Pâtisserie Gilles Marchal — Specialty Store in Montmartre, Paris

Pâtisserie Gilles Marchal is an independent pastry shop on Rue Ravignan, in Montmartre, and the first thing you meet is the display: cases laid out so the cakes and pastries are looked at before they are bought. The street itself is part of the visit, with the steps nearby where you can sit with what you have chosen.

The madeleines are what to take home, in plain and lemon versions, and the lemon one is the flavor to start with. From the same case, the Paris-Brest is a praline pastry worth seeking out, the flan holds its own among the versions sold around Paris, and the canelés are a small sweet to add to the bag. A lemon tart and a soft, creamy cheesecake that is not too sweet round out the choice, and croissants are there for the morning.

The owner is warm and keeps introducing new cakes and cookies, so the case shifts rather than staying fixed. Everything is sold to take away, and the bag of madeleines for later is the move.

Prices are the friction: portions are small against what they cost, and a minimum spend applies on card payments, so bring cash or plan to buy enough to clear it.

For all that, it suits a slow morning in Montmartre, a sweet to carry to the steps, and a box of madeleines as a gift from the neighborhood.