Le Sucrier

Choosing a cake at Le Sucrier means deciding which flavours appeal most: spice, fruit or chocolate. The shop describes its Spice Caramel as a signature creation, pairing a cinnamon-and-allspice sponge with rum-soaked grapes and caramel cream. One visitor also picked up notes of rum and almond alongside the spices, and found it restrained in sweetness, with a more grown-up flavour.

For fruit, there is Framboisier, an almond cake folded with crushed raspberries and generously brushed with raspberry liqueur and syrup. The same visitor enjoyed its moist texture and the little bursts of raspberry, and thought it went particularly well with tea. Another memorable choice is Mon Carré, described as a square Mont Blanc. It layers rum-scented chestnut cream with cassis jam, candied chestnuts, rum-flavoured whipped cream and ganache. One account recalled the pairing of rich chestnut and tart-sweet cassis.

Other options include Chocolat Grand Marnier, made with Grand Marnier, and Camembert, a mousse of Camembert and cream cheeses with blueberry jam. There are chocolate and cheese-based choices, too. One visitor found the cakes small and wished they had chosen two, so if one is hard to settle on, two varieties may suit the mood.

Drinks include the house-blend coffee, espresso and Ceylon tea. Tea can be served plain, with milk, lemon or brandy; hot mint herbal tea is served in a pot. Visitors have written about spending a quiet moment over tea and cake, or ordering coffee with Chocolat Grand Marnier. Deciding on a pairing is part of the pleasure.