Du Pain et des Idees Review: Du Pain et des Idees is one of the best bakeries in Paris
The Parisian food posts are going to come to an end with this last post about the bakery, Du Pain et Des Idees. It was quite possibly the best all-around bakery that we tried in Paris last summer, and it was so delicious that we went back a second morning. It’s a tiny bakery in the 10th arrondissement and it’s a must visit for those who love pastries.
Look at that spread! Pastry for days… mmm… Du Pain et Des Idees is close to to the Jacques Bonsergent metro stop, and it’s really easy to find. It’s also very close to Canal Saint Martin which could be a beautiful thing if you could find a spot that’s not too grimey. When I showed y’all the outdoor pee bucket in Paris, it was right next to the canal, so you know…
The first morning we were there, we had two croissants, one chocolate croissant, and two ‘escargots’. Obviously this was more food than two people could normally finish, but I was determined to just eat everything we thought looked good, and everything looked good at Du Pain et Des Idees.
While you could get top chocolate croissants and regular croissants at many places in Paris, one thing that’s a bit unique about Du Pain et Des Idees is their offerings of the pastry known as ‘escargot’. Shaped much like a pain raisin, it’s essentially a circular shaped pastry that’s got different filling.
We tried two variations of the ‘escargot’ the first time: the chocolate and pistachio and the praline. Wikipedia tells me that praline is different depending on where you live. In France, the praline is usually “a combination of almonds and caramelized sugar.” While in the US, pralines contain milk and are usually soft like fudge. So pink colored praline is a thing in France while here in the US it might sound odd.
While I thought the croissant at Des Gateaux et du Pain was the best, the ones at Du Pain et Des Idees were no slouch. Steph favored these more, and really I think they’re quite spectacular. They’re a bit smaller in size, which is actually a blessing because it lets you try more things at the bakery…
On the second day to Du Pain et Des Idees, we switched it up a tiny bit… we tried an apricot tart because it was summer and why not? We also go the third variation of the ‘escargot’, which was lemon + some other flavor, but since it’s been so long since vacation, I don’t actually remember too well. And we also got three little ‘egg tarts.’
When it comes to the ‘escargot’ pastries at Du Pain et Des Idees, I think they are all good options. It’s just a matter of your flavor preference. The overall quality of the pastry is high and the flavoring is just to your own taste. I thought the egg tarts were fun and easy to eat. While very different from the king of egg tarts I’m used to, they were still good and very affordable.
Also one thing to note about Du Pain et Des Idees… it’s not a secret that they’re ballin’ so hard in the pastry game. Both days we were there, the line was out of the door. We waited around fifteen minutes each visit before we got to order. That’s just the price you pay to eat stuff from one of the best bakeries in all of Paris, but if you’re on vacation (especially in the summer, but not August b/c no one is open in August), who cares?! I have some phone pictures of one of the last meals we had on vacation (that wasn’t in Paris), and if I can find them, I’ll do a post about that too. Now get ready for the onslaught of more old pictures from half a year ago until i catch up to my pictures/posts.
Du Pain et des Idees34 rue Yves Toudic.Paris, FR 7501033 1 42 40 44 52