Basil: the bakery-pastry shop in the 16th arrondissement of Paris, with its delicious cinnamon rolls

Nestled in Paris's 16th arrondissement, Basil is one of those bakery-pastry shops we'd like to see flourish more often in the capital. With its good bread made with natural sourdoughs and organic flours from the Île-de-France region, and its delicious and much sought-after cinnamon rolls, Basil has a bright future ahead of it!

" Brother and sister bankers out of wheat for the love of flour "! On Instagram, Jérôme and Claire set the tone and don't hesitate to display their story in a rather offbeat and humorous way! Because before they were serving up delicious bread and viennoiseries in western Paris at their first Basil boulangerie-pâtisserie, the duo had a very different life. Brother and sister both worked in the financial world. But now, in his forties, Jérôme wanted something different for the decades to come. With a burning desire for his own business and a long-standing passion for patisserie, the next logical step was to open his own bakery-patisserie. But he still had to dare to take the plunge. After training as a baker at the Ferrandi school, the dream became reality. And for this adventure, Jérôme had the good idea of teaming up with someone he could trust, his sister Claire.

Together, Jérôme and Claire decided to take over the former Cousin PF bakery, located a stone's throw from Radio France in the 16th arrondissement. And in April 2021, they opened Basil (a reference to their surname " Bails ", whose letters have been reversed), a bright, spacious and attractive store that makes you want to see what's behind it.

Inside? Good bread and good millstones (tour de meule, paysan wheat), made with natural sourdoughs and organic flours from the Île-de-France region, sourced from Moulin Bourgeois. You'll also find our bread and rolls, with their indisputable nutritional benefits: petit épeautre, organic Black Sil (rye, spelt, wheat), and gariguette bread (a loaf with hints of blueberries, strawberries and cranberries).

And like any bakery-patisserie worth its salt, Basil also offers a number of classic but still effective treats (éclairs, religieuses, strawberry tarts...) and viennoiseries (pains au chocolat, croissants...) not forgetting brioche, cannelés, doughnuts and babka... all homemade, of course, in the laboratory nestled in the basement.

But there's one Basil speciality that's the envy of all: the famous cinnamon roll. Also known as cinnamon rolls in English, or kanelbulle in Scandinavia, where they originate, these delicious cinnamon-flavored pastries are a hit at the Basil bakery-pastry shop, much to Jérôme's surprise. A lover of cinnamon, Jérôme was keen to offer a delicacy he enjoys eating. With this cinnamon roll, he hit the nail on the head. Every day, Basil's cinnamon rolls are snapped up at breakneck speed, so much so that some customers don't hesitate to reserve them or come back later to be sure of getting one. Basil's signature kanelbullar rolls are ultra-gourmet and very generous (but light), with pronounced, perfectly balanced notes of cinnamon (organic spices from Shira épicerie).

The result? We've fallen head over heels for these cinnamon rolls, which Basil has also developed in a chocolate version for cocoa addicts. So, if you want to try Basil's cinnamon rolls at any price, there are three batches every day (around 10am, at lunchtime and for the snack break).

Only six months after opening, Basil can already boast a solid base of regular customers and perhaps soon new kanelbulle fans? Let's go, folks!

Please note that it's been over 4 years since our last visit, so the place and experience may have changed.