Sain

Anthony Courteille made a bold bet by settling down with his loaves of bread in tow in the 10th arrondissement – a haven for bakeries of all kinds –, adding his humble crumb to the tower of gluten. Except that SAIN (which stands for “Saveurs d’Antan, Ingrédients Naturels,” or “Flavors of Yesteryear, Natural Ingredients”) offers that little something extra, drawing in runners along the Canal Saint-Martin and curious passerby alike. Let’s zoom out on his crusty creations: tradition baguettes made with heirloom flour and natural sourdough with pointy ends, spellbinding black garlic, hazelnut and herb bread, tender loaves with zucchini and Parmesan or preserved lemon and walnuts kneaded into the dough… As for the sweets, it’s a veritable parade of flavors: buckwheat kouign-amann, light and fluffy vanilla-caramel cream puffs, whimsical coffee éclairs, vegan chocolate-coconut cake and sourdough viennoiseries. And to make this pleasurable moment last even longer, grab yourself a cup of pour-over, and a grilled cheese sandwich made with scarmoza, chorizo and ham, and devour it all on the small bench in front of the shop’s forest green storefront. // Henriette Ma

THE HIDDEN GEM: Put a ring on… the surprise turnover, which also happens to be the crispiest in all of Paris, whose filling varies depending on the season – greengage plums and hazelnuts, Solliès figs, apricots and lavender, or a traditional apple filling (€2.80).