After leaving a career in finance behind, Louis Lamour decided to become a baker: he got his hands dirty at an Éric Kayser bakery and La Grande Épicerie de Paris, and then did a world tour of bread, before opening a shop of his own in Bordeaux. He’s been there for several seasons now, preparing all the classics (with AOP Charentes-Poitou butter) and other more inventive, crusty, and even downright crazy creations: citrus and almond breads, Croistaches (pistachio croissants) and Croichocs (chocolate croissants), cubed loaves flavored with cheddar, onion or chorizo and pumpkin seeds, Beyrouthin (a croissant stuffed with goat’s cheese and toasted pine nuts) or Monkey Bars (cinnamon and pecan flaky pastries). Savor them all on the terrace or inside the shop, while watching the video of Louis Lamour advocating for artisan viennoiseries on your cell phone (Le Croissant has 1 million views on Youtube!). // Albert Gredinbar

The hidden gem: A strange cubed loaf that will perplex your friends at your next dinner party, marbled with turmeric or vegetable charcoal.