One Great Block: Paris’s Le Marais
For years, the Marais, which extends from the very edge of the hipster-chic 11th arrondissement to the Seine, has held sway among, well, everyone. The “it” neighborhood still reigns, but the action has migrated to its once sleepy northern tip.
57 Rue de Bretagne
Bontemps Pâtisserie may have a name inspired by the fictional Louisiana town from the vampire series True Blood, but this retro-chic bakery is French through and through. The pâtisserie offers a refreshing twist on the signature French sable, a classic shortbread cookie, by using seasonal fillings (wild strawberry, passion fruit, blood orange). Don’t miss the larger tartes, from pecan to apple, which use the same light and crumbly shortbread crust. Take a box of minis to the Square du Temple across the street for an al fresco goûter.
19 Rue du Pont aux Choux, 75003 Paris, France
Tucked into a former cobbler’s workshop, Boot Café is making a determined bid to be the city’s tiniest (and most Instagrammable) specialty coffee bar. In a robin’s-egg-blue storefront, the café pours lattes made with beans from the highly regarded Parisian roaster Belleville Brûlerie and foreign roasters such as Five Elephant in Berlin. It’s a tight squeeze but worth a visit for bagels, cakes, and expertly pulled shots.
