Maison Maé — Specialty Store in Canal Saint-Martin, Paris

Maison Maé is an independent family-run bakery on Rue du Château d'Eau, a few minutes from Château d'Eau station in Canal Saint-Martin, and the first thing you meet inside is a display case packed with both sweet and savoury baking rather than bread alone. Seats sit inside and out, and the room is small enough that a short sit-down is what it is built for.

Start with the raspberry croissant, generously filled with tart jam that cuts through the butter. The pistachio croissant is the other one worth carrying out, and the pain au chocolat holds its own against the plain butter croissant. For something savoury, the fricassé costs around two euros and makes an ideal snack, and the chicken sandwich is a full lunch.

Everything sold here is halal, with no alcohol or gelatin in the products, which the staff will tell you if you ask. Macarons and madeleines travel well if you want something to take home, and the cheesecake comes on a granola crust that is not the usual base.

The price band runs from one to ten euros. A fricassé at about two euros is the cheapest way in, and card payment carries a minimum of three euros, so a single small item is a cash purchase unless you add something to the order.

The early 7 am opening and the Sunday hours make it a breakfast stop for early risers and families staying nearby.