To our surprise, the croissants at Amantee, one of the city’s most devout baguette barons, don’t deliver the delicate pastry work we were expecting. The dense interior hiding below a thick dark crust seems more like brioche than pastry, with no discernible layers in the dough. Nevertheless, it packs a wonderfully buttery flavor. 

Verdict: A bread master’s croissant

The thickest and shortest of the lot might look a bit weird but the taste is there. It ticks every box for the kind of decent if unremarkable croissant—a bit buttery, a little flakey, not too dry—you find at hotel breakfasts.

Verdict: Your average croissant, done right

What surprisingly won our last croissant taste test back in 2013 has gone seriously downhill. One taster marked it out straight away as pre-frozen supermarket fodder—soft, sad looking and a long way from fresh, with a taste as lackluster as its appearance 

Verdict: We assume the Carrefour people played no hand in this one 

The most airy of the lot has nice layers that break apart and flake as a good croissant should. Sadly nothing much stands out about the taste.

Verdict: A passable mess-maker

There’s a lot going on with this one. Some smell seaweed, others even mushroom in this unusually heavy and oily croissant. Though far from traditional, there’s still something plenty satisfying about the heavy-set, moist pastry with its caramelized underbelly. 

Verdict: A non-conformist guilty pleasure 

We like this croissant for its delicate feel. It delivers on the flaky crust and layered interior which breathes out with a buttery aroma. Best of all, it leaves no trace of fat on the palate despite the rich, buttery taste. 

Verdict: The underdog

We generally love chef Chatenet’s pastries, but his croissant underperformed in this test. The undercooked appearance lacks any eat-me-now appeal and the oily aroma is a far-cry from the buttery notes we expect.

Verdict: We’ll stick to the chouquettes and gallettes

We tasted wonderful croissants on the shop’s opening day with the presence of chef Kayser. Sadly, this sample did not stack up, with a chewy texture and taste suffering from butter deficiency. 

Verdict: Bring back the master

Nicely puffed up and perfectly layered, this traditional crescent-shaped offering contains unexpected sweet notes—even a cinnamon quality. 

Verdict: Sweet surprise

The embodiment of a good croissant—from the golden looks to the mess-making flaky crust and distinctive taste of quality butter. 

Verdict: Paris standard

The weird looks give way to an even weirder, unpleasant taste. We think there’s something up with the fat they’re using, with one group of tasters saying lard and another group rancid butter. Yikes. 

Verdict: Stick to the bread

Brittle on the outside and too-dry inside. The bitter aftertaste is really no surprise.

Verdict: Hard rock