Eats

€10 Paris Bakery Challenge

Paris isn’t touted as a frugal travel destination. The high-end shopping opportunities, Michelin starred restaurants, and lavish hotels can rack up quite the credit card bill if one let’s herself get swept up in the romance of the city

Fellow frugal travelers may need to sacrifice posh accommodations and shopping sprees for the sake of the budget. But there’s one thing you can go big on:

Parisian bakeries.

There are thousands of bakeries sprinkled in every pocket of the city, and the prices are absurdly reasonable. (Get the scoop on my favorite croissants HERE!) How reasonable you may ask?

We set out on a Paris bakery challenge to see just how much we could get for €10.

The Paris Bakery We Chose: Urban Bakery

We ducked and weaved through various streets, looking for the perfect spot. We decided on Urban Bakery because the prices were great and there were loads of tasty looking options. It turns out that it’s a chain with a few spots around the city, but we went to the one in the 2nd arrondissement.

Everything We Got:

Plain Croissant €1,30

The plain croissant had a delightful flakiness and nice crunchy top along with a rich and buttery flavor.

Pan Au Chocolate €1,60

The pan au chocolate was perfectly fine, but not great. There wasn’t quite enough chocolate in it, and the texture was bland with no real crunch or pizzazz.

Roule Cannelle, €2,90

This cinnamon escargot roll was the highlight of the haul. It was soft and moist with a slight gooey quality. Each layer was coated with cinnamon and sugar. Yet, it wasn’t overwhelmingly sweet. A gem of a treat that I’d go back for in a heart beat.

Viennoiseries Aux Amandes, €2

We had no idea what a “Viennoiseries Aux Amande” was upon ordering it. It appeared to be a brioche bun with an almond croissant filling. After-the-fact Googling has revealed that it translates to “almond croissant”. I can’t say the actual pastry component was croissant-like at all, but the flavor was incredible and I loved the almond filling.

Baguette, €1,20

No Paris bakery visit is complete without getting a baguette. The exterior had a bit too much remaining flour and the top was a bit too crunchy. However, the texture of the interior was soft and delicate without being too chewy.