A small French pâtisserie tucked into a Steglitz side street, run solo by Olivier Lorente.

No preservatives, no shortcuts — first-rate ingredients and the time an honest dough actually needs. The croissant is the anchor: layered, properly buttered, with the depth only a multi-day rest delivers. Around it rotate pain au chocolat, seasonal-fruit tartelettes and canelés. Financiers, cinnamon buns, orange cake and a few baguettes for the walk home round out the selection. The shop on Schildhornstraße is tiny and unfussy; the weekend queue does the talking.