Stopping for coffee at one of no less than five coffee spots, down on Llankelly Place earlier this week, I noticed a new bakery had moved in just down from the Bamboo dumpling place. It is simply called The Italian Bakery, and opened just over a week ago.

Just opposite is a little Greek patisserie-cum-coffee shop.

And the space that was vacated after “Elk” bar fizzled some time ago, has signage adorning the outer walls that Luneburger German Bakery is about to open.

With the abundance of French cafes and patisseries dotted through the area, it seems European bakeries are what we want.

Now how about a Bosnian Burek bar fitting in somewhere too?

Already, I can’t remember what used to occupy the spot, just up from the corner at Roslyn Street.

It is tiny inside but makes excellent use of the space with a mezzanine level.

It is intimate and feels like you are in someone’s fancy sitting room, with elaborately framed landscape and portrait artworks, a fire, a chandelier, an antique clock.

We just stopped in for (Genovese) coffee.

But I do like the look of the simple breakfast menu.

But the $2.70 takeaway coffees from Strawberry Cream come in styrofoam cups. Besides any environmental considerations, styrofoam cups don’t work with coffee. It just doesn’t taste as good.

Same at Le Petit Creme, just around the corner on Darlinghurst Road, where a takeaway coffee is $3.00.

Fortunately, Sel & Poivre on Victoria Street has excellent takeaway coffee. In paper cups. And at $2.50 it’s the cheapest of the three.

Plus Sel & Poivre’s country pate baguettes and rillettes are fantastic.