Maison Arlot Cheng

A stone’s throw from Les Machines de l’Île, Chin-jy Cheng and Pierre-Antoine Arlot now welcome in customers all day long to their luminous Maison Arlot Cheng. The space? A bakery with the best breads in the city, displayed on the granite and slate countertop, and a café corner in the luminous space, designed by Atelier Mima (waxed concrete floors, curved wooden benches, bay windows). Here you’ll find Konatsu Mayuyama (the pastry chef) and Alessandro Mancini (the chef and baker), both of whom used to work at the famous E5 Bakehouse in London, forming an impressive duo as they combine French heirloom flours, Japanese traditions and English inspirations. What should you expect from the bakery side of things? Buckwheat flour and buckwheat grain bread, sourdough spelt wheat focaccia, their pain des marins made with rye sourdough, walnuts, raisins and molasses, or even grilled cheese sandwiches at lunch… And for the sweets? Creamy coconut rochers, buckwheat shortbread cookies, flapjacks (English granola bars), black sesame cake, walnut and azuki bean tart. // Thomas Jossin & Linda Manca 

The hidden gem: The very sweet “shokupan,” an extremely tender Japanese white loaf (€11/kg).