Where to find the best croissants in Dublin. We taste tested four

We sample a selection of the city’s most beloved bakes, from Cuisine de France to artisanal offerings at nearly twice the price

Fri Nov 13 2026 - 06:00 • 3 MIN READ

Buttery, flaky and everywhere – the croissant is surely one of the most beloved pastries in Ireland.

As the great Irish bakery boom continues, we took to the streets of Dublin on an early morning to see how well our Irish croissants might measure up to their French counterparts. We examined croissants from three artisan bakeries as well one from Cuisine de France, possibly the most democratic of the Irish species. How did they compare in taste, price and texture?

Parnell Street Bakery, Parnell Street, Dublin 1

• Price: €3.50
• Rating: 4.5/5

This is the little sister of Russell Street Bakery, also in Dublin 1, with both led by Brittany-born Thibault Peigne, who also runs the wholesale organic bakery Tartine. Peigne’s pedigree as a master baker is obvious as soon as the pastry comes out of its paper wrapper; it a crusty golden crescent. Biting into the buttery mass, I make the mistake of calling the croissant “perfect” while only ranking it four out of a potential five stars. It is very good, but it is early in the day to be doling out fives. On reflection after a second bite, it seems reasonable to allow 4.5 stars when accounting for taste, texture and price point.

Cuisine de France

(Purchased in Spar on O’Connell Street, Dublin 1)

• Price: €2
• Rating: 2/5

In the same way it is said that there was no sex in Ireland until The Late Late show landed on our screens, it might be argued that there were no croissants in the country until Cuisine de France landed on supermarket, petrol station and convenience store shelves in 1989. The Cuisine de France bake is the most accessible of the croissants for review both in terms of stockists and price point. The taste of the croissant however, reflects this. It is small, dense as opposed to airy and has an oilier exterior than the others we tasted. It is a good convenience option for those on the go, but if you want to sit and luxuriate in your croissant, you may prefer too look elsewhere.

Elliot’s Bakery, Arran Street East, Dublin 7

• Price: €3.75
• Rating: 5/5

Founded in Phibsborough in 2022, Elliot’s bakers Amie Costello and Conor Higgins are well-known for their Basque cheesecake and seasonal buns. But you should not overlook their meticulously executed croissant. It is the most expensive of the bakes on this list, at almost twice the price of the cheapest, but it is easily twice as good. When tearing the croissant in two, the glorious crispy middle arch is still intact as the airy pastry flakes away. Savoury and buttery, but crispy on the outside, this croissant is as good as you will find anywhere.

Bread 41, Pearse Street, Dublin 2

• Price: €3.50
• Rating: 4/5

Opened in 2018 on Pearse Street by Ballymaloe-trained Eoin Cluskey and chief executive of the adjacent Atlas Travel Services Stephen McKenna, Bread 41 is popular spot with students from the nearby Trinity College who inch forward in daily queues to get their hands on the bakery confections. The Bread 41 croissant is shapely and well constructed with perfectly brown stripes across the pastry. It is marginally smaller than our other two artisan bakery croissants and there is more of a chew to break down its pillow layers. The price and taste are in line with the northside bakeries but on texture alone, it is just pipped.

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