The best croissant in Paris?

cities, culinary cultures, Europe — By Bob Riel on June 11, 2007 at 1:45 pm

The International Herald Tribune recently debuted a travel blog called Globespotters, in which the paper’s foreign correspondents provide news, tips and advice from six of the world’s most traveled cities – Paris, Rome, London, Berlin, Hong Kong and Bangkok. An entry a few days ago speculated about the best croissant in Paris.

One of the great pleasures of returning to France on an overnight flight from North America or Asia is arriving in the world’s most beautiful city as it wakes.

The best place to enjoy it – to my mind – is on rue Montorgueil, the pedestrian street running past our apartment.

I stop first at Stohrer, a boulangerie that was once official baker to Louis XV. (A favorite of the queen, Nicolas Stohrer is credited with inventing the baba au rhum, a delicious dessert for which he must be praised.)

But the real reason to visit Stohrer in the morning is their delicious croissant: Glazed, crumbly, crisp on the outside, but soft in the middle – and no doubt highly unhealthy.

I often take the croissant up the street to the Cafe des Petits Carreaux for a large cafe au lait to sip as I take a seat by the bar to glance at the tabloid Le Parisien for the latest crime stories while watching the pedestrians pass by.

Can any croissant in Paris beat that?