Au Pain Naturel was my favorite neighborhood boulangerie. It's perfectly situated at the edge of le Marche d'Aligre, a large and varied street market, and in my opinion, the finest.
As intimated in the name, this boulangerie makes organic, artisanal bread and baked goods by hand with organic ingredients. Everything is amazing here. I used to buy a flute for breakfast every morning. La croute, the crust, was so flaky and crackly, while the mie, the soft part inside, was dense and chewy, not light and fluffy like Asian or American bread. You had to eat it right away or it would get stale, unlike American bread, since it lacked preservatives, but that was no problem for me!
This boulangerie sells a full array of baked goods from quiche to fougasse aux lardons to tartes and I loved them all. If you are headed to the Marche d'Aligre, you must stop by. There is usually a line, but the wait is well worth it! read more