Ampersand

Ampersand Café and Bookstore is at 78 Oxford Street, Paddington. It's situated on an incredibly busy road, but "&" somehow manages to be a quiet and peaceful haven in an old Victorian house, with a warren of rooms stacked with second hand books and offering plenty of places to sit, from little stools by the window to large, comfortable old communal tables. It's like going round to someone's house, where they serve you with delicious hot chocolate and wonderful cakes (such as the mango and coconut cupcake below) and you can read any of their books.