If you are visiting Paris and wondering which sweet treats to try, look no further. Here is a list of 31 of the best desserts in Paris in 2023 and where to try them.
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It is no secret that Paris is home to some of the best restaurants, patisseries and boulangeries in the world. Whether it’s a buttery pastry, a decadent cake or a brightly-coloured confectionary you are craving- you’ll find every famous French dessert imaginable in Paris.
The difficult task is deciding which desserts to try in Paris and where to try these sweets. To help you out, I’ve created this list of 31 popular French desserts that you simply must sample in Paris!
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Best desserts in Paris (from a restaurant) :
1. Crème Brûlée
It would be remiss not to start this list of desserts to try in Paris with anything other than Crème Brûlée. This classic French dessert consists of a rich vanilla custard base topped with that iconic layer of hardened caramelized sugar.
It may be a simple dish, but it is difficult to master. Make sure you eat at least one perfect Crème Brûlée in Paris before you leave!
Where to get the best Crème Brûlée in Paris
Location: Le Potager du Père Thierry
Address: Rue des Trois Frères, Montmartre
2. Soufflé
The Soufflé is yet another icon of French culinary genius. This light and puffy cake, made from eggs, can be served both as a main course or as a dessert. If you have time when visiting Paris, I’d recommend trying both savoury and sweet souffle!
The most popular flavours of dessert soufflé are chocolate, vanilla or with seasonal fruit. If you visit Le Soufflé in Paris, the most popular dessert is the Grand Marnier Soufflé, made with orange liqueur.
PS. If you want to try your hand at making the savoury version of this French classic at home, you’ve got to check out my vegetarian soufflé recipe!
Where to get the best Soufflé in Paris
Location: Le Soufflé
Address: 36 Rue du Mont Thabor, 1st Arrondissement
3. Baba au Rhum
The Baba au Rhum is one of the most famous desserts in Paris. It is a small yeast cake, often studded with dried fruit, that is served drenched in a rum syrup. This French dessert is also commonly topped with whipped cream.
Polish Nicholas Stohrer, once the pastry maker at the royal palace, was the one to invent the Baba au Rhum. The bakery he set up in the 1700’s, Stohrer, is the oldest bakery in Paris. You can still come here to sample this iconic Paris dessert!
Where to get the best Baba au Rhum in Paris
Location: Stohrer
Address: 51 Rue Montorgueil, 1st arrondissement
4. Île Flottante
Île Flottante is another classic French dessert. The dessert consists of a light and airy whipped egg white floating in crème anglaise (hence its namesake, “floating island”). Île Flottante is then finished off with caramel and often pralines to give a contrast in texture.
Be sure to order this unique French dessert in Paris- you’ll find it offered at many restaurants around town.
Where to get the best Île Flottante in Paris
Location: La Fontaine de Mars
Address: 129 Rue Saint-Dominique, 7th arrondissement
5. Crêpes
There is one dessert to try in Paris that is NO secret, and that is the crêpe. This ultra-thin pancake originated from the French region of Brittany and has since become popular throughout the world.
Crêpes were traditionally filled with lemon and sugar, however nowadays, you’ll find an endless array of fillings on offer. Some favourites include Nutella, honey, jam, salted caramel and various fruits.
Where to get the best Crêpes in Paris
Location: La Crêperie Mon Ami
Address: 7 Rue Joseph de Maistre, 18th arrondissement
6. Crêpes Suzette
Alongside the various crêpes fillings mentioned above, Crêpes Suzette is another fabulous Parisian dessert to try. The dish is made with crepes topped with a sauce of caramelized sugar, butter, orange juice, and Grand Marnier liqueur, which is typically flambéed tableside.
Where to get the best Crêpe Suzette in Paris
Location: Breizh Café
Address: 109 Rue Vieille du Temple, Marais
7. Crème Caramel
Crème Caramel is one of those desserts that is equally as light as it is decadent. It consists of a creamy custard pudding topped with a dazzling layer of caramel sauce. It is not only a popular French dessert, but a beloved dish throughout the world (for instance, Pudim De Leite from Cabo Verde).
It is one of the few gluten-free desserts in Paris, making it a great option for celiac or the gluten-intolerant.
Where to get the best Crème Caramel in Paris
Location: La Bourse et La Vie
Address: 12 Rue Vivienne, 2nd arrondissement
8. Mousse au Chocolat
Another dessert worth ordering in Paris is the Mousse au Chocolat. This dessert is one of the simplest when it comes to ingredients- requiring only egg whites and high-quality dark chocolate to make. The result is light, fluffy and decadent. The French are masters at simplicity, which is why you need to try this dessert in Paris!
Where to get the best Mousse au Chocolat in Paris
Location: Chez Janou
Address: 2 Rue Roger Verlomme, 3rd arrondissement
9. Café Gourmand
If you want to try a selection of desserts in Paris in the one sitting, you are in luck. Launched by a restaurant chain called La Criée, the Café Gourmand has become a favourite Parisian dessert.
It normally consists of espresso and an assortment of pastries and/ or desserts in bite-sized form. This has got to be one of the most enjoyable ways to try a selection of French sweets when you are in Paris!
Where to get the best Cafè Gourmand in Paris
Location: Café le Zimmer
Address: 1 Place du Châtelet, 1st arrondissement
Booking.comBest sweets to try in Paris (from a patisserie):
10. Paris-Brest
The Paris-Brest is a decadent French dessert made with choux pastry and filled with praline cream. The combination of airy pastry combined with a rich, nutty filling makes it one of the best desserts in Paris.
It was originally created in 1910 by pastry chef Louis Durand for the organizer of a bicycle race between Paris and Brest. For this reason, it is typically made in a large ring shape to represent a bicycle wheel.
Where to get the best Paris Brest in Paris
Location: Phillipe Conticini
Address: 37 Rue de Varenne, Invalides
11. Éclair
Another dessert you need to try in Paris is an éclair. Choux pastry is piped into an oblong shape, filled with crème pâtissière and piped with fondant icing. While chocolate eclairs are the most common, you can find all sorts of flavours of eclairs at the patisseries around Paris.
From pistachio to salted caramel, coffee to raspberry, there is an éclair out there to suit everyone’s taste buds!
Where to get the best Éclair in Paris
Location: L’Eclair de Genie
Address: 14 Rue Pavee, Marais
12. Tarte au Citron
The Tarte au Citron (or lemon tart) is one of my personal favourite desserts to have in Paris! It is a classic of French cuisine and you’ll find it in various forms across the country.
A tarte au citron is made with a sweet-tart dough and topped with zesty lemon curd. It can then be finished simply with a sprinkle of icing sugar or dressed up with whipped cream or Italian meringue.
Where to get the best Tarte au Citron in Paris
Location: Jacques Genin
Address: 133 Rue de Turenne, Marais
13. Macarons
One simply cannot leave Paris without indulging in at least one (or more likely, half a dozen) macarons. The repetitive pattern of perfect circles in a kaleidoscopic of colours tend to make macarons the most eye-catching treat in a patisserie.
The other allure of these sweet meringue-based confections is the endless array of flavours they come in. Most places will offer typical flavours such as chocolate, raspberry and vanilla. However, you’ll also find some very inventive flavours around.
Pierre Herme offers flavour combinations like rose-raspberry-lychee or milk chocolate passionfruit. Sadaharu Aoki with a range of tea-based flavours including Earl Grey and Hojicha grilled Japanese tea. My favourite macarons in Paris are from Carette- the salted caramel flavour is to die for.
Where to get the best Macaron in Paris
Location: Carette
Address: 25 Place des Vosges, Marais
14. Mille-Feuille
Mille-Feuille is yet another favourite of mine (I’m starting to realize I am impartial to almost all French desserts). There is something about the mouthfeel of the contrasting layers of crisp, flaky puff pastry and rich pastry cream filling.
It may be one of the hardest pastries to consume, but it’s worth every flaky bite. This is a must-try dessert in Paris!
Where to get the best Mille-feuille in Paris
Location: Carl Marletti
Address: 51 Rue Censier, 5th arrondissement
15. Flan Pâtissier
Flan pâtissier is another simple yet elegant French dessert to try when you are in Paris. It’s made of shortcrust or puff pastry and filled with a smooth, creamy custard spiked with rich vanilla flavour. The flan is baked in the oven to form a shiny, caramelized top.
A good flan pâtissier will not be overly sweet, allowing the delicate flavours of the custard to shine through.
Where to get the best Flan Pâtissier in Paris
Location: Cyril Lignac
Address: 9 rue Bayen, 17th arrondissement (plus other locations)
16. Madeleines
A Madeleine is a traditional small sponge cake with a distinct shell-like shape. They originated in Commercy, and traditional include a touch of citrus to the sponge recipe, either lemon or orange. Nowadays, you can find these sweets in Paris in all different flavours, but the iconic shape remains.
Where to get the best Madeleines in Paris
Location: Ritz Paris Le Comptoir
Address: 38 Rue Cambon, 1st arrondissement
17. Claufoutis
Claufoutis is a baked French dessert where fruit is covered in a thick, flan-like batter. It is typically served lukewarm, dusted with icing sugar and sometimes cream. Black cherries are the most commonly used fruit in Claufoutis, although you will find different variations of this dessert in Paris.
Where to get the best Claufoutis in Paris
Location: Les Cocottes
Address: 135 Rue Saint-Dominique, 7th arrondissement
18. Mont-Blanc
Another one of the best desserts to try in Paris is the Mont-Blanc. This Parisian dessert was created at the beginning of the 20th century by the pastry chefs at the famous tea house and cafe, Angelina.
The Mont-Blanc consists of French meringue sitting under a dome of whipped cream and chestnut vermicelli. Apparently, this shape was inspired by the stylish hairstyle for women at the time, which was a short bob!
Where to get the best Mont-Blanc in Paris
Location: Angelina
Address: 226 Rue de Rivoli, 1st arrondissement
19. Religieuse
The religieuse is a French dessert made of two choux pastry cases filled with crème pâtissière. These are stacked on top of one another with a layer of cream and topped with chocolate or coffee icing.
The pastry is said to resemble a nun, which is what the name religieuse translates to in French. This is where the similarities end as there is nothing saintly about this decadent dessert!
Where to get the best Religieuse in Paris
Location: Rollet Pradier
Address: 6 Rue de Bourgogne, 7th arrondissement
20. Fraiser
For the perfect dessert to try in Paris in the summer, order the Fraiser! It is a traditional French dessert made from two layers of genoise sponge, mousseline cream and a generous amount of fresh strawberries. You’ll be able to find the Fraiser at most patisseries around Paris. Carl Marletti’s looks particularly divine.
Where to get the best Frasier in Paris
Location: Carl Marletti
Address: 51 Rue Censier, 5th arrondissement
21. Opéra
If you want a sophisticated dessert to try in Paris, opt for the Opera cake. This traditional French cake is made with layers of coffee-soaked sponge, ganache and coffee buttercream, finished off with a chocolate glaze. It was so named as the layers resemble the levels of an opera house.
Where to get the best Opéra in Paris
Location: Dalloyau
Address: 101 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, 8th arrondissement
22. Choux à la Crème (Profiterole)
Choux à la Crème (or Profiteroles as you may know them) is another one of the Paris sweets you need to try. Fluffy, crisp choux pastry is filled with whipped cream in varying flavours to create the ultimate bite-sized snack.
Chouquettes are another variation of choux worth trying. The addition of a pearl sugar coating to the pastry gives a delectable textural crunch.
Where to get the best Choux à la Crème (Profiteroles) in Paris
Location: Bulliz Choux
Address: 14 rue d’Hauteville, 10th arrondissement
23. Canelé
Another French dessert to try in Paris is the canelé, a small rum-flavoured cake with a custard centre and thick caramelized crust. Sink your teeth into one of these French sweets for a textural sensation. First,there’s the crackle of the crust, then there’s the sweet, tender custard filling.
Aux Deux Canelés sells these sweets in Paris in a delectable range of flavours, including a salted butter caramel and a hazelnut chocolate.
Where to get the best Canelés in Paris
Location: Aux Deux Canelés
Address: 72 Rue de la Verrerie, 4th arrondissement
Best pastries in Paris (from a boulangerie)
24. Pain au Chocolat
The Pain au Chocolat is a beloved French pastry in Paris and around the world. Made with the same layered dough as a croissant, the Pain au Chocolat includes one or two pieces of dark chocolate in its center.
Not all Pain au Chocolats are created equal, so when you are in Paris, make sure you taste a good one. Head to famous pastry chef Cedric Grolet’s patisserie to sample one of the best in Paris.
Where to get the best Pain au Chocolat in Paris
Location: Cedric Grolet
Address: 35 Avenue de l’Opéra, 1st arrondissement
25. Pain aux Raisin
The pain aux raisin is a beloved breakfast pastry in Paris. It is also known as the escargot pastry, thankfully not due to the presence of snails, but because of its iconic spiral shape. The spiral of pastry is studded with raisins and creme patisserie to form this must-try viennoiserie.
Where to get the best Pain aux Raisin in Paris
Location: Bread & Roses Paris
Address: 62 Rue Madame, 6th arrondissement
26. Pain Suisse
The Pain Suisse is another very popular pastry in Paris. It is made of brioche dough formed in a rectangle shape filled with pastry cream and chocolate chips. It’s basically a richer, creamier version of a Pain au Chocolat!
Where to get the best Pain Suisse in Paris
Location: Cyril Lynic
Address: 9 rue Bayen, 17th arrondissement (plus other locations)
27. Kouign-amann
Although the Kouign-amann does not originate from France’s capital, it is still worth trying one of these irresistible sweets in Paris. This Breton pastry, translating literally to “butter cake”, is formed by folding puff pastry with butter and sugar.
Once baked, this caramelizes into a decadent, golden round cake. It’s possible one of the messiest desserts to eat in Paris, but it’s worth every flaky piece of debris.
Where to get the best Kouign-amann in Paris
Location: Blé Sucré
Address: 37 Rue Antoine Vollon, Bastille
28. Tarte aux Pommes
In France, apple tart, or Tarte aux Pommes, is not the same sickly-sweet, heavy-crusted dessert it is in other countries. Buy this dessert in Paris, and you’ll discover a delicate disc of pastry base topped with intricately layered apple slices. It’s a feast for both the eyes and the tastebuds.
Where to get the best Tarte aux Pomme in Paris
Location: Union Boulangerie
Address: 9 Rue Bleue, 9th arrondissement
29. Escargot à la Pistache
Although the Escargot à la Pistache is not a common boulangerie staple, it is must-try pastry in Paris. This snail-shaped pastry is made up of flaky dough that is decadently filled with chocolate chips and pistachio cream.
The place to go for the Escargot à la Pistache is Du Pain et des Idées, which is one of the best pastry shops in Paris (and the place that has made this pastry famous!)
Where to get the best Escargot à La Pistache in Paris
Location: Du Pain et des Idées
Address: 34 Rue Yves Toudic, 10th arrondissement
30. Brioche aux Pralines Roses
The Brioche aux Praline Roses is a rather striking French pastry. It consists of a buttery, soft brioche studded with pink pralines (which are essentially crushed up pink sugar-coated almonds). First invented by Auguste Pralus in 1955, the ‘Praluline’ has been found in the window of Pralus artisan chocolate shops every day since.
You’ll now find imitations at many boulangeries and patisseries across Paris, however you must visit a Pralus store to try the original French pastry.
Where to get the best Brioche aux Pralines Roses in Paris
Location: Pralus
Address: 9 Rue Bachaumont, 2nd arrondissement (and other locations)
31. Chausson aux Pommes
Another must-try sweet in Paris is the Chausson aux Pommes, or the apple turnover. This classic French treat is made of flaky puffy pastry filled with tender apple. You’ll find this comforting pastry at many boulangeries around the city.
For one of the best Chausson aux Pommes in Paris, I highly recommend trying Boulangerie Utopie’s rendition.
Where to get the best Chausson aux Pomme in Paris
Location: Boulangerie Utopie
Address: 20 Rue Jean-Pierre Timbaud, 11th arrondissement
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