Du Pain et des Idées — Restaurant in Paris

This place is on many lists for the best croissants in Paris and is also highly recommended by my Parisian friend.

At first, I went in to buy the croissant. While I was about to leave, I took a bite at the croissant and then I decidedly went back to the store to get two more items: their signature escargot pastry with chocolate and pistachio, and the pain des Ami.

Needless to say that I loved the croissant, which is amazing even eating it while it’s snowy and -1 C outside (supposed to be too cold for butter to stay soft). However, their signature escargot pastry is a bummer. I can’t taste any pistachio or chocolate flavour. And the texture is too sticky/soggy. The last item I got is the Pain Des Ami. I got it because every French speaker lining up before me purchased it. I didn’t need a big piece of organic whole wheat bread, of course, but I wanted to try. And wow it didn’t disappoint! Crispy and oil-fragranced crust with moist and spongy dough. It is the perfect bread and probably the best bread I’ve ever had! The Pain Des Ami made my second visit worths it.

In terms of the interior, the store is covered in floral royal-style decors, which gave it a vintage feel. There are also two benches outdoors for visitors to enjoy their purchase - and a flock of pigeons waiting for the crumbs!

If you are in the area and want to find a sit down cafe to enjoy the pastry, I recommend the Khan Residence, which is only 5 min walk away. A dive cafe, it has plenty of outlets to charge your phones, a clean bathroom, and decent coffee. I can tell it’s a favourite spot among locals: you’ll find yourself among a house of Parisian girls typing away on...

Overrated! I’m very disappointed to try this today in 2022. I had it once back in 2018 and have been longing for it since. Back then the orange blossom brioche was buttery and so delicious. The taste stuck in my head for 4 years. Was in Paris in Dec 2019 but they were closed for holidays. BUT Today when I had it and it’s worse than other boulangerie such as one near my hotel called boulangerie Maison Ménier, their croissant is €1.10 and tasted so buttery moist and flakey at the outside and better than du pain et des idees at a whopping €1.90 and not great. This place is full of tourists buying bread, post it on social media.

A lot of the 5 stars reviews here are left by tourists and hasn’t experienced many good bakeries in Paris or other parts of France. Having baking my own sourdough for 6.5 yrs I can do a better orange blossom brioche as what they baked today.

Orange blossom brioche is not buttery as before and it’s just ordinary. 250g at €5.95. There is a lot more great boulangeries with half the price and better quality in Paris and surprisingly tiong bahru backery in my homeland open by a French man is better than this.

I can accept high price with good quality food but I can’t accept high price with average or super market quality food. Especially their escargot: avoid...

This 5 star bakery is singularly to blame for at least 5 of the 15 pounds I packed on during my 2 weeks in Paris. And fortunately (or unfortunately from my waist’s perspective) sat 50 feet from the front door of our rental apartment. Chocolatines (their naming for pain au chocolat) were flakey with smooth bittersweet chocolate, baguettes were amazing, the pain des amis - served in large chunks and sold by weight - was thick and meaty, pairing exceptionally well with cheese and charcuterie purchased at a local shop. Their bread rolls stuffed in a variety of flavors (reblochon) were something I’d not tasted before and made for exceptional afternoon snacking as only served after 11am. Also great for inserting into backpack to stroll the streets, so buy a few for variety. Apple pastries exude fruit flavors with thankfully low sugar. The piece de resistance is their pistachio and chocolate snail pastry that simply melts in the mouth. Picking up pastries here, coffee from 10 Belles, then strolling canal became a daily ritual bordering on Nirvana. If there is a line, know it moves quickly. The ladies who work here are very kind if you try speaking French. Prices are very reasonable. This is one of the top bakeries in Paris for good...