While in France for the 2019 Christmas holidays, I enjoyed a few days in Paris where I use to live for about 5 years. Paris really is a feast: the amount of food option is countless, from small bistros to huge brasserie, dozens of Michelin starred, amazing bakeries and exceptional food groceries store. We start this food journey with a focus on 4 popular bakeries: Hipster, innovative and organic: Here’s my list of the 4 Parisian bakeries you shouldn’t miss.
You can find all these places, and many more, on Monsieur Baozi Map !

1- MAMICHE

Opened in 2017, MAMICHE is a very popular bakery nestled in the 9th arrondissement near PIGALLE, and more recently in the middle of 10th district (near canal Saint-Martin). Both areas are known to be places where the cultural youth and street culture are concentrated, and the characteristics of the area certainly have an impact on the characteristics of the bakery.

Owned by a duet of bread passionate, MAMICHE focus on the product and voluntary have a sober and rudimentary design that makes the patina of this type of address. Customers also are very familiar with the place: I have been told by a customer and not a staff about which product I should try.

The shop, quite small, has the production space completely open and the sales space, essentially a counter, very supplied with products sold by weight: Babka, cereals loaves, sourdough loaves, brioche. There are also classics (pastries and baguette) as well as sandwiches in line with the concept: raw, well-stocked, with a lot of information about the products used (high-end ham, organic vegetables, AOC butter, etc.).

What I Tried:

Baguette, 1€/piece (prices are rather on the sweet side at MAMICHE): brought still hot, the baguette gave off an excellent fragrance on the way back. The taste was there too: characteristic notes of a well-mastered sourdough and cooking in an oven of very good quality. I don’t know what flour they use but the baguette was tasty and gave off good cereal aromas.

Babka 17.9€ / KG: The new trend in Parisian bakery, so I had to try it. It is a very addictive Jewish speciality, consisting of a well-baked brioche (so crispy at the edges) filled with dark chocolate and orange blossom. The version of MAMICHE made me come back three times during my stay! It must be said that the association of orange blossom and dark chocolate works perfectly well.

Where:
45 rue Condorcet
75009 Paris
☎️ +33 1 53 21 03 68
Ⓜ️ Anvers

2- THE FRENCH BASTARD

This bakery, settled in the vibrant Rue Oberkampf (11th district), is driven by the same hipster vibe as MAMICHE, with perhaps a little more budget for opening, a slightly fancier decoration and a larger space. Rap music is broadcasted in the store, bearded staff & apron: no doubts we are in a claimed Hipster address. The classics of the “bakery 2020” are there: baguette, sourdough loaves by weight, danishes as well as a fairly well-stocked and very inciting pastry department. The shop is also selling some high-quality sandwiches and salad, that you can enjoy on-site with a properly brewed coffee from next door’s “L’arbre à Café“, one of the best coffee sellers in Paris.

What I tried:

Sourdough Country Miche, 8€/Kg: It has to be said that I love sourdough bread. The version of THE FRENCH BASTARDS has a fairly high acidity that probably pleases connoisseurs, but will require an open mind to less familiar consumers. I would describe the taste as “rustic”, which is quite normal for a loaf of this kind. A less accustomed consumer might go for a baguette though.

Croissant “ober” AOP, 1.20€/u: They use “Poitou-Charentes” AOP butter, which is among the best butter available in France as well as one of the three “AOP” French butter (“Isigny” butter being the 2nd out of 3). Taste is dense and the ratio of butter is much higher than what I am used to in China. It is, overall, an excellent croissant.

Where:
61 rue Oberkampf
75011 Paris
Ⓜ️ Parmentier

3- PAIN PAIN

Here, a bakery of a very different style. With its rather funny and cute name, PAIN PAIN Bakery is absolutely not a joke. Nestled in the heart of the chic (and super-instagrammable) Abbesses district (18th district), the bakery offers a range of high-quality products, under the direction of Sebastien Mauvieux: nothing less than the winner of the 2012 best baguette in Paris.

The exterior and the interior are very chic: royal blue and gold are the main colours of the shop where tourists and Parisians come in large numbers (waiting line, necessarily) to test the specialities of the bakery champion.

There is a wide range of products such as loaves of bread (baguettes, rye bread, fruit loaves or toast bread), but also very nice danishes and pastries: mille-feuilles with Madagascar vanilla, éclair, Paris-Brest, Saint-Honoré… The classics are there, twisted with a touch of modernism: the signature of Chef Mauvieux. There are also some creations such as an Opera with Yuzu (the very popular Japanese citrus) or the ZEPHYR, the signature pastry made out with a financier biscuit, white chocolate chantilly with lime and vanilla.

What I tried:

Mille-feuille, 4.65€/u: as the saying goes: “it’s not Paris if there is no Mille-Feuilles“. It is a Huge classic, quite often disappointing: Mille-feuille is a difficult and expensive pastry to produce, which in addition has the tendency not to keep itself more than two hours. The version of PAIN PAIN is super crispy and the vanilla in the dense cream is really powerful.

Tradition 1.25€/u: The classic tradition is made out of flour, yeast, water and salt only. With a price on the high range, this tradition baguette worth the try.

Where:
88 rue des Martyrs
75018 Paris
☎️ +33 1 42 23 62 81
Ⓜ️ Abbesses

4- PANIFICA

The last bakery in this series and the only one of the 4 I was able to attend when I was still living in Paris, almost 4 years ago. Modern decoration, bright and industrial, products as beautiful as good, and above all, the speciality of PANIFICA: Bio (Organic).

The store is located on the edge of the 9th district and is one of the few addresses for sipping coffee and eating a croissant while watching the Basilica of the Sacré-Coeur up in Montmartre.

PANIFICA is a committed bakery, which defines itself through the following leitmotiv: BON BEAU BIO (tasty, good looking and organic). Tasty and good looking through the mastery of the classics techniques, and organic through their sourcing of organic products, especially Flours from SUIRE factory. It is also a well-established bakery in a residential neighbourhood with a primary school and a square just in front. If you go there around 5 pm, you will attend to the spectacle of Parisian children running in the street to get their afternoon “pain au chocolat”.

What I tried:

Tradition baguette, 1.10€: natural sourdough of course, at 1.10 euro: quite rustic, not very airy but very tasty, the baguette of PANIFICA is a very good version of the Parisian baguette.

Viennoise Chocolat, 1.70€: Viennoise is a kind of brioche gently kneaded and enriched with condensed milk, resulting in a soft texture. At PANIFICA, Viennoise is ultra-melting and a delight!

Pain au chocolat, 1.30€: This is my favourite danish. The version of PANIFICA includes sourdough in its dough (which is not very common), AOP Poitou-Charentes butter and organic chocolate. The puff pastry is not hyper neat but the result is rich and superb

Where:
15 Avenue Trudaine
75009 Paris
☎️ +33 1 53 20 91 18
Ⓜ️ Anvers

This is the first article of my last Parisian trip in January 2020. Following articles should come soon. I am also preparing a Map where I will pin the place I visited and recommend.
Stay tuned!