WHERE TO EAT The best Croissant in the world (according to food experts)

"My still-warm croissant had an alluringly brittle, shell-like crust, but it was the interior that was so good—fluffy but elastic, it tore apart in fine layers and was redolent of high-quality butter."

"The croissant here is buttery with a touch of savoury, which is a good thing. My favourite part of it is the crisp, flakey layers of pastry which flaked endlessly. It stayed true to the traditional French flavour."

"Perhaps best known for his unique flavors - foie gras and chocolate, lemon and fennel, vanilla and basil among many others - it's his Ispahan croissant - with rose almond paste and crushed raspberry flakes - that really keeps me going back."

"Mr. Gaudard's croissants have a gossamer glaze of sugar that brightens the taste of the butter in the pastry. When pieces are torn off, the fluffy interior remains fused to the crunchy outer layers, a sign of a transcendently good croissant."

"Since Mr. Vasseur relaunched the bakery in 2002, it's acquired a cult following for its bread—try the thick-crusted pain des amis—and fluffy, crispy-tailed croissants. They're what the French would call une tuerie (absolutely fantastic)."

"Just by looking at it from the outside, you would never imagine that this small bakery would hide a delight for the palate: their butter croissant is delicious and huge, and even the salty one is really high level stuff."

"Stopping by on a recent winter morning, I wondered if the croissants would live up to Mr. Lignac's somewhat hyped reputation, but the downy golden crescent I tucked into did him and Mr. Couvrand proud indeed; it just might be the lightest croissant in town."

"Magnificent French croissant. AND they bring you a big round pad of Normandy butter to put on your already buttery croissant."

"Come for a morning croissant and you might find yourself staying on for lunch, so tempting are the wares at this Anglo-influenced boulangerie/épicerie/café."

"The croissants are simply sensational."