Our Top 5 Bakeries In Paris
- Location
- France · Paris
- Words
- Jessica Jungbauer
When in Paris, there’s nothing better than strolling around, stopping at bakeries for a freshly baked baguette or a pain au chocolat still warm from the oven to devour right away or take to a nearby park for a picnic. In a city where you’re spoilt for choice when it comes to bread, it can still be tricky to find baked goods that are so good they keep you coming back for more.
We’ve done the legwork for you and visited bakeries all around Paris for their specialties, from buttery croissants to crispy loafs of sourdough. From century-old masters to innovative newcomers, the following list assembles five of our favorite bakeries in Paris in no particular order. Enjoy.
Since opening in 2004, Maison Landemaine has fast become a crowd-pleaser and now has several branches throughout the city. The original boutique is located at Rue de Clichy in the 9th arrondissement and their signature sourdough bread always carries the name of its respective location. Like ‘Pain de Clichy’, an irresistibly fluffy loaf for bread lovers who prefer a noticably sour taste. Using their own starters, the process for one Maison Landemain loaf can take up to 24 hours. Founded by Rodolphe Landemain and Yoshimi Ishikawa, the team behind the company has even opened its own training school for baking with sourdough in Tokyo. Says the couple about the process behind their creations: “The strong hydration of the dough accentuates the honeycombing inside, encouraging the development of aromas.”
“The strong hydration of the dough accentuates the honeycombing inside, encouraging the development of aromas.”
Maison Landemaine Clichy
56, rue de Clichy, 75009 Paris
Tuesdays – Sundays 7:00 am – 8:00 pm
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As soon as you find yourself standing in front of the store’s marble counter lined with pastel-colored pastries, you know you’re in for a real treat. Both a bakery and pâtisserie, Liberté only opened its doors in 2013 just off Canal Saint-Martinin the 10th arrondissement. As soon as you find yourself standing in front of the store’s marble counter lined with pastel-colored pastries, you know you’re in for a real treat. Located in a former bakery, chef pâtissier Benoît Castel transformed the place into an industrial-looking open space, allowing for customers to see and witness the craftsmanship that goes into every single piece of pâtisserie. Liberté’s motto is to make pastries that are “simple and good” with an emphasis on using only the finest ingredients available. Such is the case with one of their specialties, a reinvented version of the traditional la tarte à la crème, a not-too-sweet treat consisting of shortbread topped with chantilly cream and a hint of vanilla.
Liberté
39 rue des Vinaigriers, 75010 Paris
Monday – Saturday 7:30 am – 8:30 pm
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The boutique’s interior dates back to 1889 and since its opening in 2002, the picturesque Du Pain et des Idées has gained a huge following. If you find yourself in the 10th arrondissement, you’re spoilt for choice. Just around the corner from Liberté is Du Pain et des Idées, an award-winning bakery run by owner and chef baker Christophe Vasseur. The boutique’s interior dates back to 1889 and since its opening in 2002, the picturesque Du Pain et des Idées has gained a huge following. Their trademark bread, delightfully named ‘Pain des Amis’, is baked with the special technique of ‘four tombant’ in a wood-fired oven, which gives the loaf an unparalleled nutty and smoky flavor. As for sweets, don’t miss out on their buttery croissants and escargots à la pistache.
Speaking about the inspiration behind his work, Vasseur says: “Having chosen this line of work out of passion, I strongly work at promoting its time-honored traditions, which, unfortunately, are all too quickly disappearing. There is no compromise in my work, only quality.”
Du Pain et Des Idées
34 rue Yves Toudic, 75010 Paris
Monday – Friday 6:45 am – 8:00 pm
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Ever since the family-run bakery won the contest for the best baguette tradition in 1981, the recipe for the famous ‘Gana’ is a well-kept secret that hasn’t changed in 30 years. Far more than just a neighborhood favorite, the popularity of La Flûte Gana, which is located in the 20th arrondissement, dates back to 1934. Ever since the family-run bakery won the contest for the best baguette tradition in 1981, the recipe for the famous ‘Gana’ is a well-kept secret that hasn’t changed in 30 years. It’s a perfect combination of crunchy crust and fluffy inside. These days, the business is managed by baker Bernard Ganachaud’s three daughters. Says the family about the baking process: “For us, a traditional baguette is more than a recipe without additives: it is a skill. (…) And if a flûte Gana passes through the hands of our baker(s) eight times, it’s not only for the sake of art: it is also perfect for a light crumb.”
La Flûte Gana
226 Rue des Pyrénées, 75020 Paris
Monday – Friday 7:00 am – 8:00 pm
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Last but not least, Poilâne has been around since Lionel Poilâne himself first opened his bakery on Rue du Cherche-Midi in Saint-Germain-des-Prés in 1932. These days, their signature bread, engraved with the letter ‘P’ and weighing up to four pounds, is shipped all around the world. The dark sourdough bread, which only consists of stone-ground flour, water, salt, and a starter, is baked in special wood-fired ovens. To keep up with the growing demand for Poilâne’s bread, a manufactory containing 24 in-house ovens was built in the 1980s. If you’ve reached your baguette threshold, you can’t go wrong with one of Poilâne’s dense and delicious loaves.
If you've reached your baguette threshold, you can't go wrong with one of Poilâne's dense and delicious loaves.
Poilâne
8 Rue du Cherche-Midi, 75006 Paris
Monday – Saturday 7:15 am – 8:15 pm
Photography by Jessica Jungbauer
