The Top 7 French Pastries and Sweets You Have to Buy in Paris

France has long been the undisputed champion of baked goods, pastries and desserts, there's hardly a city in the world that doesn't have a French bakery gracing its streets. With bakeries that have been in business for centuries and expert pastry chefs that have practiced their whole life, it's no wonder some of the best of these sweet treats and desserts can be found in Paris. These delicious French pastries of Paris will have your mouth-watering in no time.

Éclair

No list of French pastries is complete without the world-famous eclair. First created in the 19th century, this oblong cream-filled pastry is the perfect representation of French desserts. While the classic chocolate-topped version is a must try if for some reason you've never tasted this heavenly snack, bakeries around France and Paris have a wide selection of toppings along with different filling such as fruit or chocolate flavored cream.

Mille-Feuille

Often called the vanilla slice outside of France, mille-feuille is a combination of three layers of puff pastry with cream sandwiched between each layer. The thin layers of pastry and cream almost melt in your mouth as you bite into these delicious sweet-encrusted treats. You'll find them all over the capital but one of the most famous is found at Carl Marletti.

Pain au Chocolat

Visiting Paris and not trying a croissant while sitting outside a quaint French bakery and sipping on a cafe au lait would be sacrilege, but don't forget to try the similar tasting pan au chocolat. Made with a similar technique to how croissants are made, the delicate layers of buttery pastry are then filled with a delightful addition of chocolate. It goes perfectly with a cup of coffee or tea to start your morning in Paris.

Puits d'Amour

Literally meaning 'well of love', these delightful little bites will quickly make you fall in love with French pastries. Originally the pie-shaped puff and choux layered pastry was filled with jam in its hollow center, but later was replaced with a vanilla pastry cream that you'll often find in bakeries today. It's the kind of sweet treat that keeps you coming back for more, if you think you've had enough of French pastry you clearly haven't had puits d'amour.

Macaron

It's unlikely you haven't heard of the macaron, which has taken the culinary world by storm in recent years. Hard to perfect but stunning in both looks and taste when this meringue-based dessert is done correctly, Paris is full of beautifully made macarons with a huge range of different flavors to try. There's a huge range of famous stores around the city to try but we'd recommend heading to Pierre Hermé if you can only try one.

Tarte Tatin

The French version of the ubiquitous apple tart, tarte tatin is something you just shouldn't refrain from eating while visiting the City of Lights. The apples used to fill the tart are beautifully caramelized in butter and sugar before being spread onto the pastry and baked in the oven. Once you try the delicious caramelized flavors of the tarte tatin you won't want to go back to eating regular apple pies ever again.

Conclusion: Sweets and Desserts in Paris

While these are some of the must-try pastries and desserts when touring the French capital, the city is full of mouth-watering goods you'll find all around the bakeries of Paris. As bakeries put their own modern twist on timed classics and invent their own delicious creations, there's an endless list to try from. We'd recommend walking into any quaint French bakery, browsing their freshly-baked goods and trying anything and everything that catches your eye.

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The Top 7 French Pastries and Sweets You Have to Buy in Paris