Aux pains de papy

You'll walk past the window of Aux pains de papy and actually stop—the kind of croissants and pain au chocolat that look like they've just rolled off a Parisian counter, all golden and flaky in ways that feel genuinely rare in King's Cross. Inside it's compact and no-nonsense, the sort of place where regulars know exactly what they want and the owners know them by name. The bread here is serious business: proper sourdough with actual crust and crumb, not that supermarket pretence. Grab a baguette or one of their daily specials, maybe a decent coffee, and you've got the perfect reason to take the scenic route through the neighbourhood.