What Does One Euro Buy You These Days In Paris?

Last time I checked, one euro was the equivalent of $1.46 which for those of you crossing the Atlantic any time soon stinks.  Everything you eat, drink or buy will not be as it seems once your credit card bill arrives.  Trying to calculate the exchange in my head never works which is another reason I love my iPhone….there’s an app for us left brainers who never cross the street to the right side (or is it the other way around) to venture into math land.  At least now I am forewarned when I make that must have purchase.

So what exactly can one euro in your pocket buy these days.  Well, apparently, the best that Paris has to offer.

A survey was taken here recently to uncover the best baguette in the city.  NO easy task I must tell you as there are hundreds of boulangeries cranking out thousands of golden crusted beauties daily.  Everyone has their own personal opinion on what makes a baguette perfect so any taste test is going to be somewhat subjective.  However, it can serve as a guide as to where you might want to stop to get one for the road.

Le Figaro sponsored this little get together and established the guidelines that judges would judge on and characteristics that the baguettes had to exhibit.  Let’s begin.

First, they selected 20 boulangers scattered throughout the city of Paris.  The first criteria was the type of baguette chosen, namely a baguette ordinaire that are priced from 0,90 to 1€.  The baguettes were all bought the morning of the tasting. The four important additional criteria aside from cost that had to be met were:  the appearance of the bagette, the nose or aromas it gave off, the crust and texture and finally and obviously, I hope, the taste.

Here’s the top five (ties for 3rd and 5th. Don’t know where 4th place went)

1. Jacques Bazin: 85 bis, rue de Charenton, 12th

2. Régis Colin: 53, rue Montmartre, 2nd

3. Julien: 75, rue Saint-Honoré, 1st

Secco: 20, rue Jean-Nicot, 7th

5. Laurent Duchêne: 2, rue Wurtz, 13th

Daniel Dupuy: 13, rue Cadet, 9th

Yves Desgranges: 6, rue de Passey, 16th

These are fairly well situated around the city so wherever you might find yourself wandering there is bound to be a “best” not too far away.  As long as you’ve got one euro in your pocket, the world can be your “baguette”.

Additional information:  Le Figaro

Photo credit:  Les Sardines@flickr