Paris has a plethora of interesting things to do, see, and eat. From the architecture to the performing arts, the French capital city has a lot to offer. To get the complete Parisian experience, one must not skip on the French capital’s delectable pastries from a local boulangerie or pastry shop. Pastry-making is something that Paris excels in, far beyond many other places. I’ve been to 23 different countries, and nowhere do people take their dessert-making as seriously as they do in Paris!
Patisserie is the French word for a pastry shop. It also means pastry-making. There are lots of classic French pastries to try, but my favorite ones are: chocolate éclair, macaron, mille feuille, religieuse, paris-brest, and tarte citron.
Here are the best patisseries in Paris that every traveler to France should visit for an éclair or two or three or four!
Cyril Lignac
Cyril Lignac is a French chef and television personality known for his creative pastry expertise and contributions to French gastronomy. Born on November 5, 1977, in Rodez, France, he gained prominence through television shows like Le Meilleur Pâtissier (2012), a French adaptation of The Great British Bake Off, and Tous en Cuisine, where he led live cooking lessons. There are five locations in Paris.
133 Rue de Sèvres, 75006 Paris, France
2 Rue de Chaillot, 75116 Paris, France
9 Rue Bayen, 75017 Paris, France
24 Rue Paul Bert, 75011 Paris, France
55 Boulevard Pasteur, 75015 Paris, France
Stohrer
The oldest patisserie in Paris is Stohrer. Nicolas Stohrer, King Louis XV’s personal pastry chef, opened it in the year 1730. It became home to authentic French pastries, and its brand has been persevered for centuries. The historic shop is centrally located on a famous French market street. Inside, you’ll feel like you’ve stepped back in time.
51 Rue Montorgueil, 75002 Paris, France
Angelina
Angelina was established as a tea room in 1903 on Rue de Rivoli by confectioner Anton Rumpelmayer and his son. It became a go-to for elite locals. Now, foreigners and Parisians alike are queuing to enjoy the famed Mont-Blanc pastry and L’Africain hot chocolate in the belle-époque atmosphere. While it’s not an official pastry shop, it’s a great place to enjoy one!
226 Rue de Rivoli, 75001 Paris, France
Pierre Hermé
Pierre Hermé is a seasoned chocolatier and pastry chef who started his career at the ripe age of 14. Pierre Hermé makes my favorite macarons in all of Paris. He has a core collection of about a dozen flavors that never change (Ispahan, vanilla, pistachio), and in addition, he launches seasonal macaron flavors every 3 months or so.
Pierre Hermé is one of the most influential patisserie figures in all of France, with more than a dozen shops located in the best areas of Paris.
86Champs – L’Occitane x Pierre Hermé is a stunning pastry bar and concept store to visit while you’re in Paris! The Pierre Hermé Café in Beaupassage is a café-restaurant spot to enjoy a luxury pastry by Pierre Hermé while sitting down in the comfort of a booth. Most Pierre Hermé boutiques are simple takeaway shops, but those two locations provide more of an experience to truly savor Pierre Hermé pastries in an elegant atmosphere.
72 Rue Bonaparte, 75006 Paris, France
4 Rue Cambon, 75001 Paris, France
39 Avenue de l’Opéra, 75002 Paris, France
18 Rue Sainte-Croix de la Bretonnerie, 75004 Paris, France
3 Rue Jean du Bellay, 75004 Paris, France
Pâtisserie Michalak
Pâtisserie Michalak is a pastry shop I discovered wandering through the Saint-Germain-des Prés neighborhood. A pastry shaped like a to-go cappuccino cup caught my eye and I knew I had to try it! Managed by the French couple Christophe and Delphine Michalak, the duo launched their boutique in 2015.
8 Rue du Vieux Colombier, 75006 Paris, France
Yann Couvreur
Known for his sweet and savory specialties, Yann Couvreur formulated one of the most iconic pastry desserts in present-day France the vanilla millefeuille. Go to one of his stores in Paris or inside Galeries Lafayette Le Gourmet to enjoy his signature pastry.
23bis Rue des Rosiers, 75004 Paris, France
137 Ave Parmentier, 75010 Paris, France
25 Rue Legendre, 75017 Paris, France
149 Rue St Charles, 75015 Paris, France
Carette
In 1927, Jean Carette founded the cult favorite macaron and tea café Carette on Place du Trocadéro, which rapidly became the top meeting spot for fashionable Parisians. The original location is still in use, and the patisserie has expanded to a pastry shop on Place de Tertre and a shop and café terrace in Place de Vosges. While some say it’s too touristy, a visit to Carette is on the to-do list of many visitors to Paris.
4 Place du Trocadéro et du 11 Novembre, 75016 Paris, France
25 Place des Vosges, 75003 Paris, France
A. Lacroix Pâtissier
A. Lacroix Pâtissier is a local bakery that specializes in French pastries. The bakery is owned and operated by Alain Lacroix, a French-born pastry chef with over 25 years of experience. Lacroix’s culinary training began at the Cordon Bleu in Paris, and he has since worked at some of the finest restaurants in France, Switzerland, and the United States.
Besides traditional French pastries like éclairs and croissants, the Lacroix bakery makes seasonal specialties such as the Galette des Rois and peppermint pastries. For elegant desserts or simple treats, A. Lacroix Pâtissier has something for everyone.
11 Quai de Montebello, 75005 Paris, France
Aux Merveilleux de Fred
Le Merveilleux by Frédéric Vaucamps specializes in puff pastries, a light and fluffy French sweet. The pastry is airy but you’ll love its tastiness. They have locations across the city, but their most popular store is in the lower Marais neighborhood.
24 Rue du Pont Louis-Philippe, 75004 Paris, France
Odette
Odette Paris is recognized for cream puffs carefully manufactured in their Paris laboratory. The cream puffs were first designed in the little kitchen of the first store near Notre Dame.
77 Rue Galande, 75005 Paris, France
Ritz Le Comptoir
Ritz Le Comptoir is an upscale pastry shop with a few seats where you can enjoy a luxury French pastry near the iconic hotel.
38 Rue Cambon, 75001 Paris, France
Fou de Pâtisserie
Fou de Pâtisserie is one of the best pastry shops on a busy market street.
45 Rue Montorgueil, 75002 Paris, France
L’Éclair de Génie
Some patisseries choose to focus on one pastry and do it really well. The only thing sold at Chef Christophe Adam’s specialized store is éclairs. These luxury éclairs come in a handful of yummy flavors like lemon or strawberry. L’éclair de Génie has a main location in the lower Marais but they also have a stand inside the Galeries Lafayette Le Gourmet store.
14 Rue Pavée, 75004 Paris, France
Tapisserie
Tapisserie is a pastry shop located in the gastronomic neighborhood of Bastille in Paris. The Patisserie was opened by the owners of a very successful restaurant just steps away called Septime. Bertrand Grébaut and Théo Pourriat were inspired to open a pastry shop after customers at their restaurant kept asking for an extra maple syrup tart dessert to take home after their meal.
65 Rue de Charonne, 75011 Paris, France
16 Avenue de la Motte Picquet, 75007 Paris, France
Les Belles Envies
Les Belles Envies is a small but popular Paris pastry shop located on the popular French market street Rue Monge.
3 Rue Monge, 75005 Paris, France
Besties Bakery
Did you know that there’s a Parisian pastry shop selling American-style pastries in the center of Paris? Besties Bakery makes the most colorful, Instagrammable sweets you can imagine like pink-sprinkled donuts, cakes with layers of icing, and raspberry-topped cupcakes.
11 Rue Auber, 75009 Paris, France
Louvard
Louvard is an artisanal bakery-pastry shop that won the 6th best patisserie award in Île-de-France in 2022 and 2023.
11 Rue de Châteaudun, 75009 Paris, France
Cédric Grolet
Award-winning chef Cédric Grolet serves distinctive cakes paired with other inventive pastry dishes. On Rue de Castiglione, he offers the exemplary trompe-l’oeil sculpted fruit and freshly baked delights perfect for anyone who loves sweet French cuisine. You can buy Cédric Grolet pastries from his shop inside the upscale Le Meurice Hotel or at his boutique near Opéra.
35 Avenue de l’Opéra, 75002 Paris, France
Sébastien Gaudard
Inspired by 19th-century recipes, Sébastien Gaudard makes sensational sweets that take customers back to the past. Gaudard also makes chocolates, ice cream, and candy. It’s an all-around sweet tooth destination! Though the dishes have a lighter touch than their earliest versions, they are still sought after in central Rue des Pyramides, not far from the Louvre.
3 Rue des Pyramides, 75001 Paris, France
Philippe Conticini
With his experience in different cultures, Philippe Conticini has developed pastry dishes satisfying to the eyes and tongue. His creations are available at several shops across Paris.
37 Rue de Varenne, 75007 Paris, France
31 Rue Notre Dame de Nazareth, 75003 Paris, France
42 Rue de l’Annonciation, 75016 Paris, France
Des Gâteaux et du Pain
Des Gâteaux et du Pain was created by Claire Damon, whose signature is working with fruits and plants. The ingredients she gets for her pastry are from environmentally friendly manufacturers. Claire’s Paris patisseries can be found on the left bank of Paris.
89 Rue du Bac, 75007 Paris, France
63 Bd Pasteur, 75015 Paris, France
Hugo & Victor
Hugues Pouget, the creator of local favorite Hugo & Victor, refined his pastry-making skills in the south of France. He then spent years building his reputation in the city. Now, his Boulevard Raspail store is one of the best patisseries in Paris.
40 Bd Raspail, 75007 Paris, France
Pain de Sucre
Pain de Sucre, translated as Sugar Bread, has dishes that live up to its name. Based in rue Rambuteau, they sell appetizing sweets, such as macaroons, confectionery, and cakes. The design and styling of the pastries is also fun to see!
14 Rue Rambuteau, 75003 Paris, France
Bontemps
The tiny bakery Bontemps has an ambiance that makes every customer feel at home. The shop on bustling Rue de Bretagne in the Haut Marais has a more cozy and quirky design than many of the elegant patisseries that are currently popular in Paris.
57 Rue de Bretagne, 75003 Paris, France
Benoît Castel
Benoit Castel‘s entire product line is created from A to Z, with seasonal, uncluttered, concise, fresh, and pleasant variations. It maintains 3 shops on the east side of Paris.
150 Rue de Ménilmontant 75020 Paris
72 Rue Jean Pierre Timbaud 75011 Paris
11 Rue Sorbier 75020 Paris
Gilles Marchal
Gilles Marchal is an artisan whose mission is to “transport you to childhood” via his delectable pastries. Specializing in madeleines, Gilles Marchal grew up in the small Lorraine village of Laneuveville-aux-Bois. His grandmother worked on the family farm and his father made chocolate. He knew he wanted to be a pastry chef at the age of 15 and trained under the master pastry chef Claude Bourguignon. The shop is located in the heart of Montmartre in the 18th.
9 rue Ravignan, 75018 Paris, France
Carl Marletti
Sweets and pastries in a shop named after the proprietor, a well-known gourmet dessert chef. It is almost impossible to miss this renowned shop while walking down the street as there’s always a line outside!
51 Rue Censier, 75005 Paris, France
