The Parisian croissant is a laminated butter pastry, hand-rolled into a crescent, proofed slowly and baked to a deep amber shell with honeycomb crumb. Eaten warm with a noisette in the morning.
Croissants arrived in Paris from Vienna in the 19th century, via the city's Austrian-bakery wave that brought the kipferl shape to French laminated-dough technique. The modern butter-laminated form was canonised by Parisian boulangers in the 1920s. The annual concours de la meilleure baguette tradition pushed quality across the city's 1,500-plus boulangeries; the croissant followed. Du Pain et des Idées in the 10e plates a Sunday-only croissant; Poilâne sells a copper-coloured version from its Cherche-Midi shop opened 1932; modern bakeries like Mamiche and Boulangerie BO run weekday croissants that sell out by 11:00.
5 editor picks for Croissant in Paris, ranked by editorial score. All Paris signature dishes · Croissant across every city.
Du Pain et des Idées ★ 4.8
34 Rue Yves Toudic, 75010 Paris
Christophe Vasseur's Du Pain et des Idées in Paris's 10e remains the boulangerie every other counter measures itself against. At 34 Rue Yves Toudic.
Poilâne ★ 4.7
8 Rue du Cherche-Midi, 75006 Paris
Poilâne in Paris has baked a signature sourdough miche from a wood-fired oven on Rue du Cherche-Midi since 1932. Booking recommended. Reservations advised.
Mamiche ★ 4.5
45 Rue Condorcet, 75009 Paris
Mamiche in Paris's 9e is the Cécile Khayat and Victoria Effantin counter that brought New York-Israeli babka to Pigalle. Open tue-sat 07:30-20:00.
Boulangerie BO ★ 4.4
85 bis Rue de Charenton, 75012 Paris
Boulangerie BO in Paris's 12e is Olivier Haustraete's listed-monument boulangerie by Marché d'Aligre, baking organic baguette tradition and Tokyo-honed.
Stohrer ★ 4.4
51 Rue Montorgueil, 75002 Paris
Stohrer in Paris is the city's oldest patisserie, founded in 1730 by Nicolas Stohrer who served Marie Leszczyńska at Versailles. Open daily 07:30-20:30.