L’institut de Bonté (CLOSED)

Kitted out in bric-à-brac ranging from a stuffed partridge to straw hats and overflowing fruit baskets, this small Canal Saint-Martin café has a warm and provincial feel about it. Amid all the homey decorations and trinkets, customers perch at three large wooden tables and drink coffee and tea (€2.50) with home made cakes (€3.50) from morning through to night. For €7, the gourmet breakfast buffet is a great way to kick-start the day: organic baguettes with butter, jam (quince, raspberry, apricot) and honey, various fruit and fromage blanc with cereals, muesli, dried fruit and mixed oats. You can certainly get your money’s worth, considering the price also includes lovely fresh fruit juice and a hot drink (latte, flat white, chai tea, hot chocolate).

TRANSLATION: HUW OLIVER