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Hôtel des Métallos Paris : a design hotel in the heart of Paris

Best Patisseries (Pastries) in Paris with les Métallos

Croissants and Viennoiseries

The croissant is the quintessential French pastry, and finding the best one is no easy feat. Luckily, the Concours du Meilleur Croissant au Beurre AOC Charantes-Poitou makes it easy, with an annual competition electing the best butter croissant of the year. The 2013 winner was 30 year-old Romain Thomann, who has worked at the family bakery in the Parisian suburb of Lilas since he was 16 and has since taken the reins there. It’s not the first award for Thomann – the passionate baker also won best apprentice when he was first put on the job. Getting to Lilas is a bit of a trek, but with a buttery croissant waiting at the end of your train ride, in addition to a panoply of other delicious viennoiseries (a French term for bread-type pastries including pain au chocolat or pain au raisin), what could be so bad about that?

Boulangerie Thomann
8 Boulevard de la Liberté, Les Lilas
Metro: Mairie des Lilas (Line 11)
Tel: +33 (0)1 48 97 84 06

To get there from Hôtel des Métallos, take Métro 9 @ Oberkampf, switch train @ République for Métro 11 and Alight @ Mairie des Lilas

 

More top-notch croissants and pastries

If you’re not motivated enough to trek to Lilas for your croissant, pain au chocolat, or apricot tart, you’re in luck – six of the ten top croissants elected in the recent competition are located inside of Paris proper. Ranked number two, the oddly-named 134 RdT is anything but obscure. Besides coming in second for its croissants, it won second place for its baguette in 2009. In third place was Le Grenier à Pain des Abbessess. The bakery’s stunning, intricately decorated cakes are a must, and while you’re there, make sure pick up a baguette – head baker Djibril Bodian won the award for best baguette in 2010, breaking that aforementioned rule. Rounding in at 3rd place is Boulangerie L’Essentiel Mouffetard. After you’ve picked up your flaky croissants, admire (and fill up on) the chocolate éclairs, layered cakes and other goodies spectacularly presented in glass cases.

134 Rdt
134 Rue de Turenne, 3rd arrondissement
Metro: République 
Hours: Monday to Friday 7:30am-8:30pm, Saturday 7am-2pm
Tel: +33 (0)1 42 78 04 72

To get there from Hôtel des Métallos, Take rue de la Folie-Méricourt then Rue Oberkampf until you cross Boulevard des Filles du Calvaire (After Boulevard Richard-Lenoir, Boulevard Voltaire and Rue de Malte), then rue de Turenne will be on your right.

Le Grenier à Pain des Abbessess
38 Rue des Abbesses, 18th arrondissement
Metro: Abbesses, Blanche or Pigalle
Hours: Every day except Tuesdays and Wednesdays: 7:30am-8pm
Tel: +33 (0)1 46 06 41 81
Visit the official website for more store locations.

To get there from Hôtel des Métallos, take Métro 9 @ Oberkampf, switch train @ Nation to Métro 2 and Alight @ Blanche

Boulangerie L’Essentiel Mouffetard
2 Rue Mouffetard, 5th arrondissement
Metro: Place Monge or Cardinal Lemoine
Hours: Tuesday to Sunday 8am-9:30pm
Tel: +33 (0)1 56 81 86 64

To get there from Hôtel des Métallos, take Métro 5 @ Oberkampf, switch train @ Gare d'Austerlitz for Métro 10 and Alight @ Cardinal-Lemoine

Patisseries From Around the World

La Bague de Kenza
If you’ve grown tired of traditional French pastries (while unlikely, this can happen), stop by this patisserie specializing in Algerian confectionary delights. Dozens of beautiful platters line the shop's tables, piled high with pastries made primarily with nuts, dates, figs, honey, or pistachio. Flavored with rose water, orange blossom, vanilla and other delicious essences, these palm-sized cakes are good enough to order by the handful. Simply point at the ones that look appealing if you don’t know the names – you’ll surely be happy with any choice you make.<

106, Rue Saint-Maur, 11th arrondissement
Metro: Rue Saint-Maur or Parmentier
Hours: Monday to Sunday : 9:00-10:00, Friday : 13h30 - 21h (2:30-9pm in the summer)
Tel: +33 (0)1 43 14 93 15
See the official website for more store locations.

To get there from Hôtel des Métallos, take rue de La-Folie-Méricourt, then Rue Oberkampf until you cross Rue Saint-Maur.

Patisserie Sadaharu AOKI: Japanese Specialties
With training in Japan as well as France, Sadaharu Aoki creates pastries that combine traditional French design and a Japanese eye for detail and simplicity. Aoki says that when he sees customers enjoying his pastries, he thinks, “Good, but I can do even better!” This search for greatness comes through in Aoki’s exquisite creations, where macha green tea, wasabi and black sesame turn ordinary cakes and puff pastries into a wondrous treat for your taste buds. You’ll also find classic French pastries here, like the much-recommended salted caramel tart.

35 rue de Vaugirard, 6th arrondissement
Metro: Rennes, Saint-Placide or Notre-Dame-des-Champs
Hours: Tuesday-Saturday 9am-7pm, Sunday 10am-6pm
Tel: + 33 (0)1 45 44 48 90
See the official website for more store locations.

To get there from Hôtel des Métallos, take Métro 9 @ Oberkampf, switch train @ Saint-Lazare for Métro 12 and Alight @ Notre-Dame-Des-Champs.

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