Dreamin’ Man — Amelot

Lemon cake, scones and Basque cheesecake make the pastry counter at Dreamin' Man as important as the espresso machine. At the original rue Amelot shop, Yuichiro Sugiyama's coffee and Yui Matsuzaki's baking share a very small room, giving the visit an unusually close connection with the people behind it.

Coffee and baking at the original shop

Sugiyama worked as a barista in Tokyo, while Matsuzaki trained in pastry at Ferrandi. Their offer brings familiar coffee preparations together with a changing cake selection. Espresso, milk coffees and V60 brewing sit alongside tea and hojicha, so the order need not be a conventional Paris café crème. The beans rotate, with different origins providing a reason to ask what is being brewed.

Cakes, scones and a very small room

The baking gives a simple coffee stop more substance. A scone with butter and jam is a different choice from a slice of lemon or chestnut cake, and the rich Basque cheesecake has become a particularly noted part of the counter. Availability follows the day's baking rather than a promise that every item will remain until closing.

Weathered wooden fittings, pale plaster and shelves of plants and cups reinforce the room's small scale. Seating is limited, with takeaway an equally natural way to use the shop. At the Amelot café near République, the few seats keep the counter and baking close at hand.