Perfection is of course subjective. We all have our own idea about what makes the perfect croissant. For us it's light, flaky and not overcooked. Paris croissants tend towards the slightly burnt, or so we were told before arriving. In this way, they are completely cooked but to our tastes seem a little burnt.
We stayed in apartments (definitely the way to go for families) while in Paris, and usually started with recommendations from our host. In the 8th arondissemnt, our host recommended
Les Caprice des Charlottes, which was just around the corner. Location- ideal. We were encouraged by the number of locals that frequented this patisserie. The croissants were solid and consistent. The pain au chocolat tended to be a bit overdone but the plié was tasty, very sweet though. I liked the espresso here more than other places we visited.
In the 6th arrondissement, we had lots of choice. Our host recommended Boulangerie Guérineau. The staff were very friendly, and the aroma of bread baking was overwhelming upon entering. The croissants were very doughy, not crisp and flaky. After one visit we were done.
Hands down the best croissants, as well as other tasty treats were at the many Eric Kaysers that dot the streets of Paris. The croissants and pain au chocolat were light and flaky. Too tempting for two. Limber gitliked the plié au chocolat, which is like folded croissant dough around chocolat and pastry cream. We tried the Viennoise chocolat, a bread filled with chocolat chips. Also quite good. Eric kayser quickly became our place for the perfect croissant in Paris. And certainly it was fun searching...
