Adria's bakery — Specialty Store in Bercy, Paris

Adria's bakery is an independent specialty shop on Rue de Reuilly, in Bercy, and what you notice first is the smell: sugar, butter and vanilla coming off the trays. The counter is small and the cakes are laid out whole and by the slice, so you can see the frosting before you commit.

Order the pecan pie first if it is there — the filling and the pastry are both worth the walk, and it is not something you trip over often in Paris. The carrot cake is moist and balanced, and whole versions go out for birthdays and family orders. Cheesecake comes in several flavours, from vanilla to Oreo and blueberry lemon, and the texture is the point. Cupcakes in red velvet, peanut butter and Oreo have a soft crumb and generous frosting. Cookies — chocolate oatmeal, dark chocolate peanut butter, cookie dough — come out crisp at the edge and barely set in the middle, and the caramel brownie is rich enough to justify the trip on its own.

Whole cakes are the other half of the business. Red velvet ordered for weddings and birthdays holds its colour and its frosting, and orders placed through Instagram get answered quickly, with pickup ready when you arrive. There is no seating, so everything is wrapped to take away.

Prices are the sticking point: individual cakes sit around €4, and nothing in the shop is under €3, which is a lot for a single portion. A loyalty card gives you a free slice once you have spent €50, which is the sensible way to make repeat visits add up.