Perhaps one of the most famous French pastries is the croissant, but this beloved flaky wonder isn’t actually considered a pastry at all, by the French! Instead, it’s part of a category known as viennoiseries (named after Vienna – the city where the very first proto-croissant was born). These “pastries” are less sweet than the French desserts like éclairs and tartes that more frequently sport the name pâtisserie. Whereas pâtisseries are eaten at the end of a meal, viennoiseries actually make the perfect special occasion breakfast!
To get to know even more about this unique category of French baked goods, here are some of our faves in the city.
1. Top Pain au Chocolat – Blé Sucré
What Anglophones know as a “chocolate croissant” is dubbed either a pain au chocolat or a chocolatine in France. The one from Blé Sucré is unparalleled in its flakiness!
Blé Sucré – 7 Rue Antoine Vollon, 75012
2. Top Croissant aux Amandes – Vandermeersch
The almond croissant at Vandermeersch boasts the best ratio of flaky pastry and sweet almond filling we’ve found anywhere. Add to this that the bakery is co-owned by macaron master Pierre Hermé, and it’s no surprise that the details are spot-on.
Vandermeersch – 278 Avenue Daumesnil, 75012
3. Top Escargot – Du Pain et Des Idées
An escargot, in this case, doesn’t refer to a snail stuffed in butter, but rather to the viennoiserie more often sold as a pain aux raisins. The most traditional version of this baked good is made by spreading pastry cream over the same dough used to make a croissant, scattering it with rum soaked raisins, and rolling it up so that snail shell-shaped pastries can be cut. But Du Pain et Des Idées takes it a step further, with flavors like chocolate-pistachio, nougat, or even berry-cream cheese. The pastry itself is a dream – rich, buttery, and flaky. You can’t go wrong, here!
Du Pain et des Idées – 34 Rue Yves Toudic, 75010
4. Top Chausson aux Pommes – Poilâne
Directly translated as an “apple slipper,” a chausson aux pommes is a puff pastry filled with an apple surprise. This master of the miche country-style loaf makes his chaussons a bit differently than most, with whole chunks of apple in place of the apple compote that’s usually used.
Poilâne – 8 Rue du Cherche-Midi, 75006
5. Top Croissant au beurre – Cyril Lignac
You wouldn’t think it, in Paris, but some croissants are actually made with margarine! Of course, that’s not the case for Cyril Lignac’s butter croissant or croissant au beurre: in fact, you can really taste the exquisite butter when you bite into this rich, flaky pastry. Get it while it’s hot, and this croissant will literally melt in your mouth.
La Pâtisserie Cyril Lignac – 24 Rue Paul Bert, 75011
What’s your favorite viennoiserie in Paris? Share with us in the comments or on Facebook!