There are thousands of boulangeries in Paris selling some incredible baked goods – but which are the best? Read on to discover the best boulangeries in the city!
The French boulangerie (bakery in English) is emblematic of the food culture of the country. The incredible smells are alluring and make you go in and buy a warm baguette straight out of the oven or a delicious patisserie. I have many memories from our vacations in France when I was young of visiting boulangeries and being greeted by a chirpy “bonjour!” as soon as we entered. We would leave with some incredible viennoiseries for breakfast and a baguette tradition for lunch. It’s something I still really appreciate about living here and visit a boulangerie numerous times per week.
There are plenty of amazing boulangeries across Paris. In fact most Parisians are under 5 minutes from one at any given point in the city! But you’re probably wondering where are the best boulangeries in the city?
Tips on choosing a good boulangerie
In a rush and don’t have time in your itinerary to go to one of our favourite bakeries? We’ve got a few tips to ensure you get to a good boulangerie! The first tip is to look for queues outside of the bakery. If there’s a queue it means it’s popular with the locals and Parisians do not like queuing – so you if you see people waiting you’ll know it’ll be good. Lots of customers also means that there will be a high turnover of freshly baked goods which means no stale bread! Boulangeries will always bake to demand and trust me, if you’re looking for a good baguette or croissant, the fresher the better (even after a few hours the best croissant will go stale).
How many bakeries are there in Paris?
There are an estimated 5,500 boulangeries in the Paris region in 2023 with that number up an incredible 20% compared to 2018. The majority of boulangeries in Paris are independently owned with only a few chains (or franchises) such as Paul and Brioche Dorée.
What is the famous bakery street in Paris?
The famous bakery street in Paris is generally regarded to be rue du Bac located in the 7th arrondissement on the left bank. It’s known for it’s a high concentration of patisserie and bakery shops. You can discover more in our Best Patisserie Shops in Paris guide.
What is the most famous bakery in Paris?
Probably the most famous bakery in Paris is Stohrer. They’re also the oldest bakery in Paris with their first store opening in 1730. They’ve currently got bakeries dotted across the city including one on the famous rue Montorgueil. It’s definitely worth a visit to pick up some incredible bread, pastries and cakes. They have larger tartes for 6 people or smaller versions for 1 or 2 people from around €5. The quality is superb and well worth a small wait.
Our Favourite Boulangeries in Paris
If you’re looking for some boulangeries or bakeris in Paris to check out to pick up a baguette, pain au chocolat or an éclair then read on. Our list contains our favourite authentic boulangeries in no particular order.
French Bastards
The hilariously named boulangerie was started by 3 Parisians who wanted to reinvent the traditional Parisian boulangerie. Their approach is all about high quality, traceable ingredients and a focus on aesthetic yet ultra indulgent products. Their stores are uber cool and their bread and patisseries are extremely well made. You’ll pay a few more cents that boulangeries but it’s well worth the cost.
61 Rue Oberkampf, 75011
Maison Thevenin
Maison Thevenin was my local boulangerie in the 6th arrondissement for 3 years and it’s in this list for good reason. Their baguettes are awesome (get their tradition) – crunchy exterior yet a soft interior with a perfect density. Their patisseries are superb and I always got their tarte aux fraises (strawberry tart) which had great consistency and flavour.
6 Rue de Buci, 75006
Le Boulanger de la Tour
The Boulanger de la Tour is the boulangerie of the famous 1 Michelin Starred Tour d’Argent. As you would imagine the quality of their bread and patisseries is lives up to the name of its big sister restaurant. You’ll often see queues snaking out of the entrance and for good reason. Their baguettes and pain de campagne (a traditional French loaf) are epic and well worth the detour if you’re around the 5th arrondissement.
2 Rue du Cardinal Lemoine, 75005
Boulangerie Gana
Boulangerie Gana is a family run group of boulangeries that first started in 1937. They’ve currently got 11 locations in central Paris and they’re extremely popular. They may have expanded rapidly but you’ll still find family members working in their boulangeries daily. Their Flute Gana is their signature baguette and is made from their own flour which is sourced from artisan suppliers.
226 Rue des Pyrénées, 75020 + more addresses in the city
Fermentation Generale
Fermentation Generale is a small independent boulangerie which specialises in sourdough and other fermented products. They’re extremely popular with the trendy local crowd of the 11th arrondissement. It’s not just sourdough bread that they offer – they’re passionate about fermentation and you can get a variety of seasonal, fermented products. Kimchi, fermented honey – you’ll find it all. They’ve also got some superb natural wine on offer too.
37 Rue de la Folie Méricourt, 75011
Boulangerie Terroirs d’Avenir
The boulangerie of the Terroirs d’Avenir group is a fantastic bakery to visit if you’re near the bustling rue Montorgueil in the city centre. The group was started by two Parisians who are passionate about local, seasonal produce. Their first boulangerie opened in 2015 and they specialise in long fermentation bread (sourdough) using old fashioned techniques. They also have plenty of modern pastries on offer and some great brioche.
3 Rue du Nil, 75002
Utopie
Utope is a superb neighbourhood bakery located on the up and coming Rue Jean-Pierre Timbaud in the capital’s 11th arrondissement. Their bread and patisseries are an absolute work of art – have a look on their Instagram page and judge for yourself. Croissant or Pain au Chocolat, you’ll love the crunchy exterior yet fluffy light interior. I’d also definitely recommend you try one of their ever changing special pastries – their Paris-Brest is awesome.
20 Rue Jean-Pierre Timbaud, 75011
Boulangerie MieMie
Yet another awesome boulangerie in the 11th arrondissement, MieMie is definitely one to visit if you’re in the area. Its traditional facade gives way to a modern, hip interior which is very much of the district. Their products are super high quality and made with a lot of passion. Ingredients are all local and including the fruit that they source from a nearby independent greengrocer that only get their produce from small, local farms. They don’t have the biggest selection but boy, what they do have is great. During my last visit I had an awesome jambon beurre sandwich with comté.
25 Rue Sedaine, 75011
Boulangerie Milligramme
Located just above the beautiful Parc des Buttes-Chaumont in the out-of-the-way district in the 20th lies Boulangerie Milligramme. A small, local boulangerie, it’s extremely popular with local residents and if you’re ever in the area, it’s worth a visit. They only use ancient – or heritage – species of flour for their bread and of course stock a lot of amazing sourdough bread. If you’re coming for a lunch time sandwich then you’ll be in luck as they sell some awesome boujee American style fried chicken burgers.
3-5 Rue du Plateau, 75019
La Pâtisserie Cyril Lignac – Paul Bert
Started by acclaimed French Chef Cyril Lignac, his bakery (one of many in the capital) in the 11th district is located on the famous rue Paul Bert. One of the biggest bakeries in this list, they offer an incredible selection of bread, pastries and some incredible patisserie. Featured in our Best Croissant in Paris guide, they do some awesome breakfast goods so be sure to get a croissant or two if you stop by!
24 Rue Paul Bert, 75011
Carré Pain de Mie
The final boulangerie on this list is a bakery-cum-restaurant which specialises in Japanese style white milk bread. You can buy their Pain Carré either whole or you can get a half. It’s absolutely perfect if you want to make a tonkatsu sandwich or just have ultra soft, pillowy white sandwich bread. They also have a restaurant section where you can choose from a variety of different sandos made with their own super fresh bread.
5 Rue Rambuteau, 75004
