My Parisian Affair: 10 Favorite Pastry Shops

When I take my yearly trip alone to France tongues start wagging. They wonder, “Why does she leave her husband behind?” Audacious friends inquire, “Is there someone special waiting for you?” Even my French teacher has the chutzpah to suggest an affair (or aventure) would  improve my accent. But my husband doesn’t worry. When he whispers in my ear at the airport, “Be careful. Watch out,” we both know that he really means is, “Don’t eat too much cake.”

Yes, my inhibitions loosen while travelling in France—the home of crusty baguettes and a hundred or so of my favorite pastries. He has seen my face light up at the sight of a crackling croissant in the morning and how a tray of pastries arranged like a Klee print leaves me breathless. He knows what makes me swoon post-menopause.

Before getting into this year’s recommendations, here are a few tips for sniffing out superior baked goods:

1. Ignore the “best of” anything on social media. Mostly, these selections are retreads from influencers who feed off each other like crazed pastry zombies. Yelp is of no use in France, unless you want advice from other tourists.
2. Never travel more than 15 minutes for a pastry. Don’t plan your day around a destination bakery, unless you want to risk the heartache of the store being closed, as they often are in France. A few years ago I walked for an hour in the heat in a less than charming neighborhood to bite into the “best” apricot tart. Was it good? Yes, but is any tart worth walking two hours and then waiting in line in order to eat with a plastic fork? Are you beginning to understand why my husband stays home?
3. Price should never be a consideration. If you flew to Paris for vacation, why tie yourself in knots over the cost of a raspberry tart or a chocolate éclair? Isn’t it worth $12 for a few transcendent moments? Like fine chocolates, pastries are an affordable luxury, as I keep explaining to my husband.
4. Nothing compares with discovering a mom and pop shop that has honed its offerings over many generations. Explore a residential neighborhood by foot and watch where the locals go. Parisians lined up at lunchtime, schoolchildren picking up after-school treats, and an elegant, clean décor are good clues.

Here are some favorite spots in central Paris from this year’s trip. Enjoy and remember my husband’s warning: “Be careful!” But not too careful.

Left Bank

Des Gâteaux et Du Pain, 7th and 15th. Celebrated for the delicate design and intense flavor of her bio (organic) pastries, Chef Claire Damon is enjoying a moment. Her puck-shaped lemon tart, built on a crumbly brown sugar crust and filled with reversed layers of slick meringue on  bottom and a layer of rich puckery lemon curd on top is just right. I need to return with friends for a more complete sampling.

Angelina, 6th. If you love Paris, you’ve probably made the trip to the classic belle epoque tea room on rue Rivoli for their thick hot chocolate. I recommend the lunch space at Musée du Luxembourg for a less hectic experience. I can’t resist their refined version of the American club sandwich. In May, I topped it off with the seasonal frasiers—perfect squares of fluffy sponge layers, light whipped cream and juicy strawberry halves. Did I mention the brilliant red strawberry glaze topping? The proverbial cherry on top.

Les Gourmandises d’Eiffel, 7th. An unpretentious bake shop on rue Grenelle, steps away from the popular rue Cler market, this artisanal boulangerie was my regular spot for last minute baguettes. Their Sunday special—a giant, round egg bread topped with crunchy, pearled sugar that tastes like Italian panettone minus the dried fruit—is sold by the slice. A big, moist chunk  keeps on the counter for a few days, perfect for making beautiful morning toast.

Right Bank

Ritz Le Comptoir, 1st. The bakery at the Ritz is open to the public in the same way as the Hemingway bar is—as a tourist attraction where the price for experience is high. Breaking my own rules, I went to the swanky address on rue Chabon across from Chanel at about 3:00 p.m. with dreams of lingering over treats and sipping an espresso or two at a small table. I’d been ogling the pastries for a year online, having become addicted to a marketing campaign that featured cute Chef François Perret with his darling little pastries. My dreams crashed when I realized the tiny place had only five tables and the line was long. Shlepping home on the Metro with my jam-filled, glazed raspberry madeleines and crisp mocha millefeuille, was not a catastrophe, but it was a mood breaker. I hope I don’t sound like a Karen.

Blé Sucré, 12th. Just a few steps from the Marché d’Aligre, this unpretentious shop is known for its low cost pure butter croissants and madeleines. A couple of outdoor tables make it possible to enjoy your carbs with coffee in the morning while watching children play in the little square adjacent.

Du Pain et Des Idées, 10th. If you wander over to the Canal St Martin, Paris’s Silverlake, take the time to wait on line at this pretty wood-paneled bakery. Oversized escargots, snail-shaped viennoiseries, overflowing with rum-soaked raisins, pistachios, cherries, pralines and chocolate keep coming out of the ovens all day long. Many of their sourdough breads, for which the owner won the coveted “Best Worker of France” certification, can be bought by the slice.

Tapisserie, 11th. Console yourself with a pastry at this tiny takeout shop on gentrified rue Charonne when you can’t get a table at restaurant Septime across the street. Under the same ownership, the young bakers turn out a few seasonal specialties each day. In the spring, I nibbled on a rustic rhubarb tart and a pillowy apple turnover (chausson aux pommes) that still makes me a smile.

Luxe Pastry Chains

These brand names with several locations can be trusted for consistent fine quality:

Yann Couvreur. Often found in ordinary neighborhoods where the clientele is French, Couvreur’s prices are fair for such high quality. Drop in for breakfast, sit at the counter and treat yourself to a five-star kouigin amman or other viennoiserie with coffee. The classic fancy pastries are all here in individual portions to-go.

Pierre Hermé. Best known for his flavorful macarons that fly out the door, Chef Hermé is considered the master chocolatier of France—a serious title in the land of cuisine. Though I’m not a big macaron fan, I will stop into Hermé for a coffee and pastry at the airport or train station. In town, the visual excitement of the windows and displays are hard to resist.

Aux Merveilleux de Fred. The first time I saw a Fred shop near the Marché d’Aligre, I resisted the scent of chocolate and the sight of adorable bakers in white coats decorating cakes in the window. Too much kitsch! Eventually, I stepped in and tried the specialty—a five-inch round globe filled with light layers of airy meringue, flavored whipped cream and a biscuit landing pad, then finished with chocolate shavings or crunchy coffee bits. Now I go back whenever I need an escape into a sugary fairy tale.

Still need a nosh? These two Jewish bakeries in the Marais deliver comfort along with taste:

Florence Kahn, rue des Ecouffes. When I visited at Passover, the counter was piled high with homemade matzo sandwiches stuffed with pastrami! Almond and coconut macaroons were light and small enough to munch through a day of sightseeing. A Yiddish Patisserie, Kahn is best known for its bagels and takeout sandwiches.

Sacha Finkelstajn, rue Rosiers. Standing on the long, loud line one afternoon surrounded by Ukrainians, I time-travelled back to my neighborhood in the Bronx. It was tough choosing which specialty of the Eastern European diaspora to try: neat trays of bagels, bialies, pletzels, rye bread, matzo, mandelbread, challah, borekas, strudel, cheesecake line the shelves. In addition to baked goods, deli items like fresh sour cream, herring and smoked fish are available for takeout.

As Hemingway once said, “Paris is a moveable feast.” Go taste it.

Los Angeles food writer Helene Siegel is the author of 40 cookbooks, including the “Totally Cookbook” series and “Pure Chocolate.” She runs the Pastry Session blog.