Croque-monsieur is the Parisian counter sandwich: brioche or pain de mie, jambon de Paris, Gruyère and béchamel, grilled until the cheese on top is bubbling and gold.
The dish first appears on a Paris cafe menu in 1910, at a Boulevard des Capucines establishment whose proprietor put grilled ham-and-cheese sandwiches on the carte to feed the lunchtime crowd. The béchamel-topped form, distinct from a simple grilled sandwich, was codified by 1925. Le Café de Flore and Les Deux Magots in Saint-Germain serve €18 versions that have not changed shape in fifty years. The home version is forgiving: any decent jambon, any decent Gruyère, a 5-minute béchamel, three minutes under a hot grill. Add a fried egg on top and it becomes a croque-madame.
4 editor picks for Croque-monsieur in Paris, ranked by editorial score. All Paris signature dishes · Croque-monsieur across every city.
Telescope ★ 4.4
5 Rue Villedo, 75001 Paris
Telescope in Paris was one of the first third-wave coffee bars in the 1er, opened by Nicolas Clerc in 2012. A tiny room, sharp espresso, no laptops at peak hours.
Le Petit Vendôme ★ 4.2
2e · 8 Rue des Capucines, 75002 Paris
Le Petit Vendôme in Paris's 2e makes the city's most-cited jambon-beurre and feeds the Place Vendôme jeweller staff at lunch from 11:30 every weekday.
Café de Flore ★ 4.0
172 Boulevard Saint-Germain, 75006 Paris
Café de Flore in Paris is the Saint-Germain literary cafe Sartre and de Beauvoir made famous. The cafe crème still arrives on a silver tray at the same tables.
Le Petit Cler ★ 3.9
7e · 29 Rue Cler, 75007 Paris
Le Petit Cler in Paris sits on Rue Cler, the embassy market street, and runs an all-day bistro carte of croque-monsieur, steak frites and Lyonnais salads.