In France, between 70% and 80% of the croissants sold in bakeries are industrial products, according to the Federation of Bakery Companies. Fortunately, you can still find very good artisan pastries, even if their prices have surged in recent months. Having tasted and rated over 50 croissants according to various criteria (appearance, flakiness, taste and value for money), here is a list of our favorite croissants in France.
Gabin Laforie is a former executive with a real passion for products, who loves nothing more than getting his hands in the dough. After training in Paris and Aveyron, he opened a store in the capital in July 2023. His bakery, Gabin dans le Pétrin ("Gabin in the Kneader"), offers four product groups every day: a complete range of sourdough breads, classic pastries, seasonal bakery pastries and savory breads for snacking.
Our opinion: To facilitate the rising of pastries, Laforie and his teams rely on a long pre-fermentation, with a blend of flours, high-quality butter and raw farm milk. The result is a thick, flaky croissant with a crunchy yet melt-in-the-mouth texture. Yummy!
Price: €1.40.
Gabin dans le Pétrin 80 Rue d'Amsterdam, Paris 9th arrondissement.
After a career in renowned Michelin-starred luxury hotels and restaurants (Georges Blanc, Anne-Sophie Pic, Shangri-La, George-V), Marvin Brandao set up shop in Lyon in 2022 with his partner Alice de Oliveira. Alma by Marvin Brandao, their oasis of sweetness, was designed to offer customers pastries in the morning, a savory snack at lunchtime and quality sourdough bread and sweet creations the rest of the day.
Our opinion: With its thick, crisp pastry and flaky, very soft crumb, this croissant is a model example. Combining two types of honey with character (heather and chestnut) adds a hint of floral sweetness without altering the butter's good taste. The limited quantities of pastries available every day means you often have to get up early to get your hands on them.
Price: €1.30.
Alma by Marvin Brandao 17 Rue Bugeaud, Lyon 6th arrondissement.
Pastry chef Lucio Colombo, who previously worked in London, Turkey and Spain, teamed up with his baker brother Thomas, who trained in Italy and worked with Cyril Lignac, to open Brigat' in 2021. This bakery-pastry shop offers a wide range of sourdough breads, well-made pastries and simple, well-balanced cakes made with excellent seasonal ingredients. The panettone, a tribute to their Italian culture, has become one of the house's hit products.
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