Parisians have secrets. Perhaps more than the rest of us. One kind of secret is a list of “Bonnes Adresses” which they keep in their back pocket. It is carefully guarded and given only to the best of friends. Having lived in or visited Paris many times, I am often asked for recommendations for “The Best” croissant, macarons, or pastries in Paris. So here is my list of “Bonnes Adresses” for the Paris-bound foodies and gourmet bakers among you.

Favorite Pâtisseries

(in alphabetical order)

Blé Sucré

7 Rue Antoine Vollon

Tucked away in a quaint square is the BEST croissant in Paris. Trust me. This is not hyperbole. I spent the better part of two months taste testing croissants at every reputable bakery in the city and this croissant won, hands down. It is the croissant of your dreams—your first bite experience is of the flaky, satisfying crunch, which quickly yields to a light, tender center. Mon dieu! Eat at the few tables outside, or take it to go and eat it in the park on the square while you watch French children at play. Other pastries are just so-so. Croissants are the star here.

Gontran Cherrier

22 Rue Coulaincourt

If you are in the Montmartre quartier on your way to the Basilica Sacre-Coeur, it’s worth it to stop here to try his croissants (my second favorite in Paris). Consider taking away his savory breads/sandwiches to make a picnic lunch on the steps of Sacre-Coeur, or even better on a bench in the Square Jehan Rictus Place des Abbesses garden near the “I Love You” wall. Très romantique. (Also in the area and worth a stop is Arnaud Larher.)

Arnaud Larher

53 Rue Caulaincourt or 93 rue de Seine

A M.O.F. pâtissier (un de Meilleur Ouvrier de France, one of the Best Craftsmen in France) in Montmartre. After climbing all the staircases in the area, reward yourself with the most exquisitely presented pastries in Paris. No seating available, but everything is wonderful! No specific recommendations.

Ladurée Champs-Élysées (other locations throughout the city, favorite noted here)

75 Avenue des Champs-Élysées

Have brunch here one morning, then walk and window shop along the luxury boutiques that line the Champs-Élysées. Order pain perdue (“French toast” the way it was meant to be) and a pot of tea. Shrouded in the rococo décor of the upper dining rooms, you will feel like Marie Antoinette, but without the beheading. Even though you’ll be full, stand in the line downstairs and pick up a few classic pastries from the pastry case to enjoy eating later on in your hotel room. Make a reservation if you plan to dine. Recommend eating the mille-feuille, anything chocolate, and macarons (to compare to Pierre Hermé’s).

Pierre Hermé (many locations throughout the city, favorite noted here)

This is the only place I go for macarons in Paris. There are several locations in Paris, so check the website. My favorite one is at the Pasteur metro stop: 185 rue de Vaugirard. But that might be too far afield for most visitors. His individual desserts are all amazing. If I had to choose just a few to recommend, it would be his tarte citron, Ispahan (a five-inch pink macaron shell filled with rose-scented cream, fresh raspberries and lychee fruit), and anything chocolate. A few of his shops do sell viennoiseries. In the mornings, the croissant Ispahan sells out as soon as the doors open at the Pasteur location. Yes, it’s that good.

There is an ongoing debate over whether the macarons at Ladurée are better than those from Monsieur Pierre Hermé. Ladurée’s macarons are like classic art, while Hermé’s are contemporary art. Ladurée’s flavors are classic. Pierre Hermé was the first to experiment with unique flavor combinations and to present flavor collections. (He drew his own parallel between fashion and pastry in this way.) His macarons are “seasonal” (in summer I’ve enjoyed yuzu and sweet pea, in winter the praliné). But some of his classics, like Infiniment Citron or Ispahan, are available throughout the year.

Unfortunately, Pierre Hermé’s boutiques do not have seating, so everything will be beautifully boxed to go (ask for forks). I usually find the nearest bench and tear into my pastries or bring it back to my hotel to gobble the treats in privacy. For those who prefer a more genteel dégustation, there is a chic salon de thé at Beaupassage, 53-57 rue de Grenelle and seating at 126 rue Saint-Germain.

Favorite Chocolateries

Chapon

69 Rue du Bac

Consistently voted best chocolate shop in Paris (compare to Patrick Roger). The interior of this petite shop is a MUST SEE with the back wall covered in antique chocolate molds. There are so many interesting ganache flavors here and the shop clerk usually speaks enough English to help you select your chocolates. Typically when you go to a chocolate shop, you pick a box and fill it with your choices.

Jacques Genin

133 Rue de Turenne

Genin himself is usually on the premises zipping between his workshop (up the spiral staircase) and the shop floor. I’ve seen him escort well-behaved younglings upstairs to view his workshop. (Lucky ducks!) His chocolates are wonderful and are boxed up in mod silver tins, which make awesome gifts. But everyone comes here for the caramels. They are SO good! Purists will love the sea salt caramels, but adventurous palates will enjoy the raspberry or mango caramels as well. They are priced and sold by the gram, which speaks to their quality and rarity.

A tea salon in a pâtisserie or chocolaterie is rare, so take advantage of it and sit at one of the tables here. If it’s not scorching hot outside, order a pot of chocolat chaud (hot chocolate served in the French-style, which is thick and served with your own bowl of whipped cream to “thin” the drinking chocolate as you desire.) On my last trip to Paris, I had the “caramel tasting” and “gelées tasting” –six to seven flavors arranged on a small platter to taste before buying a tin of them to take home or gift.

Patrick Roger

183 Boulevard Saint-Germain (many other locations throughout the city)

A MOF chocolatier (Meilleur Ouvrier de France). Sleek, black and teal interior design that positions chocolates like jewels to be admired, but also eaten! Roger’s kind of a ‘nut’ himself, but his praliné (hazelnut brittle) candies and chocolate sculptures are amazing. There can be lines, especially around French national holidays. If choosing is intimidating, they have pre-boxed chocolates that take the guesswork out of what chocolates to buy. There are several locations, so check the website for the one nearest your hotel.

Favorite Gourmet Shops

La Grande Epicerie

24 Rue de Sèvres (owned by Le Bon Marché department store)

A gourmet market unlike anything in the U.S. You could find lots of goodies here to make yourself a picnic at the Jardin Luxembourg. This is my first stop for souvenirs for foodie friends. Pick up suitcase- and customs-friendly foods in jars like truffles, violet and rose petal jam, vinegars, French mustard, French de Puy lentils, and sugar cubes molded into Eiffel towers. They also have a selection of canvas bags with French writing/ads that are good for placing gifts in, or to keep for your own use. (You’ll have a great memory of Paris every time you use it to go grocery shopping or every day you bring your lunch to work in it!)

Fauchon

24-26, 30 Place de la Madeleine

This is an institution and my second favorite place to souvenir shop for foodie friends. Everything is awash in their iconic black, white, and fuchsia logo and packaged in cute, cute, cute tins of every shape and size. I typically buy a few tins of tea and of cookies, but covet the beautifully candied whole pieces of fruit. Go upstairs after shopping to have a chic lunch (composed salads, fish and meat dishes that are the perfect size for the ladies-who-lunch crowd) If you do lunch here, save room for dessert because the BEST éclairs in the city are here. Try the caramel éclair, or better yet, just get one in every flavor to go. Same goes for their madeleines and their palmiers.

Favorite Gourmet Quartier

Les Halles – First Arrondissement

Contained within a few city blocks are my favorite gourmet food and kitchen supply shops. A fun afternoon can be had within a few small blocks, by browsing the shelves of these bonnes adresses!

G. Detou

58 rue Tiquetonne

A baker’s (and cook’s) paradise—it is literally stocked floor-to-ceiling with the hardest-to-find ingredients. A sample of what you find there: candied rose petals, bottles of extracts (e.g. lychee, pistachio, poppy, rose), bags of the greenest, shelled Iranian and Sicilian pistachio meats, tubs of praliné paste, gold leaf booklets, petite pails of true Dijon mustard, tinned sardines and force meats—all items you cannot find in the States. This is where local gourmet home bakers and cooks shop. The checkout process is a little confusing, but here’s what to do: 1) Take your items to the counter just to the left of the entrance where they will be tabulated; 2) Take the tab to the cashier sitting in a glass booth in the center of the store to pay for your items; 3) Take your receipt back to the counter and pick up your items.

MORA

13 Rue Montmartre

This is the store I make a beeline for whenever I’m in Paris. Lots of French baking supplies (brioche à tête, petite tarte and cannelé tins), some of which you can't find in the States. Everything from Eiffel Tower shaped cookie cutters to serious pastry chef items like silicone molds for mousse cakes. Don’t forget to duck into the side room off the entrance to browse the shelves full of cake and cookie decorating supplies.

A. Simon / La Bovida

48 Rue Montmartre / 36 Rue Montmartre

The French version of Williams-Sonoma with items similarly displayed. For heavier/bulky items, ask if they can ship it to the States. Slightly higher prices at La Bovida.)

E. Dehillerin

18-20 Rue Coquillière

Lots of guidebooks point the way to Dehillerin and Food Network star Ina Garten swears by this place, but I’ve only been here once in the past four trips to Paris. I find this store cluttered, crowded, and confusing. But, I found a balloon whisk as large as my face for making short work of hand-whipped egg whites and a beautifully-turned, acacia wood, baton-style rolling pin, both of which came home with me. I use the rolling pin every day and have not found its equal in the States. Another negative is the Byzantine checkout process forces customers to spend valuable time waiting in line rather than in the Louvre or sipping wine at a nearby café. But if you just want to browse, this is a great place to do so! Venture downstairs for stacks of stainless steel and copper pots and pans in every shape and size.

Comptoir de la Gastronomie

34 Rue Montmartre

Situated in the midst of all the above recommended shops, and next door to La Bovida, this is the perfect place to take a break from all the shopping. You can try foie gras here without the crazy price or the snooty atmosphere of some restaurants. I’ve enjoyed just sitting outside and having a glass of wine and a cheese plate after shopping in the area. The postage-stamp-sized shop connected to the restaurant sells foie gras (both tinned and vacuum-packed) and other luxury edibles like caviar, dried morelles, and condiments. Everything is neatly packaged for a picnic and also for gifting.

What to order: At lunch, if you like duck, order the salad "La Gourmande." It is a dinner-sized salad and is topped with foie gras and delicious duck confit. The interior is tiny and fills quickly with businessmen and businesswomen on long lunch breaks, but the sidewalk tables make for great people watching. Casual dress at lunch, but Parisian smart casual for dinner. If coming for dinner, make a reservation and order from the prix-fixe menu, which changes daily and is always delicious and satisfying.