Boulangerie Liberté — Specialty Store in Canal Saint-Martin, Paris

Boulangerie Liberté sits on Rue de Turbigo in Canal Saint-Martin, a short walk from Château d'Eau station. It is a bakery with a shaded terrace and an eat-in corner, and the first thing that catches your eye is the bread: a black charcoal baguette among the more familiar loaves.

Start with the chausson aux pommes, a turnover that holds up against the best of its kind in Paris. The croissant is the morning order, and the traditional baguette is the loaf to take home.

The shop runs baking classes and tours with a tasting, and the queue for those is its own sign of interest. Inside there is a shaded terrace and a small eat-in space, better suited to a quick bite than a long sit. The look is distinctive, with a decorated interior that reads more elaborate than a standard neighbourhood bakery.

Prices sit at the higher end: a brownie at €4.50, an almond croissant at €3.20, a small olive and feta roll at €4.50, a slice of banana bread cut thick for €4, and a loaf that can reach €8. A croissant at €1.40 is the reasonable end of the range.

Waits can run long with one employee on duty. It still suits anyone curious about the charcoal baguette, the chausson aux pommes, or a baking class with a tasting attached.