The Best Pain au Chocolat in Paris: My Top 5 Picks (2024)
Last updated on February 29th, 2024 at 04:51 am
Paris is known for many extraordinary things such as fine dining, winemaking, and having best in class museums…just to name a few. However, those things are all second to none compared to a traditional french boulangerie (bakery) – specifically the creation of a pain au chocolat.
Similar to a traditional croissant (but 100x better), a pain au chocolat is a croissant dough pastry filled with two sticks of chocolate inside. They are typically rolled and cut into a rectangular shape whereas croissants are made into small to medium sized crescents. The signature markings of a phenomenal pain au chocolat are flakiness, butteriness, and visible layers on the inside after taking your first bite.
As a solo traveler with a serious sweet tooth, I went on a quest to find the best pain au chocolat during my last trip to Paris. From the oldest boulangerie in the city to the new kids on the block – below is a list of the Top 5 bakeries in Paris for all your baguette and pastry needs.
Keep in mind that this site contains affiliate links. I may receive a commission for purchases made through these links. However, this does not impact my honest reviews and comparisons. I only make recommendations based on personal experience(s), in order to help you make the best decisions while traveling!
1. Mamiche – With multiple locations and sourdough kneaded by hand daily, Mamiche is one of the top bakeries in Paris. They take an artisanal approach to bread-making and everything is 100% homemade. Their pain au chocolat ranked at the very top of my list, but make sure you also pick up a slice of their delicious chocolate marble brioche, also known as babka.
Website: https://www.mamiche.fr/
Arrondissement: 9th and 10th arrondissement(s).
Address:
9th: 45 Rue Condorcet, 75009 Paris, France
10th: 32 Rue du Château d’Eau, 75010 Paris, France
Pain au chocolat rating: 10/10
2. Tout Autour du Pain – Originally known as 134 RdT (scroll down for the address and you’ll see why), Tout Autour du Pain is located in the trendy Le Marais and has won multiple awards for the best croissant and baguette in all of Paris. Make sure to pop in on a weekday (they’re closed on weekends) for a pain au chocolat and baguette, before heading out to explore one of the busiest neighborhoods in Paris!
Arrondissement: 3rd arrondissement
Address: 134 Rue de Turenne, 75003 Paris, France
Pain au chocolat rating: 9/10
3. Le Grenier à Pain – Similar to Mamiche, Le Grenier à Pain takes an artisanal approach to baking. They view bread-making as a true craft, and are always looking for new and upcoming bakers to join the team and push the boundaries of creativity.
What does a pastry from here and that friend who bails last minute on dinner plans have in common?
They are both flaky. Except when it comes to this pain au chocolat, that’s a very good thing.
Website: https://legrenierapain.com/en/
Arrondissement: 18th arrondissement (Montmartre)
Address: 38 rue des Abbesses, 75018 Paris France
Pain au chocolat rating: 9/10
4. Stohrer – Different from a typical bakery, Stohrer is actually classified as a patisserie (dessert shop). Not only that – Stohrer is actually the oldest patisserie in Paris! Besides carrying mouth-watering baked goods, they also specialize in traditional French pastries such as éclairs, lemon tarts, and baba au rhum.
Since Stohrer tends to fall on every foodie’s wishlist, this can result in a very crowded storefront, especially on weekends.
Website: https://stohrer.fr/
Arrondissement: 2nd arrondissement
Address: 51 Rue Montorgueil, 75002 Paris, France
Pain au chocolat rating: 7/10
5. PAUL – Established in 1889, PAUL Bakery & Cafe has locations in over 27 different countries around the world today. After spending enough time in Paris, you’ll start to easily recognize their all caps, four letter logo everywhere you go. I was hesitant to include PAUL on this list because they’re somewhat of a chain, but that shouldn’t discount the fact that they still serve freshly made baguettes and flavorful pains au chocolat.
Website: https://www.paul-bakeries.com/en/
Arrondissement: Over 300 locations in France!
Pain au chocolat rating: 7/10
Visiting other parts of Europe?
Check out my other travel guides on Europe here.
Looking for travel inspiration to somewhere else?
Last updated on February 29th, 2024 at 04:51 am
Paris is known for many extraordinary things such as fine dining, winemaking, and having best in class museums…just to name a few. However, those things are all second to none compared to a traditional french boulangerie (bakery) – specifically the creation of a pain au chocolat.
Similar to a traditional croissant (but 100x better), a pain au chocolat is a croissant dough pastry filled with two sticks of chocolate inside. They are typically rolled and cut into a rectangular shape whereas croissants are made into small to medium sized crescents. The signature markings of a phenomenal pain au chocolat are flakiness, butteriness, and visible layers on the inside after taking your first bite.
As a solo traveler with a serious sweet tooth, I went on a quest to find the best pain au chocolat during my last trip to Paris. From the oldest boulangerie in the city to the new kids on the block – below is a list of the Top 5 bakeries in Paris for all your baguette and pastry needs.
Keep in mind that this site contains affiliate links. I may receive a commission for purchases made through these links. However, this does not impact my honest reviews and comparisons. I only make recommendations based on personal experience(s), in order to help you make the best decisions while traveling!
1. Mamiche – With multiple locations and sourdough kneaded by hand daily, Mamiche is one of the top bakeries in Paris. They take an artisanal approach to bread-making and everything is 100% homemade. Their pain au chocolat ranked at the very top of my list, but make sure you also pick up a slice of their delicious chocolate marble brioche, also known as babka.
Website: https://www.mamiche.fr/
Arrondissement: 9th and 10th arrondissement(s).
Address:
9th: 45 Rue Condorcet, 75009 Paris, France
10th: 32 Rue du Château d’Eau, 75010 Paris, France
Pain au chocolat rating: 10/10
2. Tout Autour du Pain – Originally known as 134 RdT (scroll down for the address and you’ll see why), Tout Autour du Pain is located in the trendy Le Marais and has won multiple awards for the best croissant and baguette in all of Paris. Make sure to pop in on a weekday (they’re closed on weekends) for a pain au chocolat and baguette, before heading out to explore one of the busiest neighborhoods in Paris!
Arrondissement: 3rd arrondissement
Address: 134 Rue de Turenne, 75003 Paris, France
Pain au chocolat rating: 9/10
3. Le Grenier à Pain – Similar to Mamiche, Le Grenier à Pain takes an artisanal approach to baking. They view bread-making as a true craft, and are always looking for new and upcoming bakers to join the team and push the boundaries of creativity.
What does a pastry from here and that friend who bails last minute on dinner plans have in common?
They are both flaky. Except when it comes to this pain au chocolat, that’s a very good thing.
Website: https://legrenierapain.com/en/
Arrondissement: 18th arrondissement (Montmartre)
Address: 38 rue des Abbesses, 75018 Paris France
Pain au chocolat rating: 9/10
4. Stohrer – Different from a typical bakery, Stohrer is actually classified as a patisserie (dessert shop). Not only that – Stohrer is actually the oldest patisserie in Paris! Besides carrying mouth-watering baked goods, they also specialize in traditional French pastries such as éclairs, lemon tarts, and baba au rhum.
Since Stohrer tends to fall on every foodie’s wishlist, this can result in a very crowded storefront, especially on weekends.
Website: https://stohrer.fr/
Arrondissement: 2nd arrondissement
Address: 51 Rue Montorgueil, 75002 Paris, France
Pain au chocolat rating: 7/10
5. PAUL – Established in 1889, PAUL Bakery & Cafe has locations in over 27 different countries around the world today. After spending enough time in Paris, you’ll start to easily recognize their all caps, four letter logo everywhere you go. I was hesitant to include PAUL on this list because they’re somewhat of a chain, but that shouldn’t discount the fact that they still serve freshly made baguettes and flavorful pains au chocolat.
Website: https://www.paul-bakeries.com/en/
Arrondissement: Over 300 locations in France!
Pain au chocolat rating: 7/10
Visiting other parts of Europe?
Check out my other travel guides on Europe here.
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