The ride up (or down) the Mid-Levels escalator has just been made more appealing with the opening of a pastry shop on Mosque Street. Vanilla was opened by chef Louise Cowell, who is also the person in the back of the shop baking lemon tarts ($10), preparing Friday's fish pie ($45) and filling ciabatta with oven-roasted vegetables ($30).
Every weekday, there is a different hot dish for weary escalator warriors on their way up; there's a small breakfast menu and a range of sandwiches, salads and quiches for those on their way down; and there are pastries and cakes for those in the middle.
Whole cakes start at $180 and include baked cheesecake, chocolate fudge cake and lemon meringue. There's a soup of the day and if eating home alone has lost its appeal, pull up a stool at the small bar table and watch the world go by.
Vanilla also delivers and is open from 7.30am to 8pm at 33 Mosque Street, Mid-Levels, tel: 2530 4828.