Everything You Wanted to Know About Croissants in Paris, Plus the Best Pâtisseries to Get Them From

Like the baguette, its breakfast partner, the croissant isn’t 100 percent French either. Its roots go back to Austria. Legend has it that in 1683, during the Ottoman siege of Vienna, bakers who got up early to work noticed that the Turks were digging a tunnel under the city walls. Instead of inviting their early guests to breakfast, the bakers reported it to the city guard, and the Ottoman plot failed. To mark the event, the croissant was created, its shape echoing the crescent moon that still appears on the Turkish flag today.

How did the croissant go from Austrian to French?

So how did the croissant reach France? Legend says it was brought over by Marie Antoinette (1755-1793), who certainly knew a thing or two about bread and pastry. But as far as historians can tell, the croissant actually arrived in Paris later, baked for the first time by August Zang, who opened a Viennese bakery in Paris in 1839, across from what was then the national library, at 92 Rue de Richelieu.

Along with the croissant, August brought a few other pastries that went on to become staples of French cuisine: pain au chocolat and pain aux raisins. The French still call this whole family Viennoiseries, after the city of Vienna where they came from.

By 1875, the croissant had firmly established itself as part of the French continental breakfast. Today it’s very rare to find one at a café after 10 a.m., since no self-respecting French person would dare order one past that hour.

Excellent croissants in Paris

Just like with the baguette, it’s hard to go wrong with a croissant: almost any fresh one from a bakery will taste like heaven. Still, some pâtisseries are good, and some are simply outstanding. If you’re a true fan of this buttery pastry, you probably won’t settle for anything less than the best.

Here’s a list of some of the pâtisseries that make the best croissants in Paris. The list isn’t ranked by quality, price or location. You’ll find famous names here, and some that are fairly anonymous. What they all have in common is, of course, the quality.

Maison d’Isabelle

Address: 47 ter Boulevard Saint-Germain

This pâtisserie won the award for best croissant of 2018. They use flour and butter without preservatives or additives, and that might be part of their magic.

Francophiles who’ve visited tell me the croissant here is especially buttery, crisp on the outside and soft inside. In short: perfect.

Pierre Hermé

Address: 72 Rue Bonaparte (there are a few other branches, but this is the legendary address).

Pierre Hermé is famous for his legendary macarons, but that doesn’t mean his croissants are any less impressive. At Pierre Hermé you’ll find several varieties beyond the classic buttery croissant, like the Ispahan croissant with wild berries. These aren’t just croissants, they’re mega croissants!

Boulangerie Alexine

Address: 40 rue Lepic

This is an unpretentious boulangerie on Rue Lepic, one of the most delicious streets in the 18th arrondissement (along with nearby Rue des Abbesses). The place won the award for best baguette in Paris in 2016. It’s not just the croissants that are excellent here, every other pastry you buy will be delicious too. And despite the high quality, the croissants here aren’t particularly expensive.

Blé sucré

Address: 7 Rue Antoine Vollon

From a fairly anonymous pâtisserie, let’s move back to a well-known one (I’d even call it the “celebrity” of pâtisseries). Blé Sucré’s croissant has earned plenty of praise and awards over the years. The owners have since changed, and some connoisseurs will tell you the croissant isn’t quite what it used to be.

I don’t entirely agree with those picky eaters. The last time I had a croissant there, not that long ago, it was still delicious: crisp and buttery. If this is your first time in Paris and you’re looking for the “celebrity croissant” so you can say you’ve had an excellent one, this isn’t a bad option at all.

La boulangerie Jean-Noel Julien

Address: 1 Rue de Provence

This boulangerie is near the very popular hotel 34B and makes a great breakfast option if you don’t want to eat at the hotel. The place has won several awards, including best croissant in 2006. If you’ve made it this far, I highly recommend not stopping at the croissants and trying the other pastries too, since they’re all excellent.

Le Fournil de Mouffetard

Address: 123 rue Mouffetard

This recommendation came from a couple, Menashe and Ani Helman. Instead of writing about the place and its croissants myself, let me just quote Menashe:

The croissants and other pastries here have this simple, rustic smell and taste, and basically zero shelf life. I once managed to cross the street to the bus stop with half a croissant still in my hand, which was quite an achievement! Every other time, the pastry didn’t survive past the crosswalk.

Du Pain et des Idées

Address: 34 Rue Yves Toudic

A warm recommendation from Liat Lustig. In her words:

Wonderful croissants, flawlessly made… much crispier and lighter than, say, Blé Sucré.

Sébastien Gaudard, Pâtisserie des Martyrs

Address: 22 Rue des Martyrs

And for dessert (quite literally), let’s talk about Sébastien Gaudard’s pâtisserie on Rue des Martyrs in the 9th arrondissement, one of the most food-obsessed streets in Paris. The croissant here is wonderful, of course, but since you’ve made it this far, do yourself a favor and order the chausson aux poires too.

One last thought

There’s an old, bittersweet Israeli song about a cousin who ended up living a rough life in Paris, and its refrain always stuck with me: no matter how bad things get, in Paris a croissant is still a croissant. There’s something true in that. Even on your worst day in this city, breakfast won’t let you down.

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