The 12 Best Paris Desserts

Paris has one of the best restaurants scenes in the world, which inevitably means they also serve some of the best desserts in the world, too. There are crepe stands on every corner, bakeries on every street, and dessert menus so delicious that the human mind cannot comprehend. Never fear- we’ve rounded up 12 of the best desserts in Paris from pastries to macarons to crepes so you’ll know exactly where to appease your sweet tooth next time you’re in the City of Lights.

But first

Make sure and check out out our guide to the 10 best Paris restaurants. You may also want to check out our related dining guides including the 20 best restaurants in Rome and the 18 best restaurants in London. Cheers!

12. Eclairs: L’Éclair de génie

 

 

11. Cookies: Scoop Me A Cookie

Scoop Me A Cookie is your one-stop shop for big, nostalgic, soft-on-the-inside chewy-on-the-outtside cookies that make any day instantly better. They have three locations in Paris, all serving warm, freshly made cookies with flavors ranging from classic chocolate chip to matcha cranberry and dark chocolate with orange. Our recommendation? Order at least 3 or 4 cookies and divide and conquer with friends.

10. Cream Puffs: Popelini

Cream puffs. Another French originated pastry that is hard to resist when in Paris. And the best place to get them is Popelini. They have four shops scattered across Paris, all serving their delicious, delicate cream puffs made of choux pastry and (naturally) cream! Let your palate do the ordering here, but our favorite flavors are the dark chocolate, Madagascar vanilla, and salted caramel.

9. Paris-Brest: Le Servan

Le Servan is an actual restaurant, but if you’re in search of the best Paris-Brest in town, then this is your spot. Haven’t had a Paris-Best before? It’s a ring-shaped choux pastry (same dough used in many other French pastries like eclairs, profiteroles, beignets, etc) filled with hazelnut cream. If you’re doing a bonified pastry crawl in Paris, the Paris-Brest is a must try and Le Servan makes the best in town.

8. So Hot Right Now Macarons: Pierre Herme

A guide to the best Paris desserts isn’t’ complete without mention of macarons, and lucky for you we have THREE macaron suggestions in this compilation. Pierre Herme is your spot for “so hot right now” macarons- they’re popular, gorgeous, and oh so delicious. You’re going to want to try every last flavor but our top recommendations are the Chloe (chocolate and raspberry), Mogador (milk chocolate and passion fruit), and the Infiniment Caramel (salted-butter caramel).

7. Ice Cream: Berthillon

If you’re in the mood for ice cream during your trip to Paris, look no further than Berthillon on Rue Saint Louis in Paris. The Berthillon family has been making ice cream for literally decades, and they’ve perfected the art of creamy, flavorful high-quality ice cream.

All ice creams and sorbets are made with natural, high-quality ingredients, which you can appreciate from your very first taste. No sampling flavors here, but there are more than enough options to choose from.  Berthillon is open Wednesday through Sunday, cash only (never fear, there’s an ATM across the street, and totally worth it for one of the best Paris desserts).

6. OG Macarons: Ladurée

 

 

If you’re looking for the most classic, iconic macarons in Paris, seek out one of the several Laudree locations in town. Louis Ernest Ladurée opened his shop in Paris in 1862, but many still consider his name and brand to serve some of the very best macarons in the world. Come here for timeless flavors like pistachio, chocolate, vanilla, and caramel. Want the ultimate purist experience? Visit the first-ever Ladurée location on 16 rue Royale and make a meal out of it with lunch in the restaurant and copious amounts of macarons.

Don’t forget some to-go!

5. Rice Pudding: L’Ami Jean

If you read our guide to the 10 best restaurants in Paris, it’s no secret that we’re low-key obsessed with L’Ami Jean. The food here is unforgettable, all bursting with comfort, warmth, and eyebrow-raising flavor, including dessert. You’re ordering the rice pudding- one of the absolute best Paris desserts, and this ain’t your grandma’s rice pudding. It’s decadent, flavorful, and it’s undeniably the best rice pudding you’ll consume in your life. Composed of confiture de lait (dulce de leche), custard, and homemade brittle, you can’t imagine how delicious rice pudding could be until now.

4. Hot Chocolate: Angelina

The best hot chocolate in the world is in Paris, and you’re getting it at Angelina on the Rue de Rivoli,  just a stone’s throw away from the Louvre Museum. You haven’t had hot chocolate like this in your life before- it’s creamy, sinfully decadent, and quite honestly tastes like pure, liquid chocolate in a cup. Angelina is a very iconic, well-known restaurant in town, but they undeniably serve some of the very best Paris desserts, including their heavenly hot chocolate.

3. Chocolate Macarons: Jean-Paul Hevin

There are French macarons, and then there are chocolate French macarons that will bring you to your knees because they are so delicious. Have your cake and eat it too at Jean-Paul Hevin, a Parisian chocolate shop that not only serves all things chocolate but makes some of the very best macarons in Paris. The goal here is to sample as many varieties of their chocolate macarons as possible. Try the chocolate (dark chocolate cookies, bitter dark chocolate ganache), Passion’in (orange and dark chocolate cookies, dark and milk chocolate ganache and passion juice), or the Pistach’in (pistachio and dark chocolate cookies, dark chocolate and pistachio marzipan ganache) for some of our very favorite Paris desserts.

2. Crepes: Breiz Cafe

It isn’t a trip to Paris without a crepe (or twelve) and Breizh Cafe makes the best crepes in Paris. The sweet and savory are both incredibly delicious, but when it comes to Paris desserts, the sweet options are endless! Don’t underestimate the classic salted butter with sugar for a timeless crepe that allows you to really appreciate the quality and taste of the crepe on its own. Looking for something more decadent? Get the Valrhona chocolate crepe with banans and whipped cream and thank us later!

1. Pastries: Du Pains Et Des Idees

Maybe you’re only in Paris for a day or two, or maybe you just want to know where you can find the best from this arsenal of Paris desserts. Head straight to Du Pain et des Idées (translated as “bread and ideas”) for pastries that will change your life. Here they’ve mastered the art of classic French baking with straightforward offerings of bread, pastries, and some tarts. Your ordering priority is as follows: 1) The chocolate pistachio escargot. No actual snails in sight (just shaped like a snail), and the best pastry made here. 2) The pain au chocolat (chocolate-filled croissant). Simple and jaw-dropping. 3) Anything else that your appetite and wallet permits!