Sama Délices — Specialty Store in Clignancourt, Paris

Sama Délices is an independent pastry shop on Boulevard Ornano, in Clignancourt, and the first thing you notice is how small and personal the operation feels. The counter is the whole shop: trays of Syrian sweets, a few savoury items, and someone behind it ready to tell you what each thing is.

Start with the halawet il jibn. It is a cheese-based sweet, soft and yielding rather than crumbly, and it is the item that brings people back. The knafeh and kunefe are made fresh, and the pistachio kunefe has a clear, nutty flavour that holds up against the syrup. If you want something savoury alongside, the kibbeh sandwich and the almond caramel loukoum are both worth adding to the box.

The shop works as a counter service, with pastries boxed to take away. Catering is a real part of what happens here: family-size knafeh and larger orders for parties come out generous in quantity and flavour, and prices stay reasonable for what you get. The owner is warm and welcoming, and sometimes makes a knafeh to order while you wait.

A few items cost €5–20, which covers a small box of mixed pastries or a single larger knafeh. That range is the honest guide to spending here: a gift box sits at the top of it, a couple of sweets for yourself at the bottom. The shop is closed on Mondays, so plan around that.