After honing his skills in the kitchens of international luxury hotels, Picardy-born pastry chef Gaël Moutet – also a proud member of the Compagnons du Devoir guild of craftsmen – settled in Vieux-Nice with his Tuscan wife, Sara, herself a veteran of prestigious establishments. In their teeny-tiny shop, the chef turns out meticulously crafted pastries that are lightly sweetened and subtly influenced by Asia: airy matcha rolls; bolo baos (Hong Kong-style pineapple buns) filled with vanilla, strawberry or blueberry cream; alongside impeccably executed French classics like a tart Tropézienne, flan bauvaisien and tarte au citron. Each morning, no more than six to nine of each creation are made – and they’re sold out within the day! The same goes for the viennoiseries (don’t miss the pain aux raisins, its plump fruit gently infused with tea) and the milk bread, a refined take on Japanese shokupan that’s best reserved in advance. A tightly edited savory lineup completes the collection, with a textbook croque-monsieur, summer sandos and burgers in winter. And when the sun comes out to play, the ice cream machine kicks into gear, churning out flavors like asam boi (Malaysian salted plum) or hojicha (Japanese roasted green tea). · Alban Mont

THE HIDDEN GEM: The Pangkor, named after a Malaysian island where the couple used to vacation – a knockout dessert with a chocolate shell, coconut mousse and pineapple coulis (€5.80).