The best French pastries in Paris

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Paris is a fabulous city. It’s actually my favorite city, and not just because of the French pastries. People seem to be somewhat divided in whether they love or hate Paris. For me though, it’s my go to place when I’m visiting Europe, even if I only have a couple of nights there. I can go back over and over again and still not get bored. I will always find something new to do there.

Having been enough times now I don’t even need to do the big touristy sites anymore. I don’t need to climb the Eiffel Tower, or visit the Louvre. Instead I will happily sit in the park with a book or walk the streets of Montmartre to check out the street art. But above all, the thing I love the most is the pâtisseries. The most amazingly exquisite, decadent cakes and pastries that you’ve ever seen. I’m always on the search for the best patisserie in Paris.

Don’t limit your search for the best French pastries in Paris

Paris has some well known pâtisseries. Ladurée is celebrated for it’s pretty, light-as-air macarons. With numerous locations around the city, people line up for a taste of arguably one of the most famous desserts in France. We even have a location here in Vancouver. Definitely go for a visit, but don’t discount the smaller, independent pâtisseries and boulangeries. They have many delicious looking options, and probably for a fraction of the cost.

Keep an eye out for small hole-in-the-wall places down back streets and hidden away from the main tourist areas. I usually find these to be the most authentic and delectable places to find something to ear. That being said I also have my own favorite pâtisserie that I inevitably walk out of my way for, no matter where I’m staying in the city.

Gosselin boulangerie pâtisserie, is close to the Louvre and I frequented their shop a lot when I stayed around that area once. Now I always have to visit at least once when I’m in Paris. OK, who am I kidding. I’m there every day.

Parisian French pastries checklist

You might need longer than a couple of days, or more than one visit to be able to fully sample every type of cake and pastry there is in Paris. Unless you’re happy being constantly full, or on a permanent sugar rush. Hey, I’m not judging – it’s your vacation!

But here are some of my must try pastries. Where you find them is up to you, I’m sure you’ll pass somewhere amazing no matter where in the city you are. And if you need help eating them, you know who to come to.

Éclair

Choux pastry is light and delicious in any form, but fill it with chocolate or custard and cover it with chocolate, and you’ll be in pastry heaven. In the UK éclairs are typically filled with cream, but in Paris they are often filled with a thicker chocolate ganache.

I also happily discovered that the French have dozens of flavors of éclair, not just chocolate. Now every time I get one, I try a new flavor. Raspberry, pistachio, passion fruit, hazelnut. The list goes on.

Chouquettes

These fun little bites of choux pastry are so light and airy that they shouldn’t even count towards your daily calories. They are my ultimate favorite French pastries to snack on. I recently discovered a bakery in Vancouver that makes them and now I’m the happiest person ever. Before that, I’d never seen them outside of France.

The pastry is so thin and light that they deflate as you eat them. Glazed and sprinkled with crystallized sugar, they are so simple but so good. They don’t travel well though so don’t let them go to waste.

Meringue

Egg whites and sugar. It shouldn’t be something that people drool over, but here we are. Deliciously French, these are sought after treats. Add in a little coloring or flavor and you’ve got an epic window display that will draw in even someone who’s just eaten their way around Paris…believe me. I feel like most bakeries are in a competition to make the biggest meringues known to man. I’ve seen them as big as my head.

But recently on my trip to Paris I found a tiny little pâtisserie in Montmartre (Aux Delices de Moulin) that sold smaller meringues. They came in three flavors: chocolate, vanilla and pistachio. With flaked almonds on top and just a little crunchy on the outside, they were still slightly chewy middle. Perfection.

The same bakery also had a passion fruit tart topped with a meringue. Now that’s an unbeatable combination.

Macarons

Sure we started off talking about them, but I wanted to showcase other delicacies before I returned to discuss the marvelous macaron. If you eat one and you can’t eat another, then you’re eating the wrong ones. They should not be dense in any way. If you have a meringue and mix it with almond flour, you’ll be close to the flavor and texture of a macaron.

The flavors also seem to be limitless, and with hundreds of colors too displays of macarons are one of the most Instagram-able treats there is.

Crêpes

Crêpes couldn’t be more versatile. One simple recipe and you can literally put whatever you want inside. Fold them up and you’re ready to go.

Sweet or savory, there are endless possibilities. But when it comes to crêpes I like to keep it simple. A little bit of lemon juice and sugar. Crêpes are everywhere in Paris. A lot of cafes have a stall just outside for people looking for a crêpe on the go. There are hole in the wall crêperies, and you can even sit down and eat one at a restaurant or cafe with a nice cold beer or a coffee.

Tartes

You think a lot of effort must go into making an eclair or a macaron, but I don’t think that’s anything compared to some of these tarts. Usually an open face pastry shell filled with a custard or cream and topped with fruit. They are so perfectly constructed and the fruit is glazed to highlight the most perfect strawberries, peaches, or whatever fruits the tart contains.

Is there any more beautiful dessert than a tarte aux pommes. You can add raspberries or strawberries to any dessert and it instantly seems to look classier, with a bold pop of color. But the humble apple can also be the star of the show with this dessert.The apples are sliced so ridiculously thinly and arranged in layers to create a wonderfully decadent tart that I can’t help but admire.

Madeleines and Financiers

Cakes don’t seem to be unpopular but are not the first thing you think of when you think of French desserts. I was lucky enough when I was there a couple years ago to be able to stay at the Hôtel Le Royal Monceau Raffles Paris, just down the street from the Arc de Triomphe. They had a lovely welcome gift to start my trip off right.

A plate of Financiers. There were some oranges too, you know in case you want the healthy option. I know, who are they kidding. I just want the pastries. Made with almond flour, they were soft and delicious with nuts and a maple flavor.

Chocolate

I love chocolate. It’s the one thing I don’t think I could do without. Wherever I go I try local chocolate, especially in Europe. I had the most amazing time in Belgium while I was there and had to discard clothes to fit the chocolates in (worth it). But Paris has some wonderful chocolate shops too.

My favorite has to be Maison Georges Larnicol. They have a few locations around Paris, but the best one is probably in Montmartre. Right at the bottom of the Sacre-Coeur there is a street that runs down towards the lower end of Montmartre. The street is filled with tourist shops and cafes. But on the right hand side is this wonderful chocolate shop.

I was transfixed on the chocolate sculptures from the first time I saw them. Chocolate versions of Paris’s most famous monuments: the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe and Notre-Dame de Paris. It’s easy to get carried away as you fill a bag with chocolates, eventually paying your life savings because you underestimated how much you had until they weighed them. It’s worth it. Trust me. I stock up every time I go.

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Looking for more Paris activities? Check out: Free activity in Paris – Street art in Montmartre

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Wear stretchy pants on your pastry tour of Paris

You’re only in the City of Light once right? Well, probably not if you like the food. You’ll keep finding excuses to come back to Paris like me. But there are so many different French pastries to try that you might need more than one trip to try them all.

Whatever your sweet tooth craves, you’ll probably find it here. Every second store seems to be a pâtisserie, a boulangerie, or a creperie. The croissant and pain au chocolat should definitely be tried while you’re there, but make sure to try some of the other baked goods too.

Until you’re next trip I will only apologize as I leave you with this:

If you have enjoyed this post please share using the social media buttons below or leave a comment. What are your favorite French pastries? What do you look forward to trying on your next trip?