The Beauties of France: The Best Bakeries in Paris

If you are like me and wish you could eat the smell of freshly baked bread, then this trip will definitely be one for you. I absolutely love bread and there is no better place to get a great loaf than Paris! With Baguettes and Brioche freshly baked a plenty, why not hire a car in Paris for the weekend and drive through tasting some of the best bread around.

1. Poilane (8 rue de Cherche-Midi): This bakery was established in 1932 and even today continues cooking bread with it's original wood fire oven. Sourdough bread is the speciality here, where some of the starter dough is saved for the next batch of bread being made.
2. Pain d'Epis (63 Avenue Bosquet): Around the corner from the Eiffel Tower, this bakery is renowned for it's tasty Baguettes and loaves including it's famous Baguette Royale made from mixed flour dough. Also a must try is Fougasse, an olive oil bread loaf with many fillings such as goats cheese mixed with sun-dried tomatoes or paprika. Delicious!
3. Le Moulin de la Vierge (166 Avenue de Suffren) Andre Lefort still oversees the running of this famous bakery in Paris. Again using the traditional wood fire oven, the favourites oft his bakery include pain de campgne and the pain au raisins which is a wonderful custard filled pastry with raisins.
4. Maison Kayser (14 rue Monge) For three generations this family have established many bakeries across Paris. They have a unique variety of bread which include milk, honey and hazelnuts (I can see you salivating!) You must try the Pain Cereales which is a very tasty multi-grain loaf.
5. Au 140 (140 rue de Belleville) This bakery has a few awards to it's name. This was the official bakery that supplied bread to the Presidential Palace in 2001 and their Baguettes were named the second best in Paris the same year! The owner, Pierre Demoncy also won the second prize is Paris' croissant competition. Who wouldn't want to try one of the best?

I am sure you will be breaded out by the time you have gone to all these places, but you will have tried some of Paris' finest and you will come home a connesuir of bread and maybe even pastry if you are feeling a bit naughty and want to indulge!If you do choose to drive with your car hire in France, you can also drive to the outer part of Paris and visit attractions such as the Notre Dame de Paris or even spend the day at Disneyland Paris!