Beverly Hills south of Wilshire on a weekday afternoon is a vibe. Filled with well-dressed people out and about, walking purposefully along the streets like they have somewhere to go, but where are you going in the middle of the work day? The tourists are all on Rodeo Dr (or generally packed in the blocks up by Santa Monica Blvd. So these are the locals out here existing on Beverly Drive, maintaining a constant buzz in the neighborhood without ever actually being busy. But I digress. We only come to this part of LA for a couple reasons. One of which is Chaumont.

Chaumont is a French-ish bakery and cafe that has been serving up Beverly Hills for nearly a decade. The shop exudes effortless European elegance. Simple but classy. A bright space with high ceilings. Casual seating on one side, and an expansive pastry counter on the other. A menu filled with daytime cafe fare with French flair. The kind of atmosphere that makes you want to order an espresso and a croissant and sit out on the sidewalk pretending you’re somewhere else. Until you realize you’re parking is up and you are in the city of parking tickets and not the city of light.