Where Croissants Originated and How to Find the Best Ones in Paris

When you think about traditional French breakfasts, you may conjure up images of lazy mornings in a Left Bank café while dunking a flaky croissant into your café au lait. But horror of horrors… the croissant is not even from France. So how did it evolve to become a staple of French gastronomy?

If not in Paris, where did croissants originate? This culinary delicacy began its life in Vienna as the kipferl, a bread roll baked with wheat flour in a brioche-type dough. Popular history claims its distinctive crescent shape was adopted after the downfall of the Ottoman Empire in the Battle of Vienna in 1683 and is believed to represent the white moon on the Ottoman flag. However, the kipferl existed long before the 17th century; it was mentioned in an Austrian poem as far back as 1227.

The earliest mention of the kipferl migrating to France is from 1839, when an Austrian entrepreneur named August Zang opened a bakery in Paris; affluent residents of the city fell in love with Viennese baking, and the kipferl in particular. Local bakers took to copying the recipe, and it became wholly French when they started using puff pastry – a late 17th-century innovation – in their kipferls. The name ‘croissant’ developed organically, referring to the familiar half-moon shape of the roll.

It wasn’t until 1915 that the baker Sylvain Claudius Goy wrote the first ‘official’ French croissant recipe in his seminal cookery book La Cuisine Anglo-Américaine, utilising yeasted pâte feuilletée (puff pastry) instead of brioche dough. The moving away from the croissant’s original Viennese heritage was complete, and the iconic French breakfast pastry was officially born. 

Having solved the mystery of where croissants did originate, this flaky breakfast treat is sold in boulangeries across France. When you’re staying in Paris hotels, sample croissants from the five tempting bakeries below. You’ll soon see that modern-day bakers are honouring the croissant’s traditional provenance while adding innovations of their own, including confectionary made with sourdough bases or organic flour. Indeed, Paris is so proud of its croissants that it holds an annual contest to find the best pastry in the city…

Owned by 3-Michelin-star pastry chef Fabrice Le Bourdat, pocket-sized Blé Sucré is famed for the quality of its butter-rich croissants, with crispy outer layers that flake onto the plate, a soft, chewy and layered inner texture, and just the right amount of sweetness. There’s a tiny seating area outside, where you can order a hot chocolate to accompany your croissant and enjoy the views over leafy Square Trousseau.

7 Rue Antoine Vallon, 75012 Paris. Open Tue–Sat 7am–7:30pm, Sun 7am–1:30pm. Métro line 8 to Ledru-Rollin. 

Run by skilled pastry chefs Erwan and Sébastien, Utopie has repeatedly been voted the best bakery in Paris, and is rightly famous for its tempting viennoiserie selection. Flaky and golden brown, their signature croissants have a sourdough base for a tangy taste as well as a rich buttery flavour. Everything except the drinks is made in house, using flour, butter and milk produced in France, with seasonal fruits featuring in their exquisite patisserie displays. 

20 Rue Jean-Pierre Timbaud, 75011 Paris. Open Tue–Sun 7am–8pm. Métro lines 5 and 9 to Oberkampf.

Located near the Gard du Nord and a popular stop for commuters, family-run Carton was founded in 1956 and so has had many years to perfect the art of baking croissants – the team’s hard work was rewarded when the shop won the prestigious ‘Best Butter Croissant in Greater Paris’ award in 2022. Every croissant is baked to perfection with honeycomb-like layers, a crisp crust and a gooey – but never soggy – interior. 

6 Boulevard de Denain, 75010 Paris. Open Mon–Fri 6:30am–8pm; Sat 7:30am–2pm. Métro lines 4 and 5 to Oberkampf.

Brainchild of celebrity chef and food stylist Anthony Courteille, Sain bakery is beloved of the bobo crowds that haunt hip cafés and boutiques along Canal Saint-Martin. Made using artisanal techniques pre-dating processed flour and staying close to the authenticity of the classic croissant, they are baked with top-quality organic flour and butter, and are low in gluten, making them the snack of choice for anyone with food intolerances. You can eat in or takeaway.

15 Rue Marie et Louise, 75010 Paris. Open Tue–Sat 7:30am–2:30pm, 4:15pm–8pm; Sun 8am–8pm. Métro line 11 to Goncourt.

Opened by King Louis XV’s pastry chef in 1730, Stohrer is the oldest boulangerie in Paris and possibly its most glamorous – with frescoes adorning the walls and glittering chandeliers, its sumptuous interior was designed in the 1840s. The almond croissant here is legendary: light buttery pastry filled with almond cream, dusted with icing sugar and topped with sliced almonds. There are seven other Stohrer emporiums in the City of Light, but this one is the mother ship. 

51 Rue Montorgueil, 75002 Paris. Open Mon–Sat 8am–8:30pm; Sun 8am–8pm. Métro line 4 to Étienne Marcel.

1. A croissant should be golden in colour, not pale (it will be too soggy) or dark, which means dry and over baked.
2. Ask for a croissant ‘au beurre’ instead of a croissant ‘ordinaire’ – the latter is made with margarine, the former with butter and is much lighter.
3. Buy your croissant early in the morning when they are fresh out of the baker’s oven.
4. The croissant has a short shelf life; eat one in the afternoon and it will probably be slightly stale.
5. Eat your croissant warm for full flavour, but not too hot as it loses its buttery taste. 

Now you know where the croissant did originate, and when you visit the City of Light you’ll discover numerous other Parisian bakeries selling perfect pastries too! Bon appétit.