I will be staying in the 4th arr. next week and I would love recommendations for really good French bakeries in the Marais. I usually stay in the 6th and my favorite bakery is Gérard Mulot on Rue de Seine.
Good places for Illy or Lavazza espresso would be welcome too!
Thank you!
One of our favorite bakeries is Au Petit Versailles du Marais not too far from Saint-Paul metro stop.
Au Petit Versailles du Marais looks wonderful! Thank you so much!
Hi! The Marais is well known for Jewish bakeries, so if you are interested in a slightly different take on the standard there is Murciano, Kozcarz and Sachs Finkelstajn, all on Rue de Rosiers.
For traditional, there is L'eclair de Genie, Pain de Sucre or Au Desirs du Manon. Obviously there are lots more but these are ones I recently tried and liked!
I definitely second the recommendation for Au Petite Versailles! I think the chef is an MOF pastry chef.
While it may not appear on top ten lists all over town, Le Moulin de Rosa, at 32 Rue de Turenne (corner of Rue du Foin), is excellent. Breads, cakes, pastry-great tarts, very friendly service.
Well, I've only spent a little time in that part of Paris, but if you want good bread, take the time to walk around and look at the various boulangeries in the morning. The best ones will have a line of people waiting for bread, especially on weekends. French people are masters at cutting in line, and will disregard almost any line except at the boulangerie.
We used to live near an outstanding boulangerie in Lyon, and would joke about how the poor Lyonnaise would have to stand in a bread line for their sustenance. It was really good bread. I wish our new town's boulangères had such products.
134 rue de Turenne has the best baguettes, bread, etc.
Also very nice "chaussons aux pommes". Worth the trip - no LaVazza though.
Most places serve Richard, unfortunately.
I do what K describes. Rather than treking to the recommended place(s), I just look for something convenient with a local following.
I noticed one about a block from Place Republique (corner of Rue du Fauberg du Temple and Rue Yves Tudic) It just says Artisan Boulanger on the building. I noticed it because the line seemed to be for people going home after work. It has a security gate that slides down on one side of the building and a line formed there. When the gate went up, there were better than 30 people in line and they seemed to have their individual orders ready to go. I was fascinated but didn't explore closer.
I'm such an American, normally I'd be fine with lesser bread as long as the price is good and there's no line :-)
So far I have tried Au Petit Versailles du Marais (excellent bread and sandwiches!!) and 134 rue de Turenne (amazing chausson au pommes!!!).
Thank you all for the recommendations!
134 rdt is very close to Jacques Genin for some hot chocolate...and perhaps a lime basil tarte.
Here is the list of the Best Baguette competition winners for 2016: http://parisbymouth.com/paris-best-baguette-in-2016/
Paris by Mouth also has a list of best baguettes.
A few terms defined: MOF (Betsy's post) Meilleur Ouvrier de France, an honor given to a tiny, tiny number of the best bakers, pastry chefs, chefs, furniture makers,--ie crafts persons. Chefs and bakers have a blue, white, and red ribbon around the collar of their uniform.
Richard (chexbres) a brand of expresso coffee.
Artisan boulanger-- a baker who makes his/her own bread from scratch. Why do we need this designation? Because many, many bakeries sell factory bread they only finish baking--including some of the places mentioned in this thread, which goes to show the power of suggestion! Yes, even pastries that look so yummy and sophisticated, may come from a factory (explains why so many bakeries carry the same few pastries).
Look for signs that say artisan boulanger (but that doesn't guarantee they are all good--some people are just bad bakers). K has a goooood system--follow the crowd and follow your nose.
