Little Marionette

Little Marionette on the Dale is tucked away on Trafalgar Street, Annandale, with large windows opening out onto the street and quirky decor, including a trompe l'oeil door masquerading as a bookshelf and a little elephant guarding the flowerpots. They sell pastries and pies from the delectable Black Star Pastry. The staff are friendly and they made an incredible bowl of muesli, fruit and yogurt for me (at 2.30pm on a Saturday afternoon, all the pies and quiches were gone).

Terrific Scientific

Terrific Scientific, at 51 Booth Street, Annandale, is the sort of shop that would have made me pass out with excitement when I was a child. All toy shops should be like this. Here, Yoda rubs shoulders with the Tardis and a T-Rex; there are creepy crawlies, and bionic ears, and kites, and skeletons, and things that jiggle, squish, stretch, or glow in the dark. A cohort of miniaturised knights and evil horses stand ready for action; a mournful Chewbacca mask graces the wall; and a benign bear guards the door.