If there’s one thing I take seriously in life, it’s bread. Growing up in Paris, I was used to having a cereal bread from the bakery with jam in the morning, a baguette with a chocolate bar in the afternoon. It’s a ritual. So when I travel, bread is what I miss the most. Italy or Spain can challenge us with charcuterie and cheese, but not the bread.
I want you to visit Paris like a local, get a flaky croissant for breakfast, and as I was born here, I’ve had my whole life to figure out where the good stuff is. So here are some bakeries I keep going back to, the ones I bring every single friend to when they visit. No sponsored picks, no hype for the sake of it. Just places that have earned a permanent spot in my routine.
Why trust a Parisian for your bakery list
If you don’t know me yet, let me reintroduce myself really quick. Coucou it’s Estelle! Born and raised in Paris, with Lebanese and Danish roots, I have a passion for food that pretty much dictates how I spend my free time.
I created @ellevousguide as a way to share the places I genuinely love, the kind of spots I’d bring my best friend to without hesitation. (I’ve mapped out over 40 of my favorite boulangeries on my Bakery Map so you can explore them on the go.) But here is a nice start:
1. Plein Cœur, the best bakery in Paris
Every Parisian will tell you the same thing: Plein Cœur is on another level. And it makes complete sense once you know who’s behind it: Maxime Frédéric, voted best pastry chef in the world 2025 (by The World’s 50 Best Restaurants). This man can do everything. His pastries are obviously unmissable. But don’t sleep on the viennoiseries either: the croissant, the pain au chocolat, the pain suisse. All exceptional. The bread is homemade. He also makes incredible chocolates.
What I love most is the story behind it. Maxime works with his sister, who runs a farm in Normandy where they grew up. The eggs come from there. The hazelnuts too.
Yes, it’s slightly more expensive than your average boulangerie. But honestly? 100% worth it.
📍 64 Rue des Batignolles, 75017 Paris
2. Du Pain et des Idées, French classic
A classic of the 10th arrondissement. They do it well, and it’s good, as simple as that. When you walk in, don’t forget to look up: the painted glass ceiling dates back to the 19th century and it’s genuinely beautiful.
Their bestseller is the escargot pistache-chocolat. A spiral viennoiserie that crumbles in the most satisfying way. I’ve taken pretty much every friend who’s visited Paris there. I’ll be honest: over the last few years it’s gotten quite touristy, which can feel a bit different from before. But the quality hasn’t dropped, and they have a few benches outside where you can sit and eat your viennoiserie on the spot, which is very handy.
One thing to know: they’re closed on weekends. So plan your visit on a weekday morning, go early, and pair it with a coffee from one of the nearby Canal Saint-Martin cafés.
📍 34 rue Yves Toudic, 75010 Paris
3. Rouge & Blanc, the exciting new address near the Eiffel Tower
This one just opened a month ago, and I’m already a fan. It’s on Rue du Commerce, a lovely local street in the 15th that most tourists don’t know about, where Parisians actually go to do their shopping. The perfect neighborhood for a bakery like this.
What makes Rouge & Blanc special is who’s behind it: two young pastry chefs, 24 and 25 years old, who’ve already worked for some of the biggest names in French gastronomy, including Cédric Grolet. Their creations are genuinely impressive, and I had an immediate crush on the jambon-fromage baguette sandwich. For me, it’s the best in Paris right now.
This is a bakery with a lot of potential. I genuinely think it’s going to be talked about a lot in the coming months. And if you’re planning a visit to the Eiffel Tower, it’s a perfect spot for breakfast beforehand or a quick lunch nearby because in that neighborhood, good options are rare and tourist traps are everywhere.
📍 Rue du Commerce, 75015 Paris
4. Poilâne, one of the oldest bakeries in Paris
One of the oldest bakeries in Paris, founded in 1932. This is the boulangerie they take you to visit on school trips when you’re 5 or 6 years old, and I still remember it. Walking in feels like stepping back in time, they still use a wood-fired oven, which gives the bread a depth of flavor you just can’t replicate otherwise.
Their star product is the miche, a massive sourdough loaf with a robust crust and a slightly tangy crumb. It’s the bread I eat on my tartines in the morning. And their shortbread cookies (les punitions) are my personal weakness, dangerously addictive.
One thing to be clear about: this is not a viennoiserie destination. Don’t go to Poilâne for a croissant. Go for the bread, and leave with a loaf under your arm.
📍 8 rue du Cherche-Midi, 75006 Paris (+ other locations in the 3rd, 15th, and 19th)
5. Chambelland, the best gluten-free bakery in Paris
I always include Chambelland, and here’s why. Last year, I had to cut gluten out of my diet for two months. It was a nightmare, very few real options, and everything else always came with traces of flour anyway. Someone recommended Chambelland, and it completely changed the experience. And it works for caeliac diseases!
This is not a sad compromise bakery where everything tastes like cardboard. The bread has a proper crust. The seasonal tartlets are delicate. They even have chouquettes. They work with rice flour from Camargue and other alternative flours, and the results are genuinely impressive. It also works well for celiacs.
They have two addresses in Paris. The one in the 17th has a large space with tables inside, which is super practical if you want to sit down and eat on the spot.
📍 14 rue Ternaux, 75011 Paris (+ location in the 17th)
6. Mamiche, the most popular
Without a doubt the most well-known, and most touristy, bakery in Paris right now. Some people will tell you it has the best croissants in the city. They’re good, but honestly? Not mind-blowing for me. Where Mamiche really shines is as a neighborhood bakery: everything is 100% homemade, carefully sourced, made in small batches by Cécile and Victoria, two friends who left the startup world to get their hands in the dough (literally, I love this).
Their specialty that I’ll actually rave about: the choux à la vanille. Divine. The babka has also become a cult item across Paris, and I completely understand why.
One warning though: the queue is always long. And as a true Parisian, I’ll be honest, I rarely go, because I’m simply not going to wait in line for a croissant. Get there when they open, or be patient.
📍 45 rue Condorcet, 75009 Paris / 32 rue du Château-d’Eau, 75010 Paris
A few things I need to tell you before you visit a Parisian boulangerie
Croissants and pains au chocolat are a breakfast thing, you eat them in the morning, not after 11am. Which means you need to go early, because by mid-morning, the best stuff is gone.
It’s completely fine to ask for your baguette “bien cuite” (well baked) if you like it golden and crispy. Bakers hear this all the time. And always ask for a baguette tradition over a regular baguette, the taste is noticeably better, trust me on this.
Also keep in mind that many boulangeries are closed on Sundays, or run low by Sunday afternoon. Plan accordingly.
Explore all my favorites
These six bakeries are some of my all-time favorites, but they’re just the beginning. I’ve mapped out over 40 boulangeries across every arrondissement in my Bakery Map, from hidden local gems to the addresses that always make the cut. If you’re planning a trip to Paris, pair it with my Paris Guide eBook for a full overview of where to eat, stay, and explore like a true Parisian.
And if you want to see these places in action, come find me on Instagram, TikTok & YouTube @ellevousguide. I share new spots and authentic reviews every week.
Enjoy!