Ottawa Foodies

La Maison de la Baguette, on Bank Street, has very good croissant. They are not viennoiserie style (which I find The French Baker's) but are more buttery and less flaky. They are hard to find sometimes because all the people working downtown buy them all up at lunch time. Worth the trip for the croissants, the rest of the stuff there is good but not nearly as amazing.

The French Baker hands down has the best in the city!!!

Here is a perfect croissant, freshly purchased from the Première Moisson bakery on Monkland Ave in Montreal (June 24, 2006). A few memorable minutes later it was all mashed up and soggy in my gut. Highly recommended.

ossBASHA, what you are saying is impossible. I know several bakers that work at TFB, and you will never get a croissant that is not fresh. Like the owner says (whom I have the privilege to know), some are kept to make the almond croissant and the pain au chocolat.

Contrary to what you say, TFB is THE place to get a real croissant in the Byward Market. There are plenty of places to go if you want a mediocre one, though.

Dear M. Mantel,
Welcome to Ottawa Foodies! I think the ossBASHA may have meant "pastries" when he said "pates", but he/she would have to clear that up.

I wouldn't be too concerned with one review. The fact that he worries about us calling him biased tells me that maybe he works for the competition! or maybe I am just making up foodie drama.

I think TFB croissants are to DIE for. Every time I have had them, they have been nothing short of perfect! Buttery, flaky deliciousness.

Keep up the great work!

Dear ossBASHA,
I am the owner of the French baker and am a little upset by your comment.
Obviously you were not in my bakery : we don't sale any pâté!
Our croissants like all our Viennese pastries and scone are bake daily in our fournil on Murray St.
At the end of each day, we give away to some charities all our unsold products (Viennese pastries and breads). We just keep croissants and chocolatines for making almond croissants or chocolatines (the real traditional way).

I am absolutely in love with their croissants. Better than the grocery store bought ones for sure. I love the crisp exterior and soft and buttery interior. Perfect fluffy texture that just melts in your mouth. Love it.
Next time I'll try their almond croissant and baguettes!
P.s. Their Illy coffee is also delicious!

The chocolatines are to die for. My friend shared hers with me. I was expecting a Bridgehead chocolatine since I thought that TFB supplies Bridgehead, but somehow this chocolatine was 100% better than any I've had at Bridgehead. The outside was perfectly flaky and crisp, the inside nice and soft and buttery - and somehow the chocolate was melted inside? Maybe this only happened because it was so hot today (Mousseline?) but the chocolate inside the ones at Bridgehead is always hard. I much preferred the melted-chocolate version!

I lived in France for several years and I can confirm that these croissants are the real thing. I searched for months here for something that approximated a true French croissant and The French Baker is it. Their almond-filled croissants are very similar to the "Alsacienne" that you find in Alsace--filled with a not-too-sweet almond paste and sprinkled with almond slices. The petits pains au chocolat (I think they call them chocolatines here)are also very good. It's all about the butter....and also about not being overly sweet.

I loved the croissant here. It was airy, light and buttery. A perfect croissant and wasn't even greasy at all. Next time I'm in the city, I will definitely get croissants here.

Very, very good. I think these and the Farm Boy croissants are the nicest to be found in Ottawa. I had high hopes that TFB croissants would rival those I've had in Montreal but alas...for a truly mind-blowing croissant experience I still feel as though I need to drive a couple hundred clicks.

I have had a couple of these excellent croissents and have recommended them to others. The one pleasant thing is that they did not use too much butter; enough to be delightfully rich but not enough to become greasy.

Two thumbs up.

Yum - I've finally found a croissant that reminds me of the ones I used to get at my local market in Montreal! Picked one up at the Merivale location this morning, fresh out of the oven.

All this talk about croissants made me hungry - picked up a couple at Farm Boy (Merivale) this evening :P

Today's batch (or what was left of it) looked more like buns than croissants ->

Sorry - I should have clarified I was talking about the Premiere Moisson croissants! I really wish they had them in an open display so I could pick and choose as I see fit :)

Just wondering monty....are you talking about the Premier Moisson croissants from the showcases or the croissants that you get in the 6 packs??

I love these croissants. Great flavour with just the right amount of butter, and baked to perfection - unlike some other grocery store's so called croissants (Loblaws...blech!)

Yes!!! If they bake them correctly (e.g. Merivale location) they are recognizable as the superior Première Moisson croissants. Interestingly, the shape is more "manufactured" and less artfully delicious looking than those in Montreal.

I was shopping quite late in the day (6pm) and purchased two of the five remaining croissants. I ate one as soon as I got home and it was clear that it hadn't been baked within the past hour or two; but the great flavour and texture were unmistakable. I'm drooling to try one earlier in the day, when they are fresh from the oven.

For my taste, these are now the best croissants in Ottawa!

Spied at the Merivale Farm Boy location: perfectly baked non-yellow Première Moisson croissants (like the one in my photo on the Croissants page). Because of the holiday shopping rush I didn't get a chance to linger and sample one, but I will do so ASAP.

The new Farm Boy in Barrhaven sells Première Moisson croissants. I was excited when I discovered this because the ones sold in Montreal are truly awesome.

Unfortunately, I was disappointed to find that the Première Moisson croissants sold in Ottawa are underbaked. Croissants are not meant to be a YELLOW food! They are supposed to have a nice brown colour like the one in my photo of a Première Moisson croissant purchased in Montreal. Sorry, I can't recommend them.

My favourite croissants I've yet had in Ottawa (including those from the French Baker!). Made with 100% butter, they are also available with bars of dark chocolate or crushed almonds.
Just flat out delicious.

Plain, almond (not overly sweet) and chocolate (pain au chocolat); wonderful brioches, too.

I've eaten croissants on my travels, including France. I agree the French Baker croissants are great. But, right there with them are the croissants from Second Avenue Sweets in the Glebe. You have to get there early to buy them as they don't make a lot each day. The chefs there are incredible.

I can't believe that nobody has mentioned Boko Croissants yet!

Buttery and soft on the inside, crisp and flaky on the outside. They are an absolute delight!

My favorite breakfast is to pick up a Bridgehead coffee and a Boko Croissant on my way to work.

The Herb and Spice (at least the one on Wellington, I'm not sure about the one downtown) sells croissants from The French Baker. So if you're craving croissants and can't get down to the Market, there's another place to get your fix!

Their croissants are really good, both the traditional and chocolate. Probably only second to the French Baker in my opinion.

i know i shoulnt compare anything to paris, but i cant find anywhere that makes good (with real butter) croissants! Ive heard Delice royal was suppose to be there, and ive had their croissants before, but i cant find them...

We tried some croissants here (plain, cheese, and chocolate) just after trying one from the French Baker (The French Baker). It was a bit like eating a slice of processed cheese after tasting a morsel of Oka.

Not absolutely terrible, but not much better than one can get at the grocery store. (Pillsbury croissants are absolutely terrible, so these aren't quite that bad! :-) ). A little on the dry and chewy side.