Gonflé — Specialty Store in Montmartre, Paris

Gonflé is an independent bakery tucked onto Rue de Belzunce in Montmartre, on a side street quieter than the crowded blocks around the station. The shop is small, and the first thing you see is the pastry case: a row of croissants, some of them black.

The charcoal croissant is the signature curiosity, sometimes filled with vanilla cream, and it is worth ordering on a first visit. The vanilla flan is a slice of custard with a good vanilla flavour; the kouign-amann is a caramelised Breton pastry that holds up well enough to bring someone back a year later. The tigre pistachio pastry is soft and chewy, filled generously with pistachio and chocolate, and the lemon cruffin carries a fresh lemon curd. For something savoury, the quiche, including a spinach and goat cheese version, is a solid choice, and the focaccia and halloumi sandwiches are made to order.

Service happens at the counter, and sandwiches can be assembled on request if none are ready. There are four small tables outside on the street, enough for a coffee and a pastry before a train. The shop is tiny, so most of what you buy goes into a bag to take away.

Prices are on the higher side for a bakery: a croissant runs €2.40, a flan €4, and two pastries together came to €8. A simple sandwich at €6.50 is the priciest way to eat here. The quiet street and the few terrace tables make it a calmer stop than the station concourse.

Gonflé suits anyone with an hour between trains who wants something more interesting than a station sandwich, and anyone curious enough to try a black croissant at least once.