Where to eat croissants in Paris, one of the great symbols of France

Who has been to Paris You know that more than finding the Eiffel Tower is the certainty of tasting a different croissant on every corner of the city. The classics Parisian boulangeries and cafes with their charming tables on the sidewalk are already trademarks as places to enjoy the delicacy that has conquered palates around the world.

Despite being one of the great symbols of France, its original recipe was not born in the country but it was there that gained its light and crunchy shape more than 200 years after its creation, by the hands of a French baker.

The history of the croissant

The history of the croissant began in 1683, in the city of Vienna, Austria, during what became known as “Battle of Vienna “.

Legend has it that in one of the Ottoman Empire's attempted invasion of the city, a group of bakers were responsible for noticing something wrong one morning. They, who had the habit of working during this period preparing the bread that came out fresh in the morning, would have heard suspicious underground noises and alerted the army about possible enemy excavations. The warning would have helped in the Austrian operation, later preventing the victory and advance of the Ottomans into European territory.

The story goes that at the end of the battle, as a celebration, Austrian bakers created a crescent-shaped bread – in reference to their rival's flag, which was made up of a crescent moon and a star. The name given was “kipferl”, which in German means “half-moon”. The name “Croissant”, which means “crescent”, came later, in France, where he became famous.

Arrival in France

Anyone who thinks that the croissant with this puff pastry that is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside has always existed is mistaken. “Kipferl” would have arrived on French soil with the Austrian princess Marie Antoinette, when she married the French king Louis XIV, in 1774. It had a heavier and dense dough, like a brioche, but in 1900 a French baker was the person responsible for improving the recipe, resulting in the croissant as it is known and revered today.

A chef Helena Mil-Homens , owner of the ST bakery chain. Chico, in São Paulo, explains that there is a bakery line called “Viennoiserie”, from Vienna, where the recipes for these breads rich in butter and sugar, such as brioche and milk bread, come from. “These sweetened breads are what unite pâtisserie and boulangerie in gastronomy. The croissant came from this line . Unlike what is found today, it was homemade bread,” he says.

She explains that the improved techniques came later, from the French, who had this great know how in a bakery and perfected the recipe, creating this puff pastry that is found today.

“In these doughs, controlling the fermentation temperature and the extreme amount of butter is very difficult, so they developed a technique to make them airier. O Croissant There is a recipe for brioche, but instead of beating the butter into the dough, you need to use it for the foliage. If you get a croissant in a paper bag and it doesn't contain the butter until you get it home, it's probably not good. “, he highlights.

“A good croissant needs to have perfect fermentation, with a crispy crust and a soft crumb. The foliage is the hardest part. You cannot speed up the fermentation process. The trick is that you know how to work this butter – rain or shine! It needs the perfect texture, without melting or breaking when working”, he adds.

She, who lived in Paris, says that the croissant is seen as a morning dish, just like grilled bread in Brazil, suggesting that If you want to find the best in France, they will be fresh in the morning on every corner you pass.

“Most people have the habit of taking the bag from a bakery and enjoying it on the street or in parks and squares. It is not seen as a shelf-stable snack, as it is here. The almond one, which is also widely found there, is generally made with the previous day's croissant. At ST. Chico also used this croissant made the day before for our sandwiches. A good croissant lasts around three days. It wilts, but if it is done well, due to the amount of butter used in the recipe, it becomes perfect again as soon as it is put in the oven” explains the chef, who sees around 150 units being sold every day in her bakery.

The chef Tássia Magalhães , from Nelita and Mag Market , known among so many delicacies for its impeccable croissants, reinforces the chorus of the importance of butter for executing a perfect technique of the French symbol. For her, a good croissant needs to be light, with a buttery flavor and crunchy on the outside. She says that it took almost a year to arrive at the formula that she considered ideal in Mag.

“We always think of croissants as two ingredients: butter and flour. So, they need to be very good so that it ferments well and becomes light. We tested flours, butters and fermentation times. The quantity of butter is very high, so if the quality is low, the croissant will suffer directly and become heavy, with a stronger taste or even without achieving the much-desired puffiness. This means that a good quality one needs to have a high fat content and not as much water as many have here in Brazil,” he explains.

Whether sitting in a Parisian café, calmly, watching the movement directly from the sidewalk, or taking your bag from a bakery and placing it under your arm along with a baguette, following the French custom, see where to find delicious (and warm) croissants in Paris.

Remember if: 'The best croissant is always the one that just came out.” In other words, get involved, try it out and make your own list, because there is no shortage of places in the city!

Check out where to eat croissants in Paris:

• Chez Meunier

Created in 2014, Maison Chez Meunier is a 100% French house and offers organic breads, sweets and various homemade cuisine items on its menu. Its flours are organic and its products are slow fermented, all made by hand, respecting the seasonality of the ingredients.

When it comes to croissants, the store has already won several local awards with its croissants, which are very crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. The traditional one with butter is the most successful, but the public can also find the one with almonds and the “pain au chocolate “, the famous French bread made with puff pastry and chocolate chips. The brand has more than 10 stores in Paris, in iconic spots in the city, such as Galeries Lafayette.

Chez Meunier Galeria Lafayette Gourmet: 35 Boulevard Haussmann 75009 Paris/Opening hours: Monday to Saturday, 9:30 am to 9:30 pm; on Sundays, from 11am to 8pm/Addresses of other stores can be found in this link.

• Philippe Conticini

Philippe Conticini is a French chef and pastry chef who was co-founder and pastry chef at Pâtisserie des Rêves. In 2018, he created the store that bears his own name together with his partner Yoav Peretz. The menu offers exotic desserts, pies of different flavors, chocolate sweets, cakes, brownies and cookies.

In the bread department, it stands out for its puff pastries, such as the classic butter croissant (which is gigantic in size for sharing); their pain au chocolat (also offered in a larger size); a Swiss bread made with a long lactic fermentation enhancing the aromas of butter, accompanied by chocolate chips and vanilla cream; and the “Praliné Bread”, one of his latest creations made with rolled croissant dough and decorated with praline and raw hazelnuts. All products can be checked here.

Philippe Conticini, 7th district of Paris: 37 Rue de Varenne – 75007 – Paris/Opening hours: Monday to Saturday, 10am to 7pm; on Sundays, from 10am to 2pm/All addresses can be found in this link.

• Des Gâteaux et du Pain

Led by Claire Damon since 2007, Des Gâteaux et du Pain products are made with organic French flours, free from additives and natural yeast. The options for cakes, pies, sweets and bread are lost sight of with so many formats and flavors that can be found in this link and range from the most classic to original. The croissant, despite being among so many items and not being the main protagonist, draws the attention of whoever tastes it. The place highlights that the big secret is the quality ingredients used and real know-how of how to do it. They emphasize that they are made in the local kitchen, kneaded and shaped one by one by hand.

Unity 1: 63, boulevard Pasteur 75015 Paris – France/Opening hours: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturdays, from 9am to 7:30pm; on Sundays, from 9am to 6pm. Closed on Tuesdays.
Unit 2: 89, rue du BAC, 75007 Paris – France/Opening hours: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturdays, from 10 am to 7:30 pm; on Sundays, from 10am to 6pm. Closed on Tuesdays.

• Tout Autour du Pain

Typical French bakery, Tout Author of Pain It changed its name at the end of 2015 and always appears on the podium of the city's boulangeries competitions, as does its chef Benjamin Turquier. Their baguette and croissant are the most famous items there, but all the iconic French pastries are found on their shelves. The window displays the delicacies of the day, which include sweets and savory snacks, cakes, breads and pies. There is no place to sit there, so the idea is to choose and take it home (or enjoy it in the streets and squares, as the French usually do).

Tout Autour du Pain: 134 rue de Turenne, 75003, Paris Ouverture/Opening hours: every day, 6am to 7:30pm

• Boulangerie Moderne

This tip goes to fans of the series “Emily in Paris”. One of the scenes in which the character enjoys a pain au chocolat takes place in front of Boulangerie Moderne, by Thierry Rabineau, which became a kind of tourist spot after Netflix's great success. The place, despite its great fame, is an ordinary bakery. It offers different types of bread, including, of course, croissant. It's one of the typical places to pick up your order and eat on the streets (or to eat in the square in front of the place, which also appears in the series). The bakery's social media is not updated.

Boulangerie Moderne: 16 Rue des Fossés Saint-Jacques, 75005 Paris, France/Opening hours: Monday to Friday, 7am to 8pm. Closed on weekends.