I'm going in two weeks to seek out the tastiest of all croissants.

Any suggestions?

That's easy - go anywhere in Paris! They are all great. I will say that there was a tiny corner bakery at the easte side of the 5th at the Cardinal Lemoine metro station that always had a line outside when it was open. It was at the corner of Rue de Ecoles and Rue Cardinal Lemoine and had a red awning. But I had a bunch of croissants in Paris and don't think I ever had a bad one.

I agree....we ate our way through tons of patisseries in Paris, and they were all delicious! We enjoyed Laduree, but we also loved the smaller ones near our hotel in the Rue Cler area.

Tracy

The fun is in trying to find a bad one!

Maybe the cafe in the Louvre on a bad day . . . but there again, we stopped in the cafeteria in the Hotel Invalides, which looked to be the ultimate tourist trap - wrong - we had great croissants and cafe au lait! It is really tough finding a bad one!
LOL!!!

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=84371

Be sure to try the chocolate filled ones too. I don't speak French but "un pan au chocolat" was something I learned quickly.

I think the bakery referred to near the Cardinal Lemoine maybe Kaiser...or something similar...they are all good....

In the 11th arrondissement, there's a bolangerie/patisserie right on the corner of boulevard Voltaire and rue de Malte, on the eastern side of the boulevard. That's where I had the best sandwich and chocolate tart in Paris. Their pain au chocolat isn't bad either!

I guess I'm not the only one in that I know where my favorite patisseres are located, but not their names.
My favorite ia located on the Place Victor Hugo (there is also a Le Notre nearby, but that's not it). Luscious pastries, always a line of locals stocking up.

My favorite "plain" croissants come from Le Pain Quotidien. Although it's a Belgian bakery/cafe, they have several branches in Paris. www.painquotidien.com

Make sure you have at least one almond croissant. My favorite!

I'm not sure MINE has a name at all.

I’m not a big fan of plain croissants--baguette and butter with apricot jam is my favourite first breakfast in France. But the various forms of viennoiserie, which use a croissant dough in different shapes with different sweet fillings, are wonderful; pain au chocolat (also called chocolatine) is just one of many. When we stayed in an apartment in the Marais last summer my daughter and I did a taste comparison of the two nearest bakeries that were open--it was August--and decided that while we preferred Miss Manon's bread, the viennoiserie at Boulanger Yhuel was superior (both are on rue St-Antoine). My daughter's favourite was chocolatine aux écorses d’orange (chocolate and orange peel). I loved the pain aux raisins (a pinwheel of croissant dough filled with pastry cream, studded with raisins, and sprinkled with vanilla sugar).

Margriet,

Boulanger Yhuel is one of our favorites...and our first stop for pastries...they make an incredible mini pear tarte which we request for every day we are in Paris...and, they are so pleasant and cheerful...

bookmarking for my September visit! Thanks, everyone!

Traviata,
I agree about the service at Boulanger Yhuel. So often boulangeries, even in the provinces, employ rather superior young ladies (the kind that trill “Bon jour,” rather than say it). They always seem a little impatient when you’re trying to make up your mind ... so many pastries, so little time. I’ll definitely try the pear tarte next time—and there will be a next time.

To get you started, there is a Patisserie Paul at CDG (near TGVstation ), they have this pain au chocolat et amandes (chocolat and almond paste)...the gates of heaven opened...

Can't believe nobody mentioned the Paul's we were pointed to a year ago. I believe the street is Rue de Buci. It was not too far from the D'Aubusson and across from a little market.

I'm surprised no one mentioned Polaine, 8, rue du Cherche-Midi, or Pierre Herme 72, Rue Bonaparte

Paul's is a chain, and there are hundreds all over France (and probably dozens in Paris). I think they get the dough sent to them, but each shop may bake it fresh on site. I don't know about the little ones in train stations and places -- whether they bake it at all.