"from what I understand Paris is significantly underwhelming when it comes to espresso (and the entire coffee roasting scene) - nearly impossible to find a high quality shot of espresso."

jpopp,

What do you mean by high quality shot? I am surprised that you can't find it in Paris. I happen to love French roast. It's my favorite and just right. For me, Starbucks is not high quality at all. It is burnt, not roasted. I can't believe, people coonsider it high quality coffee, but tastes differ, I guess.

If nobody has mentioned yet, I will add Fauchon for gourmet chocolates and other sweets. They have multiple locations.

From what I understand, robusta or robusta blends are preferred in France. Robusta is primarily grown in Vietnam and is less expensive than arabica. In the US, robusta is associated with lower quality/instant coffee.

<i>"I have books but they all seem to recommend a different place"</i>

That's because they are most likely ALL very, very good. It would be silly for a guidebook to recommend hundreds of different excellent ones.

As StCirq stated above, there are countless patisseries all over Paris better than anything you'll find at home. No pre-planning required.