Looking for the best croissant in Paris? The most buttery, flaky, and crackling gems the pastry capital of the world has to offer? You’ve come to the right place. I’ve spent months scouring the French capital for the very best, and I’ll tell you not only where to find the best croissants in Paris, but also how to spot those that are high quality.
After all, the baking business is tough. While certain boulangeries (French for bakery) in the city can be counted on to deliver consistently, I’ve found this to be a rarity, even in Paris. Over time, even some of the best boulangeries will vary in quality, with reasons varying from lack of quality ingredients, laziness, or upscaling after a surge in popularity and paying less attention to detail.
In this article, I’ll describe in detail what to look for in a good croissant, so that you all can discover your own favorite Parisian croissants. But don’t worry, you don’t have to if you’re short on time- you can count on the last boulangerie on this list to deliver you the crispiest, flakiest, most buttery croissant imaginable every time!
Before you go, make sure to check out my other content for the rest of your travels in Paris and France!
A Brief Intro to Croissants
Croissants are among, if not the greatest of pastries ever invented by humans. In my opinion, they’re among the greatest culinary creations period. God bless the genius who somehow got the idea to create nearly 100 layers of sequential butter and dough and bake it. The combination of butteriness, flakiness, and crispiness is an absolute gift to the palate. And surely, there’s no better place to get one than in Paris.
The croissant has a fascinating origin story! While we usually associate it with France (and Paris), its roots actually trace back to Austria, where the kipferl, a crescent-shaped sort of bread, was enjoyed for centuries. The legend goes that the crescent shape was used to celebrate the Austrian victory over the Ottoman Empire, who of course bear a crescent as their emblem. This is why the French refer to croissants, along with similar pastries, as Viennoiserie, evoking the city of Vienna where the precursor of the croissant was born.
Eventually, it made its way to Paris where it was revolutionized with the French usage of laminated dough, which is a type of pastry dough made by layering butter and dough through a series of folds, creating the rich, flaky layers of buttery dough we recognize today. Today, the city is home to countless bakeries crafting their own perfect versions of this delectable pastry. But who makes the best one? Read on to find out.
What Makes a Good Croissant?
What to look for in a great croissant? For me, it comes down to three crucial factors.
Butteriness: Butter is essentially synonymous with croissants. And the key to a good croissant is to use a lot of it. And I mean a lot. Because the butter is responsible for both the flavor and texture of the final product.
Paris, in general, does a great job with this, given the general adoration of the French population for butter. Not only do they use a lot, but the best boulangeries will use the highest quality butter, generally handcrafted in the Northern French regions of Brittany and Normandy.
Most people will say the perfect croissant is light and airy. I disagree. The best croissants are when you can feel the butter oozing out of each bite of pastry. This is rare to find in Paris, and only two croissants on this list have that delectable quality.
Crispiness: For me, you need that crackly crust on the exterior that gives way to the buttery, chewy interior of the croissant. Not enough attention is given to texture.
Just as we want the taste of our food to be varied- salty, sweet, tang, etc- we also want our texture to be. A mix of textures is a cornerstone of all the best culinary creations, and something is just missing from a croissant when that crunch is missing.
Tenderness: This one is not as widely spoken about as the previous two. Generally, the words you’re more likely to hear are flaky, or perhaps airy. But for me, the best croissants are the ones that are richer, heavier, and full of flavor and texture from that glorious butter. And these croissants typically have more of a bite.
The best croissants have that tender interior which is so desirable. Some people enjoy when it feels like you’re biting into a cloud, but I just can’t agree.
A Map of Where to Find the Best Croissants in Paris
Note: The numbers after to the following boulangeries correspond to the Paris arrondissement (neighborhood) they are respectively located in, not any sort of ranking. And now, without further ado, the best croissants in Paris!
Blé Sucré (12th)
Located in the 12th arrondissement, footsteps from the outdoor market Marché d’Aligre, you’ll find a small and quaint boulangerie that serves some of the best croissants in all of Paris. On a good day, these are equivalent with the last boulangerie on this list for the best in Paris. The oozing butter, cracking, dark, flaky crust and soft, elastic interior are to die for. But for Blé Sucré, consistency can be an issue. Since they are less known than some others on this list, they don’t make new batches of croissants as frequently during the course of the day. If you catch a fresh batch, you’ll get the best croissant in Paris. If not, the result can be disappointing.
Tip: Go early in the morning, when there’s a better chance that the croissants are fresh. You can also ask the staff.
Boulangerie Terroirs d’Avenir (2nd & 4th)
Boulangerie Terroirs d’Avenir has four locations across Paris, although I’ve only tried the ones in the 2nd and 4th. Both are very solid croissants, although I would give the one in the 4th arrondissement the edge. This croissant gets the butter down right, with incredible flavor and interior texture. The only points taken are due to the exterior generally being a little too soft for my liking. But hey, just because I prefer more of that crackly exterior doesn’t mean you will too! Try for yourselves- it’s possible these will be your favorites!
Tip: If you go to the location in the 2nd, take a stroll down nearby Rue Montorgueil. It’s a narrow, cobbled road pockmarked with a variety of gourmet eateries, definitely one of my favorite streets in all of Paris.
Mamiche (9th)
Mamiche has recently been gaining in popularity for their delectable babka. But when I went there to give it a try, I got a croissant as well. Because why not, right? And what a decision that was. The croissant delivered on every level, buttery, flaky, tender. The only critique I would personally give, once again, is that the exterior was just a touch too delicate. But an incredible pastry nonetheless.
Tip: Do get their chocolate babka as well. The richness and gooeyness are make it absolutely sensational. And while you’re at it, try the babka from the nearby Babka Zana as well. Gotta live a little.
Cédric Grolet Opéra (1st)
I must’ve walked past the window displays of Cédric Grolet Opéra fifty times before finally trying his croissants. Not because I was uninterested, because the array of pastries are something to behold. In a competition of aesthetic, these croissants are unmatched. The same goes for all of his pastries, to be honest.
No, the problem was that everyone else was always as interested as I was, which meant that whenever I would walk by, there would be a line of around 100 people snaking along the sidewalk, with a security guard to boot. But on a cold day in December, when the line was reduced to around 50, I cracked. My full expectation was that this croissant would not live up to the hype, but it did. The crunch I adore wasn’t really there, but for some reason I didn’t mind as much. The croissant was so delicate, and so perfect that it felt like a crime to eat it.
Tip: They only sell croissants up until noon, so arrive early. Also, don’t bother waiting here if your time in Paris is limited. These are excellent, but they’re not the very best croissants in Paris. However, you should still walk by and see the absolute beauty of these pastries. Another thing you can do is purchase pastries in advance on this website, which can save you a lot of time!
La Maison d’Isabelle (5th)
Finally, here it is- the best croissant in Paris. And consistently the best croissant in Paris. There is no box that this croissant does not check. Crispy, buttery, tender, in the best possible ways. One of the secrets is that they bake their croissants enough to achieve a dark crust which adds both an incredible flavor and textural component. This place isn’t exactly a secret- it’s quite popular, and there is generally a line of about ten people or so. However, this works to your favor as it means they are always pumping out fresh croissants. In fact, you can always see a fresh batch being made on the left-hand wall of the boulangerie.
Tip: Ask for the a croissant from the fresh batch. All of them are generally fresh enough that it’ll be incredible no matter what, but you may as well get the freshest.
