The 7 Best Patisseries in Paris that Really Hit the Sweet Spot

When it comes to sweet delicacies, few cities can hold a candle to Paris, rightly acclaimed as the European capital of patisserie. A city break on the banks of the Seine is always a real temptation – especially for dessert lovers who flock to Paris to eat their fill of delicious and exquisite baked goods.

So what’s on the menu? Éclairs, macarons, bite-sized and shell-shaped madeleines, puff-pastry gâteau St-Honoré, choux pastry religieuse filled with cream, tarte au citron, the show-stopping Paris-Brest… They beckon from shop windows like sparkling jewels – and the way these tarts and pastries are made is an art form in itself. A stroll through Paris arrondissements soon shows that creativity, craftsmanship and long queues outside patisseries are not just the preserve of the big names like Pierre Hermé and Dalloyau.
 

The roots of French patisserie date back to the 17th century and the invention of puff pastry. In the 1860s, the famous Parisian patisserie Ladurée opened its doors, with macarons, éclairs, tarte tatin and other French classics beginning their triumphant march across the world. Today, these exquisite creations appear on the menu of countless Parisian restaurants and cafés, but where do you go if you’re after a quick sugar fix during a day of sightseeing? Paris offers up hundreds of patisseries where you can have your fill of sweet treats; here are seven of the very best.

Millions of people visit the Eiffel Tower every year, and consequently, the streets of the chic Gros-Caillou neighbourhood around Paris’s most famous landmark are very busy. This makes it surprising that there is still a gem of a patisserie hidden away round the corner on Rue Amélie – many people still stumble upon Notre Pâtisserie by chance.
 

The enticing cakes and desserts at this small, family-run patisserie with its distinctive turquoise façade are a feast for your eyes. Get there early to pick up breakfast viennoiseries like croissants and brioches – and once you’ve seen the sweet treats displayed in the windows, you’ll be powerless to resist snapping up seasonal fruit tarts like raspberry and mango, delicate mille-feuille, moist cakes and hazelnut shortbread. The homemade tarte au citron meringuée (lemon meringue tart) is said to be out of this world too.

• 7 Rue Amélie, 75007 Paris
• Open Wed–Sat 9am–6pm, Sun 9am–1pm

Macarons are the classic cornerstones of French patisserie, and some iconic names – including Pierre Hermé, Ladurée and Dalloyau – have been making these delicious little biscuits in countless flavours and colours for eons. When touring Paris patisseries, you’ll come across delicate meringue-based macarons filled with creamy ganache everywhere you go.
 

For outstanding macarons in a really unusual range of flavours, try Gem la Pâtisserie Paris, not far from the Jardin des Tuileries. This little bakery sitting behind a vivid purple façade is owned by pastry chef Gemilyn Guina, who pays homage to the classic colours of macaron – chocolate brown, lemon yellow, raspberry pink and pistachio green – while specialising in southeast Asian flavours including lychee, tamarind, vanilla-like pandan, coffee and chilli. One of her most popular creations is the lilac-coloured macaron filled with ube (a purple Filipino yam). Buy beautifully packaged souvenirs or eat in at the cute corner tables – chances are you’ll strike up a conversation with the owner about her passion for macarons.

• 1 Rue de Marivaux, 75002 Paris
• Open Mon, Wed–Sat 11am–7pm; Sun 11:30am–8pm

Some of Paris’s finest patisseries are clustered together along charming, cobbled Rue Montorgueil, which runs between bustling Les Halles and Rue Réaumur, including the oldest surviving bakery in the city. After working for years as court confectioner to King Louis XV at Versailles, legendary pastry chef Nicolas Stohrer opened his own patisserie on the street in 1730 – and there it remains until today.

If you need a pick-me-up when sightseeing in Paris, pay a visit to this delightful patisserie, still decked out in Second Empire style with elaborate gilding, stucco work and a 19th-century ceiling fresco. Tradition is still very much alive and time-honoured recipes are cherished; try the famous rum baba – invented by Stohrer himself – a light sponge cake liberally soaked in rum and served with whipped cream or crème pâtissière, or melt-in-the-mouth éclairs and tarte au citron, for which people queue patiently outside the landmark deep-blue shopfront of this timeless bakery.

• 51 Rue Montorgueil, 75002 Paris
• Open Mon-Sat 8am-8:30pm; Sun 8am-8pm

With his empire of patisseries in Paris now spreading across the globe, Yann Couvreur is a pastry chef to watch as he aspires to world domination! Rightly celebrated for his skills in combining French staples with unusual flavours inspired by his international travels, signature treats include mille-feuille infused with Madagascan vanilla, pistachio-filled tart and a sensational marbled chocolate gateau. His most central store in Le Marais – a handy stop if you’ve visited the Musée Carnavalet a few steps away – is all turquoise tiles and minimalist pine; there’s a grab-and-go counter on the street if you’re looking for a buttery croissant at breakfast or a pain au chocolat to refuel at noon, and you can order online for pick up the following day – his Galettes des Rois (frangipane in puff pastry) are always in demand for Epiphany celebrations.

• 23bis Rue des Rosiers, 75004 Paris
• Open daily 10am–8pm

If you’re out and about sightseeing in Montmartre, there’s an iconic Parisian patisserie on the corner of Rue Caulaincourt about 15 minutes’ walk from the gleaming white Sacré-Cœur Basilica. Boris Lumé is the cute and oh-so-Parisian bakery featured in the hugely popular animated superhero series Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir. It’s as popular with fans of the series as it is for its unusual creations and classic desserts lovingly baked on the premises: the signature tarte au citron with a hint of pesto and basil, light and airy profiteroles filled with matcha cream, crisp and buttery mille-feuille and delicate Snickers-flavoured tarts keep people coming back for more – alongside the excellent barista coffee to take away.

• 48 Rue Caulaincourt, 75018 Paris
• Open Mon–Sat 8am–8pm, Sun 8am–7pm

There’s no doubt that Sabrina Allard, the owner of Pâtisserie Mélilot – “mélilot” means “sweet clover” in French – knows her stuff when it comes to Paris patisserie. Everything looks unbelievably good, tastes divine and is handmade with organic and seasonal produce sourced directly from the growers. Classic favourites like raspberry pavlova, madeleines and cream puffs filled with pistachio and orange blossom sit side by side with innovative creations like strawberry and tomato bonbons or individual Saint-Honoré cakes flavoured with sweet clover and tonka beans – revelations for your taste buds that keep people coming back to this Paris patisserie in the 20th arrondissement. If you can’t get there in person, order online.

• 50 Rue de la Réunion, 75020 Paris
• Open Wed-Fri 4pm-7pm, Sat 10am-4pm, Sun 10am-2pm

If you’re too busy sightseeing and visiting museums to have much time for searching out famous Paris patisseries, cut out the middleman and head for Fou de Pâtisserie, a concept store where you can sample decadent desserts and cakes from renowned bakers across the city. Among ever-changing stock, you’re likely to find the almost-mythical macarons from Pierre Hermé Paris and the signature pistachio and orange blossom tart of award-winning pastry chefs Mélanie L’Héritier and Arnaud Mathez at Le Jardin Sucré. As the very best of the best gather here, make sure you’re hungry when you pop in after a visit to the Louvre or Centre Pompidou – both are close by.

• 45 Rue Montorgueil, 75002 Paris
• Open daily 10am-8pm

Have fun discovering the patisseries of Paris – and bon appétit!