The Perfect Croissant
This past December, I had the amazing opportunity of taking a few days off to visit my French friends in the lovely city of Paris. Paris is known for being the city of love and home of the Eiffel Tower. In addition, some food lovers might also know it for its art in bakery and pastries, specially the croissant.
A few days before I left LA, I did some research on where I could get the best croissant in Paris. I was pleased to find that I was not the only one on this quest. I found many blogs and articles describing their experience in Paris and the croissant.
Among the many recommendations on “Must Do” and “Must Eat,” one name caught my attention, and so I decided to give it a try.
The place is called Arnaud Delmontel. They have three different locations around Paris. I chose to go the one on Rue des Martyrs. This little boulangerie/pâtisserie is not in a very touristy area. I actually started to doubt myself as I walked the streets of Paris trying to find this place. All of a sudden, I could actually smell the deliciously fresh-made bread, so I decided to trust my nose and follow the smell.
Sure enough, a couple of blocks down the street I found it! It is a corner store, and it is tiny. The first thing I noticed was that it was packed!! No wonder!! As soon as you step in the smell surrounds you, and it just takes over. It is like entering the inside of a croissant, as my boyfriend described it, who was as excited to find this place as I was.
Once you are there, it will be hard to remember that the main reason you went there in the first place was to try their croissant. Everything looks delicious!
The colors of the macarons are so bright that they look too perfect to be real, and they taste amazing.
Also, do not forget to try the Zitrone sweet bread. It is creamy and crispy at the same time. It tastes like heaven.
Note: This Delmontel does not have enough space to sit down and enjoy all the delicious sweet things you might end up buying. Therefore, I recommend you to plan your day carefully. Before you head to the Eiffel Tower for a breathtaking view, take a detour and make a quick stop at Arnaud Delmontel, and then grab a coffee to go. That pastry will taste even better, if you eat it in front of the dreamy and ever-romantic Eiffel Tower in company of your friends and loved ones.
Bon appetit!