Patisselier — Specialty Store in Passy, Paris

Patisselier is an independent specialty shop on Avenue Raymond Poincaré in Passy, a short walk from Boulainvilliers station. What you notice first is the window: each cake is set out like a small piece of work, and the shop behind it is decorated with the same care. The draw is narrow and clear: rolled cakes, made in several flavours and sold both by the slice and whole.

Start with the raspberry roll. A slice costs around five euros, and it is light and fresh rather than sugary, with the fruit doing most of the work. The chocolate roll is the one to take home to a family: soft, even in texture, and the cake children ask for again. The Nutella roll is richer, and it is better chilled before you eat it. The plain Swiss rolls are the house signature, soft and gently sweet, good at any hour of the day.

Beyond the rolls there are croissants and doughnuts, and larger celebration cakes can be ordered for a party or a festive table. The counter is where everything happens: you point, they box, and a coffee has been known to come with the welcome.

Prices sit between five and twenty euros for a few items, and a whole cake ordered for an occasion runs higher; for thirty euros you get size rather than a more complex pastry. The slice is the sensible way in: you can try the raspberry and the chocolate for the price of one whole roll.

Come before the afternoon if you want the full range, since stock thins out later in the day. It suits anyone staying in Passy who wants a cake for a table, and anyone curious enough to cross the neighbourhood for a rolled cake done properly.