France’s best croissant 2026 is hidden just one RER C train ride from Paris, in a bakery that has already been awarded several prizes.
Every year, a serious competition is held to determine the best croissant in France. In June 2026, the verdict is in, and the good news is that the winning address is just outside Paris. If you’re a fan of well-buttered viennoiseries, this information will make you want to jump on the RER.
A national competition to be held on June 2 and 3, 2026
The event was organized by the Confédération nationale de la boulangerie-pâtisserie française on Tuesday June 2 and Wednesday June 3, 2026. Twenty establishments competed for the ultimate distinction. The search for France’s best croissant mobilized artisans from all over the country.
The competition left nothing to chance. Each candidate had to produce 30 croissants in 5 hours, under the watchful eye of the jury. What’s more, each stage of preparation was monitored for compliance with the relevant techniques.
The production criteria included hygiene, respect for the different stages of production, quality of filling, gilding and regularity. But the competition didn’t stop there: the tasting also obeyed very precise rules.
Tasting criteria down to the millimetre
The jury assessed the weight of the croissant after baking: 60 grams, with a tolerance of between 55 and 65 grams. So every gram really counted in the race for perfection.
Other criteria also came into play: baking, flakiness, shape, regularity, taste, crumb and fragrance. All parameters that make the difference between a good croissant and the best.
“A moment that we can only imagine was absolutely detestable for anyone who had to test the pastries.”
The 2026 winner: Dylan Delmaire and L’Épi du Roi bakery in Versailles
The title of best croissant in France goes to Dylan Delmaire, artisan baker at the Versailles-based L’Épi du Roi bakery. Parisians only have to take the RER C train to taste the most successful Viennese pastry of the moment.
L’Épi du Roi had already racked up a number of awards, so this victory is all the more impressive. However, this national accolade represents a completely different dimension for the Versailles-based establishment.
The bakery won the title of best butter croissant in Île-de-France “Grande Couronne” 2026. It also won the title of Baguette de tradition française des Yvelines and best almond galette des Yvelines 2024.
- Winner: Dylan Delmaire, artisan at L’Épi du Roi bakery (Versailles)
- Competition organized by the Confédération nationale de la boulangerie-pâtisserie française.
- 20 plants in competition on June 2 and 3, 2026
- Each candidate had to make 30 croissants in 5 hours.
- Target weight after baking: 60 grams (tolerance between 55 and 65 g).
L’Épi du Roi has already won many awards
Prior to this national title, L’Épi du Roi had already won several awards in the Île-de-France and Yvelines regions. What’s more, each of these distinctions confirms the establishment’s consistently high standards. So the national award in June 2026 comes as no surprise.
The bakery thus follows in the tradition of the great Parisian artisan houses. As a result, it is now attracting attention far beyond Versailles.
Why does the title of best croissant in France count so much?
France’s best croissant is not a title awarded lightly. The competition involves hours of work, rare technical precision and an impeccable result in every respect. It also reflects the state of French bakery craftsmanship at a given moment in time.
For butter lovers, this type of competition is a reliable compass. On the other hand, for the artisans themselves, it’s a validation of years of practice and rigor. The title of best croissant in France therefore carries great symbolic weight.
From now on, all attention will be focused on a single address: L’Épi du Roi, in Versailles, accessible from Paris via the RER C train. This means that France’s best croissant is also the most accessible of the award-winning Grands Croissants for Parisians.
