Poilâne — Specialty Store in Passy, Paris

Poilâne is a branch of the Poilâne bakery on Boulevard de Grenelle, in Passy, and it reads as a neighbourhood shop rather than a grand address: a small counter, a window display, and a short list of things to buy. The storefront is the kind you stop in front of before you go in.

The apple tart is what to get. The apples keep their crunch and the pastry stays on the right side of sweet, which is why it turns up again and again in what people carry out. Croissants and pain au chocolat are the everyday staples at around €1.85, and the flan is worth a slice if you want something softer and less sweet. Savory things hold their own too: a vegetable quiche and a vegetable turnover both earn their place.

How it works is simple. You order at the counter, things are bagged for you, and there is no seating to speak of. Note that this branch sells no baguettes; the bread here is the round country loaf, sold by the half or the slice, and a paper bag can cost 30 cents on top.

Prices sit in the moderate band, with small items adding up: an apple turnover at €3, a takeaway coffee at €3.10, a pain au chocolat at €1.85. Go early, because croissants and turnovers sell out quickly, and remember the shop is closed on Mondays.

Come for the apple tart and the savory turnovers.