Sweet wheat

Address: 7 Rue Antoine Vollon

From a relatively anonymous patisserie, we will move on to a well-known patisserie (I would even call it the “celebrity” of patisserie). Bella Sucre’s croissant has won many accolades and awards in the past. In the meantime, the owners have changed and some experts would say that the croissant is no longer quite what it used to be.

I don't really agree with those finesse makers. The last time I had a croissant there was a few years ago, and it was still very tasty, crispy and buttery. If this Your first time in Paris And you're looking for a "celebrity croissant" so you can say you ate an excellent croissant, this is not a bad option at all.

La boulangerie Jean-Noel Julien

Address: 1 Rue de Provence

Another excellent recommendation from Judith Marmelstein. This boulangerie is located near theThe Super Popular Hotel 34B And can be an excellent option for breakfast, if you don't want to eat at the hotel. The place has won several awards, including the best croissant award in 2006. If you've come this far, then it's highly recommended that you don't settle for croissants and try other pastries because they are all excellent.

The Fournil de Mouffetard

Address: 123 rue Mouffetard

I received this recommendation from the Menashe and I Helman couple. Instead of writing about the place and its croissants, let me simply quote Menashe:

Croissants and other pastries have a simple, rustic aroma and flavor, and a shelf life of zero. I once even managed to cross the road to the station with half a croissant left in my hand, quite an achievement! In all other cases, the pastries lasted 20 seconds until I crossed the line.

Du Pain et des Ideas

Address: 34 Rue Yves Toudic

A warm recommendation from Liat Lustig. According to her:

Wonderful croissants, made flawlessly... (much crispier and lighter, etc. compared to ble sucre, for example).

Sébastien Gaudard – Pâtisserie des Martyrs

Address: 22 Rue des Martyrs

And we'll sigh (literally) at another recommendation from Judith Marmelstein. This time we're talking about Sébastien Godard's patisserie located on Rue Des Martyres,In the 9th arrondissement And is one of the most culinary streets in Paris. The croissant here is of course great, but if you've come this far, do yourself a favor and order a chaussée aux poire.

We will meet with Hanoch Levin.

It is impossible to talk about croissants in Paris without mentioning for a moment Hanoch Levin's immortal poem "I Have a Whore Cousin in Paris." Because in Paris, as in Paris, even if our lives are a complete disaster, at least in the morning a croissant is a croissant!