Cafe Jules on Peter Street is the downtown source for French patisseries and fresh breads, which arrive daily from the brand's Mount Pleasant bakery .

This Entertainment District eatery used to be home to The Jerk Spot. Now, it's the second outpost for owners Issac Bellucci and chef Marc Tournayre who've been established in midtown for more than a decade.

The cafe sits on a stretch already dominated by coffee bars, Little Nicky's and Early Bird Espresso compete for business on either side. But you'll be able satisfy caffeine cravings here too with espresso-based drinks brewed from Italian Manuel Caffe beans.

And that's not the only imported item in store. Butter comes from New Zealand, while a range of retail products include single origin chocolate bars from Barcelona, Italian sodas and preserves from France.

The interior is a work in progress but there's ample seating upfront. Display cases at the rear are stocked with quiches sold by the slice ($5.50), sandwiches ($8.50), salads ($2.75/100g) and sweets.

At lunch hour, expect to find a readymade selection of savoury fare including croque monsieur sandwiches ($7.25) and ham and Swiss baguettes dressed with Dijon ($8.50).

A coffee and croissant for $3.50 offers tempting value, but today I gravitate towards a pear puff pastry ($5.25). Can I detect the superiority of Kiwi butter? Not at all. But it is an impeccably fresh and flakey dessert that is pleasingly not to sweet.

Among the many other baked goods in store are individual fruit tarts ($5.95), macarons ($2.30 each), and a line-up of freshly baked breads.

Even with the Independent City Market just across the street, condo dwellers might want to detour here for baguettes ($2.95) or loaves of sourdough ($6.25) and rye (from $6.25).

Photos by Jesse Milns