On a perfectly ordinary stretch of Washington Boulevard in Culver City lurks a dangerously delicious French secret: Des Croissants Paris. Do not be fooled by its calm exterior—inside, this place is basically Pastry Disneyland, minus the $200 tickets and crying toddlers.

Founder Samuel Manar runs this traditional boulangerie-pâtisserie with the precision of a French pastry ninja. The moment you walk in, your brain short-circuits trying to decide which buttery treasure to adopt. The cases gleam like they’ve been polished by angels—or at least by someone who really respects laminated dough.

First up: the Palmier. Imagine a puff pastry and a sugar crystal had a baby, and that baby grew up to be a caramelized, crunchy, golden halo of happiness. Light, crispy, dangerously addictive. I could’ve eaten twelve, but I had more “research” to conduct.

Then… the Ham and Cheese Croissant. Mon Dieu. This flaky masterpiece is now on my Top 10 Things I’ve Ever Eaten list, right between “grandma’s holiday roast” and “that one slice of pizza at 2 a.m.” It’s buttery. It’s stuffed. It’s basically a love letter from France written in ham.

Finally, the Chouquette—a tiny, pearl-sugar-studded puff of joy. It’s subtly sweet, perfectly airy, and feels like something a chic Parisian grandmother hands you before saying, “Eat, you look tired.”

The service? Friendly and fast, like they know you’re seconds away from a pastry-induced meltdown. Prices? Shockingly reasonable for something that tastes like it studied abroad in Paris. Parking? Plentiful—because for once, the universe wants you to eat carbs.

Tomorrow morning may come too soon… but not for me. I’ll already be in line.