Updated: The Quest for the Best Classic Croissants on the Upper West Side

By Meg A. Parsont

I once overheard a prominent food critic complain that there are no great croissants to be found in NYC. As a proud native New Yorker, I found myself thinking “them’s fightin’ words,” and vowed to prove her wrong.

With my husband Danny as my tasting partner, I sampled classic French-style croissants at a number of places on the Upper West Side: new bakeries, time-honored institutions, patisseries, mom-and-pop shops, and chains. Most places also offer chocolate and almond croissants, but tempting as these were, we forced ourselves to remain true to our mission, and limited ourselves to classic croissants. Our only caveat was that they had to have been baked by each purveyor (either on or off the premises).

We discovered enticing options to please even the most discerning critic, and a few surprises along the way.

Presented from north to south, here are some of our favorites:

Silver Moon Bakery
2740 Broadway @ 105th Street
When we walked into this longtime artisanal bakery, the intoxicating aroma of fresh-baked goods was very promising. Silver Moon delivered on this promise with a croissant that is pleasingly airy, buttery, and flavorful. It’s also an appealing size, not too big and not too small. Just right.

Kirsh Bakery
551 Amsterdam Avenue @ 87th Street
Kirsh offers a satisfyingly substantial croissant that’s a slightly denser take on the classic. It’s very tasty, slightly sweet, and a gorgeous toasty gold color.

Maman
429 Amsterdam Avenue @81st Street
We were drawn to the welcoming bistro tables in this charming café, and its display of blue-and-white pottery and tasteful merchandise. And then we bit into the light golden croissant, with its audibly crispy outside and visibly articulated layers inside, and Maman won us over.

Barachou
449 Amsterdam Avenue between 81-82 Streets
Barachou puts their French Cream Puffs front and center, but don’t overlook their wonderful croissants! Nestled on parchment-lined baking trays in their display case, these authentic-tasting pastries are buttery and flavorful, with just the right balance of crispy on the outside and tender layers on the inside.

Zabar’s
Broadway @ 80th Street
While most people think of bagels and babka when they think of baked goods at Zabar’s, the iconic gourmet emporium also offers several types of croissants. Their classic French Croissant may be understated compared to its richer sibling the Butter Croissant, but it’s plenty buttery for us! Also pleasingly flaky outside and light inside, and a lovely pale gold color.

Le Pain Quotidien
2161 Broadway @76th Street
To be honest, we weren’t sure what to expect from the croissants at this chain. Would Le Pain Quotidien live up to its French name? Mais oui! Of all the classic croissants we tried, theirs is the most flavorful. It’s just a tiny bit sweet, has an excellent texture inside and out, and is a true crescent shape (which many are not, interestingly).

Margot Patisserie
2109 Broadway on 74th Street
Tucked into the street level of the Ansonia, this charming patisserie feels like the real thing. And Margot’s delectably flaky, dark gold croissant looks and tastes like the real thing, too. The generous crescent-shaped pastry is flavorful, with a hint of buttery sweetness.

Breads Bakery
1890 Broadway @62th Street
The lightest of all the croissants we tried, Breads’ is exquisitely flaky on the outside and tender on the inside. It’s also flavorful and the perfect pale gold color. One or both of us may have licked the plate when we were done, to get every single crumb. (For those of us who may not want to indulge in a full-sized pastry, Breads also makes adorable mini-croissants.)

While we focused on classic croissants and tried our best to resist the tantalizing variations offered by these places, there was one unique Upper West Side offering we just had to try. An inspired (and substantial) take on the chocolate croissant, the chocolate tahini croissant at Gertrude (204 W. 96th Street) melds creamy, mild tahini with chocolate on the inside, and wears a well-earned crown of sesame seeds on the outside. (Chocolate croissant baked by Bien Cuit in Brooklyn and embellished on-site at Gertrude.)

Update: Thursday, 4:34 p.m. — WSR just heard from the writer of the article. She and her husband decided to try the croissant at Epices Bakery since so many people recommended it in the comments, and they agree it absolutely deserves a shout-out. She calls it “an exceptional croissant” and thanks our readers for getting it on their radar!