Croissant d'Or Patisserie

Lower Quarter on Ursulines, in a building that was Brocato's Sicilian ice cream parlor in the early 1900s — the original tile mosaic at the entrance still reads "Ladies Entrance," and the marble counters are the marble counters. The new owners have kept everything that mattered.

The pastries are the reason. A proper croissant with the right shatter, almond croissants that have not been sitting since yesterday, ham and cheese on housemade brioche, fruit tarts that taste like the fruit. Quiche, soup, a few sandwiches at lunch. Coffee is good and unfussy.

The small back courtyard is pretty in shoulder seasons. Cash or card. Closed Tuesdays, closes by 2pm the rest of the week — this is a morning place. Walk here from anywhere in the Quarter; it's the breakfast that locals quietly tell other locals about.