Miam miam ! Nothing says ‘French’ more than the beloved croissant: flaky, buttery, and the epitome of indulgence à la française.

Here at MyFrenchLife™ we feel your struggle for finding a true local contender, for nothing could compare to the real deal back in France, non ? So we’ve taken one for the team and happily indulged to see if our local Melbourne offerings can compete.

The results are now in and we present to you: the best croissants in Melbourne.

City

Laurent

This beast of a café chain gets a mention, as their flaky pastries are the perfect treat when you conveniently need to refuel and recaffinate post-shopping expeditions.

Laurent Boillon opened his first bakery in the Como centre in 1993, and since then, 14 more stores have graced Melbourne with their presence. You might find yourself doing a bit of lèche-vitrine (or actual window licking!) next time you’re near their colourful display.

Try the almond croissant if you like yours really soft and full of almonds, or the cherry Danish for crispy heaven.

For locations and hours, visit the Laurent website.

La Parisienne Pâtés

Owners Muriel and Stephane Langlois are killing it with LPP in Carlton, with their signature logo de cochon gracing their famous produce.

They stock everything from charcuterie to nougat, a year’s worth of fromage, to saucission and other delicacies. And, fortunately for us croissant lovers, their retail line doesn’t stop there. C’est vraiment magnifique !

Bayside

Lune Croissanterie

Kate Reid is the one-woman machine behind Lune, with her croissants creating an absolute frenzy in Elwood. To indulge though, you’ll have to get out of bed early, because the owner-baker’s specialty is so good that queues for a bite of these beloved viennoiseries are a common sight.

The almond croissants are not to be missed and, while not exactly French, we also couldn’t go past the macadamia and salted caramel croissant either.

Cacao

Luckily for us, Laurent Meric and Tim Clark have set up a boutique empire here in Melbourne, but before you get distracted by the chocolatiers’ cabinets, it’s worth having a bite of their pastries.

While their stores in Doncaster and Highpoint, along with the Cacao Lab in the CBD, are impressive, you’ll want to head to the St Kilda pâtisserie for the glorious bakery experience in full. There you’ll find a delectable selection of croissants, including plain, almond, chocolate-almond, and ham and cheese croissants, as well as a range of seasonal fruit danishes and Meric and Clark’s cult-inducing cronuts and cruffins (pictured right).

Noîsette

David Menard’s Noîsette is an award-winning bakery selling croissants, amongst other delicious wonders, from its Port Melbourne and new Bentleigh stores, along with being a proud distributor to various cafés and retailers Melbourne-wide.

Our pick: the super indulgent chocolate and almond croissant!

South

Chez Dré

What is better than a French café that offers all-day brunch, pastries and gâteaux? Well, obviously nothing, because Chez Dré takes the cake – pun intended.

After trotting around the globe working for Michelin-starred establishments, pastry extraordinaire Andrea (Dré) Reiss began a new chapter of her love affair with pastries right here in South Melbourne. She’s so dedicated that she even imports French butter to bake those croissants – and it’s totally worth it!

While you’re there, also check out her new venture right next door, Bibelot, which focuses just on the sweet stuff!

French Fantasies

Next door to French restaurant royalty France-Soir, and under the mammoth that is Depot de Pain, the original café is quaint and delightful, serving everything from a sit-down menu to the old faithfuls to-go.

Apart from the plain, chocolate and almond croissants on offer, Melbournians can also find a range of other things to tickle their fancy, including brioche, mille-feuille, croque-monsieur and full-bodied confiture. 

South Yarra’s French Fantasies has now expanded as Depot de Pain to Rathdowne Village in Carlton, The Blackman on St Kilda Rd, and to Black Rock and Hawthorn’s Pain et Vin.

North

Choukette

Choukette bakery and café is Nans Wojtcak’s pride and joy – and when you visit, you can see why. Come for the pastries and stay for the little corner of French heaven, with the friendly owner and head pastry chef buzzing about, insisting you try his signature choukette pastry or his latest macaron flavour.

Le croissant will tempt you, and if you’ve got a sweet tooth, you’ll have to make room for his escargots, chausson aux pommes and other classic pastries, made with love and plenty of proper butter.

Tell us, where have you eaten the best croissants in Melbourne? Did they make our list? Or has your croissant experience been a little flaky (pun intended)? Let us know in the comments box below!