Benoît Castel

There's plenty of pedigree here: pastry chef Benoît Castel set up shop in a boulangerie that was once owned by a winner of ‘Meilleur Ouvrier de France’, the prestigious award for culinary arts. Castel himself cut his professional teeth at the Grande Épicerie de Paris and the Michelin-starred Hélène Darroze restaurant, before launching his own chain of boulangerie-pastisseries.

As well as a large boutique space full of inspired baking creations, the bakery also offers big tables for easygoing breakfasts and brunches (you can reserve for groups of six and up).

Surrounded by the huge bay window, big traditional ovens and stacked wooden shelves, it’s a warm and welcoming space, and the weekend buffet brunch (€27) is a wonderful thing – high end charcuterie (chorizo, saucisson, Paris ham), roast chicken with new potatoes, pizzas, pasta salads, boiled eggs, quiches, crêpes, fresh fruit, puddings, pastries, raw milk cheeses and so on and so on. We particularly like the pancakes, the chocolate mousse, the top quality coffee and the great range of homemade breads. All in all, a triumph.