Maison Giraud in Pacific Palisades has the greatest croissant in the world
I'm a travel, food and wine writer and I travel the world in search of great eats.
Well I've found the best croissant in the world and it's not in France, it's at Maison Giraud bakery in Pacific Palisades. The croissant genius is baker /pastry chef Noubar Yessayan, who's been with Alain Giraud since his days at Bastide and through his time at Anisette in Santa Monica.
Noubar makes great breads and pastries, but the croissants are a tour de force. I'm addicted to the ham and cheese and usually get two with my coffee. The butter literally oozes out of the pastry. Get a big napkin.
You need to be there early if you want the greatest croissant in the world. He's usually sold out by noon.
The restaurant opened late last year and is doing a bang up business in Pacific Palisades, which sorely needed a high end restaurant. Prices are decent, there's a nice wine list, inventive menu which bows towards Provence, and in parking space challenged Pacific Palisades the restaurant has its own lot in the back, and it's FREE!
They recently installed some acoustic materials which lessen the ambient noise inside the restaurant and the spring menu is just being implemented. Alain gets much of his produce at the local Farmers Markets and has special items grown for him.
Alain's wife Catherine runs the shop next door which has linens and other products from Provence.
Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, the weekend brunch includes Bellinis and Mimosas.
Maison Giraud, 1032 Swarthmore Avenue, at Monument Street off Sunset Blvd., Pacific Palisades (310-459-7562 or maison-giraud.com.
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I don't know about the best in the world because i've had great croissants in France. Anyway, i think it's the best croissant i've tasted in Los Angeles. The one from Bread Lounge comes in second, and FarmshopLA third.
Btw, i think the baguette from Bread Lounge is the best in LA.›2 Replies-
re: hlv2eat
TonyC
Jun 29, 2012 12:08 PM
Bread Lounge's pain au choc offers consistency of bread, not croissant. Therefore, it fails as a croissant.
The baguette, OTOH, is rather decent. And if you ask kindly, they'll give you a (generous) ramekin of butter for dine-in. That is full of win. The croissant is not.
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The croissants are indeed good though small, but I'm not sure they are the greatest in the world. The baguettes are also very good.
But I have one comment. It is annoying that they charge tax on their take-out bakery items. Other restaurant/bakeries where I buy croissants (La Dijonaise, Amandine, Le Pain Quotidien, Farm Shop) do not do so. I wish they would change their policy.
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re: cothev
The CA tax code on restaurant items is a convoluted mess. It depends on the Restaurant's percentage on gross food sales, and whether a percentage of those sales are from food & beverage that is taxable. For instance, alcohol & carbonated beverages are always taxed; juice & waters are not. Hot beverages like coffee are not taxable, but cold food items like sandwiches & salads sold to go are. Guess it just depends what you are buying and where. Thisdoes not account for taxes the City of LA, of which the Palisades is a part.
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Admit I haven't tried it. I will.
But it must be really good to be better than those at Amandine. North side of Wilshire a block and a half west of Bundy. Big, beautiful, buttery, crisp, sometimes even warm, and only $1.95 (to go).
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