Patisserie Boutique is a fresh entry on the row that now contains what looks like the highest concentration of hipster cafés in Ipoh's Old Town; it tries to bring a feel of Paris to this former tin-mining city, with walls that bear meticulously created images of the Eiffel Tower, Champs-Élysées and Arc de Triomphe.The menu's not exactly a Francophile's fantasy though; lunch specials cross into the Italian border, comprising the likes of spaghetti tossed with raisins & pine nuts (RM16)... & another with smoked duck (RM18) as well as minestrone soup & lasagna. Well-executed enough, though the setting might be the real star, not the cuisine.True to the outlet's name, desserts & pastries are prominently showcased; the choc meringue cake is enjoyably light & airy ...... while the crème brûlée is undistinguished. It's nevertheless fun to eat this here while instrumental versions of La Vie En Rose & La Mer play in the background.

Garvy's is interesting, but head here prepared for the trappings of a fine-dining experienceWhite chocolate lava cake with pineapple compote & vanilla ice cream. Tasty, very nearly meriting the RM40 price tag. The creamy molten centre had rich complexities (a hint of caramel?), but one of our main waiters insisted it was white chocolate & nothing more.

Brew & Bread, which has opened a second branch at One City in USJ Subang following the success of its original Kota Kemuning outlet.This one's more urbane; it would fit in perfectly in the sleekest of malls. No wonder this cafe is packed at lunch hour.Still, Brew & Bread's popularity can't be attributed merely to its appearance; it takes its coffee seriously too.

Butter Up, a pretty nice-looking cafe in Seri Kembangan.A constellation of cakes, bread & pastries lights up the counters; interesting varieties include crispy buns laced with longan fruit & raisins, plus others tinged with cream cheese & walnuts or cranberries, coconut & almond flakes.Hot food is available too; everything from pasta with chopped lamb, carrots & thyme to pizzas with shrimp & squid. Butter Up's version of Eggs Atlantic is not too bad: Poached eggs with smoked salmon on English muffins with sabayon sauce, paired with a hearty portion of potato wedges for only RM11.Butter Up's coffee is not quite memorable except for what comes with it: a very cute spoon-shaped butter cookie.

Only four or five restaurants are open so far at the One City Skypark 10th-floor rooftop, so hungry customers have few options, making Khrua Thai a venue that can get crowded as the evening progresses.Steamed mixed seafood in foil (RM28 before taxes). The food's OK, though portions are certainly not generous, so customers might need to either spend at least RM40 per person or risk leaving a bit peckish.Deep-fried soft-shell crab. RM48 before taxes for three flat ones? Not cool, though to be fair, the illustrated menu did indicate that there would only be three pieces of crab served.Salted egg yolk squid (RM30). Lots of squid recipes on the menu, from butter-fried to curry to steamed with lemon, tom yam to kam heong. For better or worse, the menu extends beyond being purely Thai.Stir-fried paku-pakis with garlic (RM18). Capably prepared is probably the easy description for this.