Cover Where can you find the best croissants of Hong Kong? Tatler’s French editors teamed up to give you their selection (Photo: Instagram / @gontrancherrier)
Where can you find the best croissants of Hong Kong? Tatler’s French editors teamed up to give you their selection (Photo: Instagram / @gontrancherrier)
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Tatler Hong Kong’s French editors joined forces to bring you to their favourite places to get fresh, crispy and buttery croissants
Whether you like it with cream on top, as a sandwich or just as it is, there isn't just one way to enjoy a croissant. Hong Kong’s appetite for fusion food has shown the world how dishes can be elevated with a bit of creativity and curiosity.
However, nothing replaces a simple, buttery croissant with the perfect amount of crisp. While the recipe isn’t complex—flour, water, milk, butter and yeast—baking a croissant the right way is more difficult than it may appear.
Tatler Hong Kong has three French editors on the team. They got together over a chocolat chaud to debate which of the city’s boulangeries and cafés offer fresh, crispy and buttery croissants that almost pass the test. Here are our recommendations—guaranteed never to serve a dry pastry.
You might also like: The 17 best French restaurants in Hong Kong, according to the Tatler Dining Guide
Gontran Cherrier
Above Gontran Cherrier’s croissants might be one of the best of Hong Kong (Photo: Instagram / @gontrancherrier)
Above You can smell Gontran Cherrier’s buttery croissants before entering into the bakery (Photo: Instagram / @gontrancherrier)
Gontran Cherrier’s croissants might be one of the best of Hong Kong (Photo: Instagram / @gontrancherrier)
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Where the croissant really hits the spot for me is in the smell of French butter. At Gontran Cherrier, you can already smell it before even walking into the bakery, located in the basement of K11 Musea. Flaky, evenly layered, crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside, the croissants here are remarkably close to what you’d get in a typical café in Paris—that is to say, acceptable. You’ll want to grab a cup of coffee just to dip your croissant in.
- Khoa Tran, social impact editor, Tatler Hong Kong
Gontran Cherrier
Address: K11 Musea, Unit B205-B207, 18 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong
Frenchies
Above Don’t sleep on the croissants from Hong Kong’s Frenchies (Photo: Instagram / frenchiesbake)
Above Frenchies’ croissants are baked daily with delicate care and flour sourced from the finest mills in France (Photo: Instagram / frenchiesbake)
Don’t sleep on the croissants from Hong Kong’s Frenchies (Photo: Instagram / frenchiesbake)
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According to the French community, there isn’t a decent croissant in the city. While they're not wrong, there’s one kind of croissant that we’ll never complain about: the ones bought from Frenchie’s at 4am leaving Central after a big night out. The smell of the buttery croissant will naturally drag you to their shop, which occasionally opens on weekends at unusual hours. It's by far the best company for your journey back home.
Once Frenchies’ croissants have seduced you at night, you won't hesitate to come back during the day. Their pastries are baked daily with delicate care and flour sourced from the finest mills in France.
- Salomé Grouard, digital editor and Front & Female lead, Tatler Hong Kong
Frenchies
Address: 39 Hollywood Road, Central, Hong Kong
Big Grains
Above Fall in love with Big grains’ creativity and their croissants made in Hong Kong (Photo: Instagram / @big_grains)
Above Creative fillings elevate Big Grains' croissants above the rest (Photo: Instagram / @big_grains)
Fall in love with Big grains’ creativity and their croissants made in Hong Kong (Photo: Instagram / @big_grains)
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As a French person who's deeply attached to traditional viennoiseries, I have to say that the creativity of Big Grains blew me away. It’s like falling in love with croissants all over again. Their creations have everything we love about a classic croissant—the buttery taste, the satisfying crunch—but then they add a fun twist with creative fillings, like their famous matcha ganache.
- Alix Lefebvre, assistant manager, VIP relations & styling coordinator, Tatler Hong Kong
Big Grains
Several locations around Hong Kong
Proof
Above In Happy Valley? Try out Proof’s artisan croissants (Photo: proof_hk)
Above A cross-section of Proof's croissant (Photo: proof_hk)
In Happy Valley? Try out Proof’s artisan croissants (Photo: proof_hk)
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Tucked away in a side street of Happy Valley, Proof is originally an artisan sourdough bakery offering a wide variety of excellent sourdough breads, cinnamon rolls and ... yes, croissants! Though a touch weaker in that essential buttery scent, the wavy shape of its croissants caught my attention. Though I was a little suspicious at first—as with all “French” things outside of France—I find myself returning to Proof’s croissants for how freshly made and crunchy they are.
- Khoa Tran, social impact editor, Tatler Hong Kong
Proof
Address: G/F, 14 Tsun Yuen St, Happy Valley, Hong Kong
Levain Bakery
Above Levain Bakery’s croissants are light and crisp (Photo: Instagram / @levainbakeryhk)
Above Levain Bakery prides itself on selling handmade products using traditional bread-making methods and levain (Photo: Instagram / @levainbakeryhk)
Levain Bakery’s croissants are light and crisp (Photo: Instagram / @levainbakeryhk)
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Levain Bakery has a special place in my heart, as one of the pioneering artisanal bakeries in Hong Kong. The bakery prides itself on selling handmade products using traditional bread-making methods and levain—a natural leavening agent made from flour and water—which make their croissants light and crisp. It’s like a little piece of Europe in a surprisingly big space in Hong Kong.
- Salomé Grouard, digital editor and Front & Female lead, Tatler Hong Kong
Levain Bakery
Several locations around Hong Kong; levain-bakery.com
Elephant Grounds
Above In the heart of Sheung Wan, Elephant Ground’s croissants get the job done (Photo: Instagram / @elephantgrounds)
Above Enjoy Elephant Ground’s croissants on their terrace (Photo: Instagram / @elephantgrounds)
In the heart of Sheung Wan, Elephant Ground’s croissants get the job done (Photo: Instagram / @elephantgrounds)
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Elephant Grounds is like a little piece of Paris right here in the city. When I’m craving a croissant that's so good it makes me feel like I'm strolling down a Parisian street, this is my go-to spot.
The Sheung Wan location has this awesome terrace where you can soak up the sun while munching on a buttery croissant and sipping an espresso. It’s the perfect place to pretend you're in Paris without the jet lag. One bite feels like a mini-vacation in the heart of Hong Kong!
- Alix Lefebvre, assistant manager, VIP relations & styling coordinator, Tatler Hong Kong
Elephant Grounds
Address: G/F, Hollywood Centre, 233 Hollywood Road, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong
Plumcot
Above Plumcot is an artisanal bakery located in Tai Hang (Photo: Instagram / @plumcot.co)
Above The bakery is named after a delicious plum-apricot hybrid (Photo: Instagram / @plumcot.co)
Plumcot is an artisanal bakery located in Tai Hang (Photo: Instagram / @plumcot.co)
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Plumcot is an artisanal bakery located in Tai Hang, crafted by husband-and-wife duo Camille and Dominique, both of whom honed their skills at Michelin-starred establishments in Paris. The bakery, named after a delicious plum-apricot hybrid, perfectly captures the essence of blending diverse elements. Since opening in 2017, Plumcot has become known for its wide selection of breads, pastries, and ice creams in various flavours. However, it’s the exquisite croissants that truly steal the spotlight, often flying off the shelves, especially during weekends when demand is at its peak.
- Salomé Grouard, digital editor and Front & Female lead, Tatler Hong Kong
Plumcot
Address: G/F, 10A Sun Chun St, Tai Hang
