Whether it’s your first visit or the twentieth, there are some things you just can’t leave town without doing, and devouring the best baguettes in Paris is one of them. But did you know that even though an astonishing ten million baguettes are baked every day in Paris, not all of them are worth getting in line for?
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A lot of French bread is now produced on an industrial scale, and unsurprisingly, using cheaper ingredients and frozen dough means that more and more baguettes turn out only mediocre.
To make every bite count, here are five of the best baguettes in Paris that you simply must try before you leave!
What's Included
La Maison d’Isabelle: Best Baguette in the Latin Quarter
Located on the bustling Boulevard Saint Germain, in the heart of the Latin Quarter, La Maison d’Isabelle is known to sell some of the tastiest baguettes in the neighborhood.
One of Isabelle’s many secrets is to stay away from commercial yeast. Instead, she makes her bread from natural, homemade leaven, which gives her baguettes their unforgettable flavor.
Need more reasons to visit? La Maison d’Isabelle also has some of the best croissants in Paris!
Address: 47ter Boulevard Saint-Germain
Dupain
Just a few minutes from the iconic Place de la République, you’ll find the appropriately named Dupain.
In this bright and appealing store, the talented young baker Tanguy Lahaye only uses organic flours and prides himself on supporting small, family-owned mills. The proof is in the… bread! Dupain’s baguettes are a beautiful amber color and taste as scrumptious as they look.
Maison Landemaine
What happens when French savoir-faire meets Japanese flair? Simply some of the best baguettes in the capital!
For over 10 years, power couple Rodolphe and Yoshimi Landemaine have been using their expertise along with the highest-quality raw ingredients to produce some truly sensational bread.
Today, they operate about a dozen bakeries around Paris, but you can rest assured that their wonderful baguettes are freshly made daily in every single one of their boulangeries.
Gontran Cherrier
When strolling the quaint streets of Montmartre, you simply must drop by Gontran Cherrier to try his unforgettable baguettes!
As a fourth-generation baker (and author of no fewer than eight cookbooks!), Gontran mastered the art of breadmaking from an early age and opened his first store in 2010. Ever since, he’s been delighting Parisians with his traditional and more innovative options, including his popular squid ink and black sesame baguette.
Boulangerie 2M: Best baguette in Paris 2018
In 2018, Mahmoud M’Seddi received the coveted award for best baguette in Paris.
Along with a cash prize, the gifted baker won the opportunity to supply the Elysée Presidential Palace with Paris’s best bread for an entire year. President Macron shouldn’t be the only one to enjoy this delightful bread, though. Rush over to Mahmoud’s Boulangerie 2M (215 Boulevard Raspail) and treat yourself.
How to identify a good baguette
To make sure you don’t waste your time on anything other than the best of the best, here are our local tips on how to identify the perfect French baguette:
- To ensure that the baguette you’re buying was freshly baked on the premises, look for a sign or sticker on the storefront that reads Artisan Boulanger.
- Order a baguette tradition. As its name suggests, this traditional option is made from just the essential ingredients, free of additives.
- Flip your baguette over to check if it was mass-produced. If you notice little dots in an even pattern, you can be sure that it was baked industrially. Avoid!
- What does a good artisan baguette look like? First, it should feel dense and hold its shape. The crust should be golden, thin and crunchy. The inside should be chewy, with large, uneven air bubbles. It should taste delicious, of course, with complex aromas including caramel, apricot or hazelnut.
- One last sign that a baguette is excellent? You’ll have eaten it before you get home! When placing your order, consider asking for at least deux baguettes.
Bon Jour !
I’m looking for the name of the baguette backery that supply the E’Lysesse Palais !?
Hi there! The winner of the annual Best Baguette in Paris competition has the honor of supplying the Elysée Palais with baguettes for an entire year. The most recent winner was Boulangerie Leroy-Monti, so they would be the current bakery supplying bread to the palace. We hope this helps!