Ranking All the Pastries I Tried in Pairs

There are so many pastries in Paris to choose from! I tried these 7 during my weekend in Paris.

If there was such a thing as “The Foodie Olympics”, France would take the gold in the pastries category—every single year. With eclairs, croissants, pain au chocolat, macaroons (and more!), France is known for its pastries.

And they’re not just incredibly delicious, they’re also stunning. To walk into a pâtisserie (pastry shop) in Paris is to walk into a pastry art gallery. The colorful sweet treat creations are delightfully decorated and beg to be photographed.

In the US, we’ve tried to copy and mass produce a few French classics like palmiers and madeleines—with varying degrees of success.

But there’s nothing as delicious as trying food directly from the source—right in its country, city, and (if you’re really lucky) kitchen of origin. So, during your trip to Paris, France, try all the pastries you can—and then try a few more.

I was only in Paris for a few days and couldn’t try all the pastries and bready treats my heart desired. But the ones I did try were fantastic. Here’s a list of my favorites:

A creamy vanilla eclair from Chamboule Boulangerie in Montmartre.

#1 Vanilla Eclair

This soft, creamy, ultra-vanillay eclair erased from my memory all the sad American eclairs I’d had previously. Every bite was delightful and bursting with vanilla flavor. It had the perfect proportion of filling to pastry—and the creamy filling inside was divine.

A sweet pain au chocolat from Du Pain et Des Idées.

#2 Pain au Chocolat (Chocolate Pastry)

This is a must-try pastry if you’re in Paris. It’s super popular, and everyone loves it—and it’s really no surprise. What could go wrong when you take flaky croissant like dough and fill it with a rich, thick, French chocolate paste? If you’re a chocoholic, you’ll love pain au chocolat.

Colorful macaroons from various pastry shops in Paris.

#3 Macaroons

You’ll see these colorful bite-sized pastries decorating pâtisserie (pastry shop) windows all over the city. You’ll want to try them all (and, you should). Macaroons are surprisingly fantastic. I tried a few different flavors from the famous Pierre Hermé macaroon shop, and it was almost as if they had a delayed flavor effect—it was a bright pop of flavor, then a slow release of the underlying flavors for a terrific taste transformation.

Freshly made madeleines from a pastry shop in Paris vs. supermarket lemon madeleines from La Grande Epicerie de Paris.

#4 Lemon Madeleines

If you’re into supermarket tourism, you’ve got to check out La Grande Épicerie de Paris, it’s a giant supermarket with all the staples, plus freshly prepared foods and fantastic foodie souvenirs. It’s where I got these 10/10 lemon madeleines that I fell in love with. They’re spongy, buttery, moist, and infused with lemon goodness.

A platter of pain au chocolat banane on display in a bakery in Paris.

#5 Pain au Chocolat Banane (Chocolate Pastry With Banana)

I love all things banana—but this pain au chocolat banane was a thing of dreams. It had actual, lengthwise-sliced bananas inside, along with that delicious chocolate. Wrapped in flaky, crispy croissant-y goodness, it was delicious.

Admiring the work of art that is a perfectly-made French croissant.

#6 Croissant

I was only able to try croissants from two different boulangeries (bakeries) in Paris—since I was too busy stuffing my face with steak frites and crepes. But, the croissants I tried were nothing like those sad Costco copycats. They were buttery, actually crispy on the outside, and soft inside. (And dare I say, even better after being squished in my backpack all day?)

A brioche bread from Boris Boulangerie (this bakery didn’t have many options, but this pastry was a nice quick bite).

#7 Brioche

This simple snack was doughy and sugary sweet on top. If you like brioche bread, you’ll love this brioche pastry—because of course, it’s better in Paris!

There’s So Much More!

I know this is just the tip of the iceberg—there are so many more pastries I’m dying to try. Next time I visit Paris, I definitely want to enjoy:

• Chou à la crème—French cream puffs filled with thick, creamy custard.

• Profiteroles—A French ice cream sandwich? Yes please. This sweet treat is a puff pastry filled with vanilla ice cream.

• Beignet—Yep, just like the Disney movie, The Princess and the Frog, but from their place of origin, France.

Plus, whatever pastry beauties I lay my eyes on that my stomach can’t resist. There’s just so much to see, eat, and enjoy in the beautiful city of Paris.

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Planning a trip to Paris? I know how exhausting that can be. I spent weeks that turned into months finding exactly which restaurants were worth it—specifically for trying French classics like beef bourguignon, crepes, steak frites, and croque monsieur.

And after a ton of research, I curated a fantastic two-day foodie itinerary. You’ll get:

• A day-by-day eating plan (breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert),

• What I ordered at each restaurant—plus prices and honest reviews,

• And an organized and easy-to-follow Google Map with all the recommended restaurants (plus things to see and do in-between meals)...