La Grigne Patisserie in Maxwell turns out artisanal croissants for under S$6
Singapore has no dearth of bakeries, but not every spot needs snaking queues or viral TikTok videos to make an impression.
Since opening in 2021, La Grigne Patisserie in Maxwell has been turning out artisanal croissants and viennoiseries to those in the know and a crowd who know exactly what they’re here for.
You’ll find it just behind Kada at Maxwell, nestled along the quiet stretch of Erskine Road, where the former luxurious The Scarlet Singapore hotel was.
While many bakeries chase the latest trends and social media fame, La Grigne Patisserie has taken the opposite approach. It believes in making consistently good pastries and letting word of mouth do the rest.
Behind the bakery is 53-year-old David Chang, whose vision is inspired by Japan’s shokunin spirit — a profound commitment to craftsmanship and continuous improvement.
“In Japan, solo baking is very common, and everything is done by yourself,” he says.
It’s a mindset he hopes to bring to La Grigne Patisserie, where every handcrafted bake reflects discipline and attention to detail. There’s no addition of preservatives, too, allowing the natural flavours of the ingredients to shine.
Those with a sweet tooth can go straight for the almond frangipano (S$6), chocolate lava croissant (S$4.30), or charcoal pain au chocolat (S$4.50), while savoury eaters can look forward to a salmon mentaiko (S$5.50) and spicy crabby croissant (S$4.50).
La Grigne takes pride in its Japanese-style take on the croissant. Instead of the extremely flaky, buttery texture typically associated with French croissants, these are softer with a more pillowy bite.
The difference lies in both the recipe and the baking method. While French croissants are known for their butter-heavy dough and meticulous lamination that creates crisp, delicate layers, Japanese-style croissants often incorporate milk into the dough and use finer folds, resulting in a more tender crumb.
He also launched La Grigne Patisserie Asian in 2025, a cafe concept at the National University Hospital (NUH). Besides its signatures, this outlet offers a wider selection of bakes, including sourdough and brioche bread.
What we tried at La Grigne Patisserie
Naturally, our first pick was the butter croissant (S$3.30). After all, there’s no better way to judge a bakery than by its take on the classic.
I’m personally a fan of the French-style, so this isn’t my top pick. That said, it’s by no means a bad croissant — it’s pillowy and carries understated buttery notes.
If a softer texture is your speed, get this.
Among La Grigne’s more intriguing creations, the Toblerone pretzel (S$4.50) sounds like a great treat to indulge in.
It had the crisp exterior I’d been hoping for — something I found missing from the classic croissant. Although the Toblerone component wasn’t particularly pronounced, the pastry alone made up for it with its texture and buttery finish.
The pistachio chocolate Escargot (S$5.80) was another pastry that landed on our radar, thanks to its generous coating of chopped pistachios.
Based on its appearance, we were expecting a luscious pistachio-chocolate filling tucked inside the swirls. But this turned out to be surprisingly light to eat, with most of the flavour coming from the toppings and chocolate chips within its folds.
To balance out all the sweet delights, we also had up the salmon mentaiko croissant (S$5.50). Inside is a piece of honey shoyu-marinated salmon, while the top is finished with some mentaiko cream.
This is a breath of fresh air with a satisfying combination of savoury and slightly salty flavours. The mentaiko sauce also adds a creamy, umami-packed finish that ties everything together.
While the croissants may be the main draw at La Grigne, the apple crumble Danish (S$4.80) was surprisingly one of our favourite picks.
The buttery pastry pairs beautifully with the sweet, cinnamon-spiced apple compote, while the crumble topping adds an enjoyable crunch to every bite. If we had to recommend a non-croissant item, this would be it.
La Grigne Patisserie may not be the first bakery that comes to mind when you’re craving a croissant, but it’s worth checking out if you’re in the Maxwell area. With artisanal croissants priced under S$6 — a rare find these days — it offers solid value without taking too much of a bite out of your wallet.
For more bakeries in the CBD area, check out homegrown Butter Town’s first cafe in Chinatown and Mimmo bakery with its unique east-meets-west bakes.
Wed 10am - 6.30pm
Thu 10am - 6.30pm
Fri 10am - 6.30pm
Sat 10am - 6.30pm
Sun 10am - 6.30pm
- Maxwell
Shannon has the taste buds of a grandmother and perpetually struggles with a food coma.
Read more stories from this writer.
