In the middle of French month, I made it a mission to find the best croissants in New York City.
Growing up, the only croissants I ate were from Walmart, a shame I know. I can’t say they were good…but popped in a toaster oven for a few minutes and they became a warm and crispy treat. (You can’t really go wrong with warm bread, am I right?)
What makes a good croissant?
To me, a good croissant must be bought first thing in the morning from a local bakery. A true bakery makes its croissants fresh each day.
A good croissant will hold up throughout the day, but why buy it in the afternoon when it’s freshest in the morning? Because I’m hungry for carbs that’s why.
To me, a good croissant is crispy and flaky on the outside, with a soft inside. It should be served room temperature and you should taste the butter (preferably unsalted). Why room temperature? Think about it, butter at room temperature: soft, spreadable, creamy, perfect. Need I say more? The high butter content will also make the inside of the croissant feel slightly cool on your palette. Wow, I’ve come a long way from those Walmart croissants.
To me, a good croissant makes a mess of crumbs and flakes. Your first bite should be audible and you should think to yourself, “How does anyone eat this without making a mess?” They don’t.
Here’s my list of the best plain croissants, best pain au chocolats, and best unconventional croissants in Manhattan, NYC:
Best Plain Croissant
1. Bien Cuit
Grand Central Market
(Located on the corner of 43rd & Lexington Ave)
89 E 42nd St Manhattan, NY 10017
A plain croissant from Bien Cuit in Grand Central Market, NYC.
This one tops the charts in both presentation and taste. I’ve never seen a croissant like this. Dark on the outside, it seems overdone, and yet it isn’t. It was flaky and buttery, it had more visible layers on the outside and the inside than any other croissant I tried. It was dense, but light, delightfully crisp on the outside and soft on the inside.
Cross-section of a plain croissant from Bien Cuit, Grand Central Market, NYC.
2. Patisserie Chanson
The Flatiron District
20 W 23rd St New York, NY 10010
This croissant was particularly beautiful with its countless layers. It tasted slightly salty, I assume from using salted butter, but was amazingly dense and crispy on the outside, keeping the inside soft and cool.
A plain croissant from Patisserie Chanson in NYC.
3. Maison Kayser
Bryant Park
8 West 40th Street New York, NY 10018
This was the first croissant I tried and it did not disappoint. Super flaky, plenty of layers, and that distinct *crunch* you want. You can taste the butter in this one.
A plain croissant from Maison Kayser, Bryant Park, NYC.
Best Pain au Chocolat (AKA Chocolate Croissant)
It should be no surprise that we have some repeaters here. Shocking.
1. Domonique Ansel Bakery
189 Spring St New York, NY 10012
Pain au chocolat from Domonique Ansel Bakery, NYC.
Ah, Domonique Ansel, known for his Cronut, he has plenty of other baked goods up his sleeve. This by far, was the best pain au chocolat I’ve ever had. The outside had distinct swirls and stripes of chocolate dough wrapping around every inch, it immediately stands out. Inside is just as delightful with swirls of chocolate throughout. The distribution is insane. The choice of chocolate was also perfect, not too sweet and not too dark.
Cross-section of Domonique Ansel’s pain au chocolat in NYC. By far, the most chocolate I’ve ever seen in a chocolate croissant.
2. Maison Kayser
Bryant Park
8 West 40th Street New York, NY 10018
Again, Maison Kayser did not disappoint with its super flaky pain au chocolat. It had plenty of layers, and a small piping of chocolate on the inside that gave a little taste of chocolate in every other bite.
Pain au chocolat from Maison Kayser in Bryant Park, NYC. That glaze though.
3.Bien Cuit
Grand Central Market
(Located on the corner of 43rd & Lexington Ave)
89 E 42nd St Manhattan, NY 10017
This one was a tough choice. Just like it’s plain sibling, Bien Cuit’s pain au chocolat is dark on the outside, dense, flaky, and buttery. It didn’t appear to have as many layers as the plain, I suspect from how the chocolate affects the baking process. Regardless, I’d encourage anyone to get both and decide for themselves.
Pain au chocolat from Bien Cuit in Grand Central Market, NYC.
Best Unconventional Croissant
And now for the weirdos, the experiments, the hot new croissant trends that are going viral, the food combos that will blow your mind, well kinda.
1. Bibble & Sip – Black Sesame Almond Croissant
253 West 51 St New York, NY 10019
A black sesame almond croissant from Bibble & Sip, NYC.
I’ve gotta say, I’m lucky I found this place. I stumbled upon it one evening after seeing an art show with a friend and have been hooked since.
If you’ve never tried black sesame, I can only describe it as nutty, almost like peanut butter, but not quite. This croissant was so crispy and crunchy on the outside, it was like there was a layer of caramelized sugar on the outside (not complaining). The layers inside were lined with black sesame distributed throughout the dough giving it a wonderfully nutty flavor. I usually find almond croissants too sweet, but this one is just right. It’s the perfect combo of nutty sweetness in a buttery, flaky croissant.
Cross-section of Bibble & Sip’s black sesame almond croissant, NYC.
2. Domonique Ansel Bakery – Cronut
189 Spring St New York, NY 10012
I know, I know, the Cronut has been all the rage for the last three (four?) years, so why number two? I’ve had the Cronut twice. The first time about two and a half years ago (when the hype was real), the second last month. The first time, it was worth the hour plus wait outside in the cold, the flavor was dark chocolate raspberry and it was so crisp and rich it gave me a stomach ache. It was the first thing I ate that day and it was worth it!
The dark chocolate raspberry Cronut in December 2014, pure magic. Also a cannelle and a DKA.
The second time, I went on a weekday before work (the lines are much shorter) to buy my two per customer blood orange almond Cronuts and was sorely disappointed. I guess with expansion comes growing pains, because I’m sure these wouldn’t have passed Domonique’s quality control. These were barely circular, greasy, and not as crispy as I remembered.
The blood orange almond Cronut in April 2017, sadness.
I feel like the quality has gone down since Domonique has expanded to London and Tokyo, but I’d still encourage you to give it a try if you know Domonique is in the house.
3.Bibble & Sip – Everything Bagel Croissant
253 West 51 Street New York, NY 10019
Two mentions in one list? Yep, they’re that good. As of April 2017, the trend in NYC for croissants is everything bagel, several bakeries are doing it, only some are doing it well.
Essentially this was a regular croissant filled with scallion ricotta, topped with poppy seeds, sesame seeds, dried onion, dried garlic and salt. It was too large to eat alone, so I shared it. My friend said it was a game-changer, a nice balance of salty and creamy with the croissant base. Not mind-blowing, but still really, really good.
An everything bagel croissant from Bibble & Sip, NYC.
Honorary Mention: City Bakery – Pretzel Croissant
3 W 18th St New York, NY 10011
This croissant was all the rage in NYC about 2-3 years ago, The New Yorker even did a video featuring how it’s made. I remember trying it a couple times, not thinking anything special of it, and decided to give it another shot.
Pretzel croissant from City Bakery, NYC.
This one gets an honorary mention, because I wouldn’t quite consider it a croissant, as much as it looks and is made like one. Maybe it’s the pretzel combo throwing me off, but I can’t get past the saltiness brought on by the salt chunks on the outside. It’s salty, chewy, and much more dense than it’s counterparts. Still good, but more bread-like than croissant-like.
New Yorkers, transplants, and tourists, do you agree?
This is purely based off my own taste buds (and some of my coworkers). I may continue to update this list as I try more, who knows. It’s been fun, glad I was finally able to put the list together.
Happy hopping!
Bakeries that didn’t make the list (Yes, I ate a lot of croissants): Financier Patisserie, Pret, Le Pain Quotidien, Paris Baguette, Francois Payard Bakery, Mille-Feuille Bakery Cafe, Lafayette, Maman, and Breads Bakery.
Note: some of the the bakeries above still have great stuff (including croissants), they just didn’t make my top 3. Let me know if you’re interested in how each ranked!
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