Stohrer

"This legendary bakery on one of the city’s prettiest pedestrian streets is the oldest pastry shop in the city—it opened in 1730 by the former pastry chef to King Louis XV. And if that isn’t a big enough accolade, he also invented rum baba. If that’s not your thing, this patisserie also makes a ton of other traditional baked goods like flan, eclairs, and financiers. During Christmas, their star-shaped spiced cookies make great souvenirs to bring back home." - sara lieberman, emily monaco

"This legendary bakery on one of Paris’s prettiest pedestrian streets is the oldest pastry shop in the city—it opened in 1730 by the former pastry chef to King Louis XV. And if that isn’t a big enough accolade, he also invented rum baba. If that’s not your thing, this patisserie also makes a ton of other traditional baked goods like flan, eclairs, and financiers. If you’re in town during Christmas, their star-shaped spiced cookies make great souvenirs to bring back home." - Sara Lieberman

"It all started with a king on the run—at least that’s how the legend goes. In 1709, Stanislaus I of Poland fled to Alsace, in eastern France. As one does, he brought his pastry chef, one Nicolas Stohrer, and a supply of babka, yeast cakes from his homeland. Finding the cakes too dry, Stohrer allegedly thought to soak them in sweet wine, a precursor of the dessert that would establish his name. Stanislaus would eventually marry his daughter to Louis XV. After a stint of baking for the royal couple in Versailles, in 1730, Stohrer would go on to start his own pastry business. That bakery is still in business today and is Paris’s oldest pastry shop, having occupied the same space on Rue Montorgueil for nearly 300 years. At some point in the 19th century, it’s thought that one of Stohrer’s descendants decided to soak those yeast cakes in rum rather than sweet wine, and the baba au rhum, or rum baba, we know today was born. A popular variant is topped with a peak of chantilly, sweetened cream flecked with real vanilla beans. And if you want to take a bit of Stohrer home, rum baba are also sold in jars, soaking in that boozy syrup. Today, locals and tourists file into the narrow shop for some of the city’s most decadent and beautiful pastries. Yet despite the legendary puits d’amour, religieuses à l’ancienne, bouchées à la reine, and vol-au-vents, rum baba has come to define Stohrer; even the shop’s 19th-century murals, painted by a student of Paul Baudry, who decorated the Opéra Garnier, depict the boozy sweet. Know Before You Go There’s no seating at Stohrer, and all items are take-away only." - Austin Bush

"This is the sole Stohrer boutique, and it's said to be the oldest patisserie in Paris. Recently taken over by the Dolfi group, a family-run company that also owns À La Mère de Famille, the shop is returning its focus to pastry and sweets (and limiting the savory options) while keeping its historic 1860 façade and interior untouched. You'll find classic French pastries executed to perfection here: éclairs, baba au rhum, lemon tarts, and a host of others." - Lindsey Tramuta

"Stohrer is famous for its kouign-amann, a Breton viennoiserie. The pastry is known for its caramelized sugar crust and is highly recommended for its lasting freshness and taste." - Dayna Evans