Mamiche

⚲  45 Rue Condorcet, 75009 Paris

Ma miche means “my loaf” in French, but it also sounds like a term of endearment, somewhere between “my darling” and “my bread.” Somehow, that tells you everything you need to know about this place.
Mamiche is a young bakery founded by two women, Cécile Khayat and Victoria Effantin, who left their jobs to go all in on this project. The success was immediate.
They won everyone over straight away, and it’s easy to understand why the moment you walk in: display cases packed with beautiful breads and pastries, an atmosphere that is informal, and genuinely welcoming. Here you’ll find a great selection of breads as well as pastries – both classic traditional ones and new creations. There’s usually a crowd outside too, but it’s worth the wait.

Here’s what we tried. The croissant was high quality, well-executed, great layers on the outside, good open crumb inside from the proofing, but what we loved most was a particular flavor we couldn’t quite put our finger on. Something that sets it apart from others, we just can’t tell you what. The Pain au Chocolat had a perfect dough, but the real standout was the chocolate itself: bold, present, not swallowed up by the pastry, a detail we really appreciated. The Vanilla Beignet was beautifully done: light, soft dough and a cream filling that was actually good, not sickly, which is always the risk. The Cinnamon Roll was also solid. And finally, the Chocolate Flute: think a smaller, narrower baguette studded with chocolate chips. This one was very crunchy, almost verging on hard. We’re not sure if that’s intentional and exactly the texture they’re going for, the flavor was good, but the consistency is something we’re still thinking about. If you try it, let us know what you think!

UNION

⚲ 2 Rue Bleue, 75009 Paris

You should know that Union sits right at the end of Rue Paradis – which means Paradise Street. We can tell you that it’s probably not a coincidence, and that Rue Paradis really does lead to paradise.

Union is the work of Charles Ye, a business grad from Shanghai turned baker, and Maeva Manchon, a neurobiologist turned pastry chef. The space itself is beautiful: a corner spot with an industrial aesthetic, an open kitchen, high ceilings and large windows that flood the room with light. Here you’ll find a selection of both classic and more creative breads, and the same goes for the pastries.

What we tried: the croissant was the best we had in Paris – for us, the perfect one. Deeply buttery, with an open, airy crumb full of the holes that come from proper lamination and proofing. The layers on top were visible and defined, and despite feeling soft when you held it, the exterior had a real crunch. That balance is hard to get right, and they nailed it. The Madeleines were classic and exactly what they should be: soft, warm, honest. The Pain au Chocolat once again showed great chocolate quality. But the real highlight was the Apple Bomb: incredible flaky pastry on top, shattering when you bite into it, with just the right amount of apple inside. Not too sweet, not too much filling. A masterpiece of proportion.
We also tried their baguette: simple and delicious.

Cedric Grolet Opera

⚲ 35 Av. de l’Opéra, 75002 Paris

Cédric Grolet is one of the most famous pastry chefs in the world, and this address has become something of a pilgrimage site. For those who don’t know him: his creations are iconic, genuinely beautiful to look at, and very good to eat. It has become an incredibly popular destination, but in our opinion it’s worth trying at least once. Which means one thing you need to factor into the visit before anything else: the queue. Budget time, not just money. It’s part of the package here, and you should know that going in.

Once inside, the creations are genuinely stunning. We kept things relatively classic on our visit. The croissant was among the best we’ve had: buttery, perfectly layered, beautifully golden. The Pain Suisse was enormous, with an outrageously crisp and shattery laminated top, one of those pastries that makes a sound when you bite into it. And the Flan a la Vanille had that same signature flaky, crumbly crust on the outside, with a cream filling.

Prices are above average, but so are the portions, things here are genuinely bigger than what you’d find elsewhere. Our honest take: after standing in line, go for something more interesting than the classics. The classics are excellent, but you can find excellent classics at other great boulangeries in the city without the wait. Here, it’s worth leaning into the more unique creations, that’s where Grolet’s vision really comes through.