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Paris is a dream destination for anyone with a sweet tooth. From flaky pain au chocolat and buttery croissants to flavorful macarons and airy meringues, there are so many delicious treats to try, and here are the best bakeries in Paris to find them.
One thing you cannot miss while visiting Paris is trying a bunch of decadent, delicious treats. Even if you aren’t normally a sweet tooth, you don’t need to dive into a cup of hot chocolate, but to do Paris right, you need to try a few things.
Luckily, adding “pastry-tasting” to your Paris itinerary is not too hard, as the city is packed with incredible bakeries and pastry shops around every corner.
In fact, you want to visit these spots, as French bakeries are some of the best places to eat in Paris on a budget.
Whether it is for a classic breakfast of pain au chocolat and cappuccino, a sandwich for lunch, or simply a sweet treat, visiting French bakeries is as essential as seeing the Eiffel Tower.
And here are the best bakeries in Paris you need to try, all for different reasons, and all spread out throughout the city, so you’re never left without a sweet little something.
Best Bakeries and Dessert Shops in Paris to Try
Mamiche: Locally-loved bakery near Montmartre
I’ve always heard great things about Mamiche, and after visiting this locally-loved bakery in Montmartre, I understand why.
Known as a “boulangerie de quartier“ (neighborhood bakery), you’ll almost always find locals waiting in line, whether it’s to pick up their morning bag of croissants, a sandwich for lunch, or a loaf of their popular sourdough.
And as a tourist, you know it’s always a good sign if locals line up for something, especially in Paris.
There are so many tasty-looking treats here. I wanted to change it up a bit, so instead of my typical pain au chocolat, I got a Viennoise au chocolat, and it was so good! Fluffy, and not too sweet.
If you’re in Montmartre and want a quick, affordable lunch option, their sandwiches also look amazing! I’ll definitely try those next time I’m in Paris.
The bakery is small, with no place to stay, but being located in the beautiful Montmartre, you can always walk around and find a bench to enjoy your bakery treat with a view.
Leonie Bakery: Best bakery for cinnamon rolls
Another great Paris bakery worth trying is Leonie Bakery. They have a few locations around the city, but the one I visited was the one in Montmartre.
This artisan bakery offers all the French classics: buttery croissants, flaky pain au chocolat, savory quiches, sandwiches, and more.
While visiting Leonie, I was in the mood to try something slightly different, and their cinnamon roll looked too good to pass upâand I was right, it was delicious! Perfectly dense, sweet, and not too dry.
So I’d highly recommend getting this if, like me, you love cinnamon rolls.
Most of their locations have seating space, so this is the perfect spot to slow down for a bit. Grab a sweet little something (or savoury), a coffee, and enjoy the view from their French cafe tables.
French Bastards: Best bakery for convenience
One of the best Paris bakeries to have on your radar for when you want a little something and don’t know where to go is French Bastards.
With various locations throughout the city, you’ll always find one of these close to you.
As the name suggests, this is a modern, fun bakery that doesn’t take itself too seriously and likes to play around with its craft, leaving behind the rules of traditional French bakery.
At this contemporary Paris bakery, you’ll find all the French classics, plus unique treats such as the “cruffin”, cookie roll, basque cheesecake, unique bagels, and sandwiches.
We had a location a block away from our apartment while living in Paris for almost three months, so this became our go-to spot for our morning pain au chocolat or croissants.
Aux Merveilleux de Fred: Best bakery for meringues
One of the best dessert shops in Paris to visit is the popular Aux Merveilluex de Fred, to try their signature “Merveilleux“, a decadent meringue cake filled with whipped cream.
While this pastry shop is originally from the north of France, you’ll still catch Parisians lining up to get boxes of their sweet treats. So you know it’s locally-approved.
I visited this dessert shop before to try their chocolate chip brioche, which they are also known for, and loved it!
But it wasn’t until I took a Paris food tour of French classics that they brought us here to try the merveilleux, and now I’m hooked.
The airy meringue cakes come in different flavors, and they all look so good that it’s seriously hard to choose. I tried the dark chocolate one, and it was delicious!
Maison Louvard: Best bakery for a croissant with a twist
While spending almost three months in Paris, and having more croissants than I can count, I was looking for a more unique pastry to try, and that’s when I heard about the Crookie: part croissant, part chocolate chip cookie.
I needed to investigate further.
After researching and finding a few Paris bakeries selling it, I pinned down the original bakery that created this concoction: Maison Louvard.
I made my way to Maison Louvard, I paid the âŹ6.9 (much more than a classic croissant), and while being a bit skeptical about it, I bit into it, and wowâit’s as good as it looks!
As someone who generally loves chocolate chip cookies and cookie dough, this is the perfect combination.
And while I wouldn’t necessarily have this for breakfast every day, as it is obviously quite sweet, it’s such a decadent treat for when you have a sweet craving.
Ladurée: Best pastry shop for macarons
One thing that can’t be missed on your Paris bucket list is trying the iconic French macarons, and the best place to try them is, without a doubt, LadurĂ©e.
I’ve tried different macaron brands across my many trips to Paris, but I always come back to LadurĂ©e. In my eyes, there’s simply no competition.
Their macarons are packed with flavor, the consistency is perfect, and the boxes are just so cute! They make a perfect souvenir.
The brand is iconic for a reason, and honestly, just visiting a shop, even if it’s to buy a single macaron for âŹ2.5, feels like such a luxurious little treatâit’s a must!
My favorite flavors of all time from here are raspberry, pistachio, salted caramel, and rose, but they have so many others to choose from.
Popelini: Best pastry shop for unique cream puffs
One of the best dessert shops in Paris to visit for delicious cream puffs is the adorable Popelini.
You’ll find a few locations around Paris, and honestly, I came across one only because I was curious about its cute design, only to look inside and find even cuter little pastries.
Specializing in cream puffs, at Popelini, you’ll find choux pastry filled with all types of flavors. From classics like pistachio, vanilla, and salted caramel, to more unique combinations like passionfruit, gianduja nougat, and orange blossom.
There are so many flavors to try, whether you like the classics or have a more adventurous palate.
So make sure to stop here and get a box of cream puffs for your next picnic at a park, for peak Parisian vibes!
Carette: Best pastry shop for hot chocolate
A spot that can’t be missed when talking about the best dessert shops in Paris is the iconic Carette, a historic tea and pastry shop in the French capital.
Famously known for its decadent, silky hot chocolates topped with a mountain of whipped cream, Carette is a must-stop if visiting Paris during the winter months.
And if you’re not visiting in peak hot-chocolate-drinking months, Carette offers plenty of sweet treats, from little pastries, macarons, and flaky croissants, that you can enjoy year-round.
There are a few locations around Paris, but your best option is to visit the one in Le Marais to avoid crazy lines like in the Trocadero location.
Le Lautrec Paris: Best pastry shop for chocolate
Another pastry shop I discovered thanks to a Paris food tour I took is Le Lautrec, a boutique chocolatier in Le Marais.
At Lautrec, you can find so many kinds of delicious chocolates, as well as chocolate products, like cookies, chocolate-covered nuts, chocolate spreads, and more.
With our food tour, we tried some incredible melt-in-your-mouth chocolates, as well as a macaron. I still prefer Ladurée for macarons, but the chocolate was amazing!
I particularly loved their milk chocolate with salted caramel, even though I’m normally more of a dark chocolate girl, but their milk chocolate wasn’t overpoweringly sweet, as others tend to be.
La Maison d’Isabelle: Best bakery for croissants
After eating countless croissants while in Paris, at one point, I decided I wanted to try something special, an award-winning croissant. After some research, I found La Maison d’Isabelle in the Latin Quarter.
After arriving at the bakery at midday, I could instantly tell that this place is loved by locas, with Parisians lining up to get their daily bread.
La Maison d’Isabelle won the award for the best croissant in Paris in 2018, but I’m here to report that the croissants are still incredible today.
First of all, the croissants are massive, especially if compared to other highly-acclaimed bakeriesâI’m looking at you, Du Pain et Des IdĂ©esâdelicious, not overly buttery, and at a normal, affordable price.
I can see the appeal. If I lived in this neighborhood, I would definitely be a regular at this bakery, as this was hands-down the best croissant I had in Paris.
Final thoughts on the best bakeries in Paris
There are never-ending options when looking for Paris bakeries to try. Even a random neighborhood corner bakery has incredible croissants, bread, and pastries.
I loved the little family-run ones we visited around our neighborhood in Ternes.
But if you’re traveling to Paris, it’s always good to have a list of places to try, to start somewhere, while you find your own favorite spots as you explore the city.
From the perfect croissants to the unique “crookie”, fluffy chocolate chip brioche, and airy merengues, these are some of the best bakeries and dessert shops in Paris that you should add to your itinerary for the ultimate foodie trip.
Which one of these are you most looking forward to trying? Let us know in the comments.