By Alexander Britell

FORT DE FRANCE — THERE’S SOMETHING about the smell of fresh bread in the morning.

And here in Fort-de-France, more than anywhere else in the Caribbean, fresh bread is an art form.

It seems hard to walk a block without finding a traditional French boulangerie-patisserie, with a Creole twist of course.

But in Martinique, the bakery truly begins and ends at Chez Surena, a Fort-de-France institution that first opened its ovens in 1906.

It has served generations of Martiniquais and has been passed down for generations, remaining a morning and lunchtime hub, with the bustle of the capital frequently spilling in for a flour-based respite.

It’s a jewel box of a bakery, with orange arches and white walls and the feeling that this single room is itself some kind of pastry.

La Surena has standing room only for a few; those eagerly awaiting a pate coco or a roule abricot, or those who seem just to be there to enjoy the wafting aromas.

Whether it takes a minute or two is immaterial once you get a taste.

Above: a pâté coco

I chose a pâté coco, perfect golden brown, still hot, decadently flaky, with a controlled but robust flavour of coconut.

Instantly, it was easy to understand why this place has been around for 108 years.