Side quests in The Witch’s Bakery appear in your journal as Side Journeys. There are 15 of them, and each one hangs off a specific person in Paris: Estelle, Mirembe, Hassan, the cinema owner, a goblin florist, a man who only shows up at the park on Fridays. Most are optional for the story. If you want full completion, though, they are not optional. One achievement requires finishing all of them, and several more require maxing out each side character’s relationship, which mostly happens through these quests.
Quick answer: Each Side Journey starts from one trigger, usually a text invitation, a shop visit, or repeated conversations with one character. Finish all 15 before the TV interview airs after Kei’s Palace.
Finishing Kei’s Palace brings you close to an irreversible cutoff: city exploration ends without warning. It happens almost right after the TV interview airs, so complete all active Side Journeys before then.
All 15 Side Journeys and their unlock triggers
| Side Journey | Character | Unlock trigger |
|---|---|---|
| The Journey of Healing Hearts | Estelle, Ghaldari | Story, after Estelle’s first Heart Dive |
| An Honest Partner | Estelle | Accept her pastry-testing text |
| A Business Perspective | Estelle | Accept her dinner invitation |
| A Daredevil in a Magic Shop | Mirembe | Reach Heart 1 with her |
| The Burden of Randomness | Mirembe | Talk when she asks for advice |
| A Teacher And Caretaker | Ghaldari | After Mirembe’s “something big” text |
| Youngsters in the Neighborhood | Mr. Martin | Reach Heart 1 with him |
| One of Us | Hassan | Talk to him repeatedly |
| An Acquired Taste | Alluux | Mirembe’s Florist text |
| The Best Tips | Best | Find him outside his bakery |
| At Peace | Daniel | Park bench on Fridays |
| Dad And Son | Mawuli | Accept his Maria Kart invite |
| A Bond That Won’t Break | Orin | He visits after a shift |
| The Decorator And The Witch | Judith | She visits the shop |
| Cauchemar Over Paris | Orio, Lys | Orio sends you to the park |
Several of these chain together. Mirembe’s texts start two quests that aren’t her own, and Alluux has to come before Best. The sections below cover the triggers that need more than a single conversation.
Estelle’s Side Journeys
The Journey of Healing Hearts is the one you can’t miss. It begins on its own in Chapter Two, after the first Estelle Heart Dive, once you’ve met her and seen her Regret. To close it out, head to Ghaldari’s shop in Passage Verdeau. The entrance is the door next to the rack of postcards. Talk to Ghaldari about Estelle’s Regret, and the quest completes once you finish the conversation with him and Mirembe.
Estelle’s other two quests come as invitations by text. For An Honest Partner, go to her place to test a new pastry recipe. You don’t have to go the same day, but don’t put it off for long. A Business Perspective starts when she invites you to dinner at her apartment with her and a friend. Show up to begin it.
Mirembe and Ghaldari’s Side Journeys
A Daredevil in a Magic Shop depends on your friendship with Mirembe. Find her at Dans La Toile, Ghaldari’s shop, and build your relationship. Talk with her there whenever a prompt appears, and invite her to evening outings such as the movie theater, the theater, concerts, and restaurants. Reaching Friendship Heart 1 leaves that heart locked. The next morning, Mirembe texts you to meet her at Ghaldari’s.
You’ll know it worked when the quest completes after she shows you what she wanted to share. The first heart unlocks at the same moment, along with the achievement for reaching Relationship Level 1 with Mirembe.
The Burden of Randomness comes later, when Mirembe asks you for advice. Just talk to her. A Teacher And Caretaker starts with a different text from Mirembe, saying there’s something big you need to talk about. That’s your cue to go speak with Ghaldari.
Rue des Barres Side Journeys: Alluux and Best
These two quests run back to back once you’ve found Rue des Barres. An Acquired Taste is the longest side quest in the game, and it takes several in-game days.
An Acquired Taste
The Best Tips
Best, the owner of the bakery on Rue des Barres, isn’t around when you first reach the street. Talk to Alluux for the first time, then come back later to find him standing outside his bakery. He asks whether you came to see Alluux, which you can answer either way. Then he offers you a tasting.
- “With pleasure!” starts the quest right away and uses up that day’s activity slot.
- “Another time, maybe?” postpones it. Come back later and find him again.
Accepting leads into a baking sequence with Best. Visiting Best’s Atelier is also how you unlock the Palmier recipe, so this quest counts toward recipe completion too.
Neighborhood Side Journeys: Mr. Martin, Hassan, and Daniel
Youngsters in the Neighborhood belongs to Mr. Martin, who runs the cinema next door. Raise him to a Level 1 Heart by paying for movies and talking to him whenever a prompt appears. Once that first heart lands, talk to him again. He invites you to keep coming back for movies at a discount, and the quest completes. It also awards the achievement for Relationship Level 1 with Monsieur Martin.
One of Us works the same way with Hassan, the bookshop owner. Talking to him several times starts it.
At Peace only exists on Fridays, once you can access the park. On those days, a man named Daniel sits on the bench you normally use to rest. On your first interaction, pick “Thanks.” to rest at the park with him, rather than “It’s okay!”, which sends you off to do something else. Resting brings up a second choice, either “Do you come here often?” or “(Say nothing).” Keep returning on later Fridays and talking to him to move the quest along.
Invitation and visit Side Journeys: Mawuli, Orin, Judith, and Lys
The last four start when someone comes to you, so the main thing is to say yes when it happens.
- Dad And Son: Accept Mawuli’s invitation to play Maria Kart at his place.
- A Bond That Won’t Break: Orin turns up after a bakery shift and asks about a wedding cake, which you make with Estelle.
- The Decorator And The Witch: Judith comes to the shop wanting a special baked good for her sadness. Visit her afterward.
- Cauchemar Over Paris: Orio prompts you to go to the park, then points you to the statue, where Lys is. Help Lys with the Cauchemar to finish.
Orin’s quest also pays out a recipe. Fraisier unlocks once you deliver the wedding cake, so finishing A Bond That Won’t Break crosses off a pastry as well. Once all 15 Side Journeys show as complete and you’ve passed Kei’s Palace, the completion achievement is in hand, and the only thing left is ranking up each character’s relationship.
