Christophe Vasseur's Du Pain et des Idées in Paris's 10e remains the boulangerie every other counter measures itself against. Levain bread, laminated escargots.
Tip: Closed weekends. Arrive before 09:00 for the pain des amis; escargots sell out by 13:00.
Address: 34 Rue Yves Toudic, 75010 Paris
Poilâne in Paris has baked a signature sourdough miche from a wood-fired oven on Rue du Cherche-Midi since 1932. Apolonia Poilâne now runs three city counters.
Tip: The half-miche feeds two for a week. Ask for the cocktail-size punitions at the till.
Worth the queue: Pain Poilâne miche
Utopie in Paris's 11e is the modern boulangerie Sebastien Bruno and Erwan Blanche built into a black-fronted shop with the city's best black-sesame baguette.
Tip: Cash and card both work. The flan vanille is the second pick after the sesame baguette.
Worth the queue: Sesame baguette
Cédric Grolet Opéra in Paris is the chef's lemon-fruit-and-flowers museum: every cake a sculpted trompe-l'œil fruit, priced at €18 to €25 a piece.
Tip: Queue starts at 11:30 for the 12:00 opening; book online to skip it for the citron tart.
Worth the queue: Trompe-l'œil fruit
Liberté Pâtisserie Boulangerie in Paris's 10e is Benoît Castel's open-kitchen counter where the bakery floor doubles as the eat-in dining room from 09:00.
Tip: The Paris-Brest individual size is €6; the cake-by-the-slice in the back room runs half that price.
Worth the queue: Paris-Brest
Claire Damon's Des Gâteaux et du Pain in Paris's 15e is the pastry-architect shop where every tart is signed off as a numbered edition, on display under glass.
Tip: Closed Monday. The Mont-Blanc is autumn-only; the strawberry tart anchors the summer carte.
Worth the queue: Le Mont-Blanc
Mamiche in Paris's 9e is the Cécile Khayat and Victoria Effantin counter that brought New York-Israeli babka to Pigalle. The cinnamon babka sells out before 14:00.
Tip: Closed Sunday and Monday. Order ahead by phone for a whole babka loaf to take home.
Worth the queue: Cinnamon babka
