While other viennoiseries have a recognized history, tracing the exact origin of the first pain aux raisins, also known as escargot (snail), pain russe (Russian bread), raisin brioche or schneck, is impossible. While Darenne et Duval's seminal Traité de Pâtisserie Moderne ("Treatise on Modern Pastry") offered a recipe as early as 1909, it doesn't quite match the one we are now familiar with. What we do know is that pastry chef Gaston Lenôtre was one of the first to codify this pastry made of brioche or puff pastry (egg, butter, flour, sugar, milk, yeast and salt) topped with crème patissière and rum-infused raisins. Long out of fashion in France, pain aux raisins has been enjoying a comeback in recent years, with a new generation of bakers bringing an innovative and creative vision to traditional raisin bread.

Having tasted and rated over 40 pains aux raisins according to a variety of criteria (dough, filling, visual appeal, quality-quantity-price ratio), here is our 2023 selection – in no particular order.

This is undoubtedly one of the capital's most underrated pastry addresses. And yet, Sébastien Dégardin boasts an outstanding resume (Troisgros, Pierre Gagnaire), but he also exercises commendable discretion and modesty. Since 2013, his boutique, which is packed on weekends, is a fine example of his extraordinary savoir-faire.

Our verdict: This brioche ball upon which Dégardin lays a disk of craquelin envelops a very generous pastry cream mixed with blanched, rum-soaked raisins. With its slightly brittle dough texture and abundant filling, this raisin bread is sure to arouse ravenous hunger. It's our absolute favorite of the selection.

Ingredients: brioche dough, pastry cream, raisins.

Price: €2.50

Pâtisserie du Panthéon 200 rue Saint- Jacques, Paris 5th arrondissement.

"Créateur de gourmandises" (Creator of sweet treats), such is the motto of this bakery created in 2022 by Florian Veillé and Farid Haddad. After his grandfather and parents, Veillé is the third generation of bakers to work in La Roche-sur-Yon. His concept is to innovate with top-of-the-range products that are more elaborate than those of a classic bakery. Its teams rely on local producers and organic flours while paying particular attention to food waste.

Our verdict: Once you put this raisin bread in your mouth, your first experience will be a very crisp, highly melty and generous puff pastry, followed by the touch of an intensely moist cream resulting from the fusion of two cream mixes, with particularly tender blond raisins. This original interplay of textures created by Quentin Billeau brings an unprecedented freshness to this pastry.

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