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(The interactive map might not display properly on certain RSS readers, in which case you’ll have to click on Chez Pim to see it.)

Because the best croissant in Paris is truly a good one withing convenient distance to where you happen to be staying, I’m posting this map for you.  It’s a treasure map of sort, on it I put all the good addresses for some of the best croissants I know in town.  No matter where you are in Paris you should be able to easily get to one of these places on this map.

In a city as big as Paris and with a good boulangerie or patisserie on practically every block, I’m sure I’ve missed a few of your favorite places.  No need to jump on me for the sins of omission, just add your own bonnes adresses in the comment section. 

To use the map, you can drag it to recenter or click on the + or – to zoom in or out.  Clicking on each dot on the map will bring up a little window with more info on the place.  It’s basically GoogleMap provided by this neat service called Nomao.  You can also see a list with addresses and a bit more information after the jump.  I’ve listed them in groups by nearby landmarks–near the Eiffel tower, near the Marais and Bastille, etc–to give even those of you who don’t know Paris very well a general idea of where these places are.

Happy croissant hunting!

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If I had a nickle every time someone asked me where to find the best croissant in Paris.  My answer goes like this: the best croissant in Paris is simply a good one within sleep-walking distance of where you happen to be staying.  Think about it, croissant is best eaten with your breakfast beverage of choice, preferably before your eyes open properly.  With its perfect mix of crisp, soft, buttery, sweet, and savory (from a judicious addition of salt), a croissant as the first mouthful is a perfect omen for the rest of your day.  A croissant in the middle of the afternoon simply isn’t the same.

What I usually do when I find myself in a new apartment or hotel in Paris is scout the neighborhood (online and on foot) for a few nice looking places, and then hold my own croissant taste-test to find the one I like the most, as I said, within a sleep walking distance from my bed.  The winner of my taste off is where I go every day, half asleep, for my morning fix.

Then, one severely jetlag day a little over a week ago changed all that.  I found myself up before five in the morning without anything to do.  A few googling strokes on the keyboard later, I found myself on the old, craggy line 4 métro heading down toward Porte d’Orleans.  My destination?  Le meilleur croissant de Paris as christened by Concours du Meilleur Croissant, Ville de Paris 2007. 

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