That time I couchsurfed in Paris and found a secret bakery run by an 80 year old lady

Went to Paris last fall with like $600 total for 10 days. Crashed with a guy I met on a travel forum. He showed me this random alley bakery where this 80 year old woman sells croissants for 1 euro each. Best pastry I ever ate, no joke. Place had zero sign out front, just locals lining up at 7am. Anyone else find hidden food spots like that while budget traveling?

2 comments

2 Comments

anna_hill1mo ago

Honestly I'm the opposite on this. I'd rather skip the hidden gems and go to places that actually have reviews and menus online. Too many times I've followed a locals only tip and ended up with something that was just okay but I had to pretend was amazing because the person was standing right there.

phoenixgonzalez1mo ago

Oh man that sounds incredible! I had a similar thing happen in Rome where this old guy was selling pizza bianca out of his garage. No sign, no menu, just him and his wood fired oven. He charged like 2 euros for a slab that could feed two people. I still dream about that garlic and rosemary oil he drizzled on top. Did you ask the lady what her secret is or did she keep it close to the chest?