Petit Bleu

You're wandering around Snowsfields on a Saturday morning—that bit of SE1 that hasn't been entirely swallowed by corporate offices—when the smell of butter and baked dough pulls you in. Petit Bleu is exactly what it promises: a French bakery that doesn't overthink things. The croissants are properly laminated, the pain au chocolat is still warm enough to burn your mouth, and they do an excellent line in sourdough that actually has flavour. The coffee's decent too, if a little secondary to the carbs. It's the kind of place locals queue for without making a fuss about it.