8 patisseries, chocolatiers + boulangeries (as seen in Paris).

My friend and I somehow managed to visit over a dozen boulangeries, patisseries and chocolatiers over our six days in Paris. With the aid of Seattle's own Cakespy and this wonderful book, we discovered many a beautiful baguette, piece of chocolate, pastry and macaron. Our favorite stops were as follows:

Laduree
21 Rue Bonaparte, 6th
Miracle of miracles, this outpost of Laduree was two blocks away from our apartment! Each night, we'd stroll past the gorgeous window display and coo over it. They sell gobs of macarons each day, so the line is always quite long to make a purchase. But, Laduree is a classic for a reason. The macarons are tasty and their pastry selection is exquisite.



Pierre Herme
72 Rue Bonaparte, 6th
Our first night in Paris, we somehow managed to find the perfect macaron. In some ways, this was a sad thing as subsequent macarons simply did not live up to the standard already set. Pierre Herme's flavor combinations are interesting and complex (apricot + pistachio, olive oil + vanilla, strawberry + wasabi), yet unbelievably subtle at the same time. The shop on Rue Bonaparte is like being in Tiffany's, as well. You enter and leave with the sense that these are macarons to be treated with love and respect. =)




Jeff de Bruges
144 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Antoine, 12th
Of the many, many chocolatiers we visited, Jeff de Bruges was right at the top of our list of favorites. In addition to being oh-so-pretty, each chocolate had a clean yet complex taste to it. I also discovered calissons at Jeff de Bruges and fell in love with them. Jeff de Bruges has several locations throughout Paris.




Berko
31 rue Lepic, 18th
For a shop just having opened this year, Berko has it figured out. They sell tasty little American-style cupcakes at a fraction of the size (which my waist thanked them for!). The display is arranged in by color and they are so pretty to look at. Without even taking a breath, the server who helped us glided right through the long list of flavors. I chose a fantastically moist banana + nutella cupcake. Yum!



Le Grenier à Pain
38 Rue des Abbesses, 18th
My friend was very interested in tasting one of the best baguettes in Paris, so she did a bit of research before our trip. Le Grenier a Pain topped her list and, after tasting Djibril Bodian's handiwork, I think we found it. I was especially excited to actually see him in the process of making them while we waited, as well. What a treat!



Debauve & Gallais
30 Rue des Saints-Pères, 7th
Another spot just blocks from our apartment, Debauve & Gallais has been in the chocolate-making business since 1800 (!). Their chocolates were originally used for medicinal purposes—something I could completely get behind after feeling the euphoric effects of eating them.



À la mère de famille
39 rue du Cherche-Midi, 6th
Thanks to a kind comment on this blog prior to my trip, I was introduced to this darling shop. Their flavored marshmallows were remarkable, and the pretty jars they were displayed in made me quite happy.




Jean-Paul Hevin
231 Rue Saint-Honoré, 1st
Many chocolatiers in Paris are also incredible sculptors. Jean-Paul Hevin had an impressive display of intricate hearts, stiletto heels, cigars and more. As shown here, they also sell macarons a plenty. I picked up a "tablette" (or bar) of sea salt caramel milk chocolate. Each bite was bursting with flavor and I already regret not picking up several more.