In the game of café bingo, the Haut Marais neighborhood has checked off the winning box with this beautiful coffee shop by Davina Chang. After teaming up with pastry chef Julia Cheung (ex-The Kursaal), these days the former financial analyst celebrates the sweet treats of her Hong Kong upbringing. All day long, the duo fill the pleated green countertop up with classic eats from Hong Kong’s bing sutt (those “counters” where you can sip and nibble on something sweet), complemented at lunch by a flurry of playful dishes. Seated on the booth-style wooden banquette, the other day we devoured all of the following: a proverbial borscht soup revisited with macaroni and beef shank, surrounded by stewed tomatoes and green cabbage; followed by creamy chicken ragù pie with peas, onions and soy sauce… before a melting pot of desserts that left us stunned: an addictive chocolate / red bean brioche roll, and a perfect pineapple bun – milk bread with a craquelin top, served warm and split open to accommodate a square of melted salted butter – the ultimate surprise! // Pica Bidon

FEELING THIRSTY? A whole range of triumphant coffee shop options (americanos, lattes, flat whites… from €3 to €5.50), along with your classic Hong Kong staples – including an authentic black tea with sweetened condensed milk (€5) and a Ovomaltine mocha, a popular cocoa and malt extract powder drink (€5.50).
PRICE: Small plates €8-12.50, pies and savory breads €3-5, pastries and sweet breads €3-5.