December 4, 2011 - 6:49pm
Paris Bakery Tour Suggestions
Ok, so my wife and I are going to Paris and we want to eat our way through all the MUST SEE bakeries. It is my first time there and, as we all know, bread is quite an obsession of mine. Does anyone have any good current itineraries or suggestions of how to attack Paris? It is quite overwhelming for me so I really appreciate any knowledge anyone can lay on me!
Thank you so much my baking friends!
Nick
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This is the list from the 2011 baguette competition but do not forget to go to Poilane 8, rue du Cherche Midi
1 - Pascal Barillon, Au Levain d’Antan" 6, rue des Abbesses, Paris 18th
2 - Gaétan ROMP, 14 rue de la Michodière Paris 2nd
3 - Pascal JAMIN « les saveurs du 20eme, 120 rue de Bagnolet Paris 20th
4 - Gontran CHERRIER 22 rue Caulaincourt, Paris 18th
5 - Le Fournil du village, M.RISSER 12 place J.B Clément Paris 18th
6 - Les Gourmandises d’Eiffel, Gilles LEVASLOT, 187 rue de Grenelle Paris 7th
7 - Jean-Noël JULIEN, 75 rue Saint-Honoré Paris 1st
8 - Philippe MARACHE, 92 av de la République Paris 11th
9 - Philippe BOGNER, 204 rue des Pyrénées Paris 20th
10 - Le Grenier à pain Saint-Amand 33 bis rue Saint-Amand Paris 15th
Paris Boulangerie-Patisserie: Recipes from Thirteen Outstanding French Bakeries covers the top 13.
Clotilde's Edible Adventures in Paris covers most (all?) of those in the other book and even recommends her favorites at each. It's organized by arrondisment, which you'll find very helpful. She runs one of the best food blogs around too: Chocolate & Zucchini. It's been going strong since 2003.
Nick,
While it's not at the top of the 2011 baguette list, as pkeibel says, you simply must stop at Poilâne. David Lebovitz said in his blog post last week "I’ve never met a bread baker who didn’t use Monsieur Poilâne’s pain au levain as a reference point for excellence.". The loaf there is subtle and unique in both flavor and texture (and it's quite large). It's a touchstone. One which I find myself missing, and one I often try to recreate at home.
If you're close to any on the list above, definitely visit them. Even go out of your way to visit one. I have, and they can be wonderful and give you a goal for your own baking. However don't discount the local bakery outside your door. As you know Parisians are very picky about their bread, and while the bakeries on the above list are great to visit, it's also fun to figure out which corner bakery near your location is the best. While waking around your neighborhood the first day or two, look for the bakery with the line out the door, or the one that runs out of baguettes first. It's often not the one with the fanciest front window, but that's the one you want to try!
- Greg
Thought of your request when reading Dorie Greenspan's blog today, she linked to ParisbyMouth and when I checked there was indeed a bakery section on it.
David Lebovitz also has a lot of useful info for foodies visiting Paris, but as Greg says his suggestion is to enjoy finding the best local bakery.
Have fun and be sure to report back so that the rest of us get to share some of your experience.