Set incongruously between the gaudy façades of Curry Pot Indian Cuisine and the German Bistro in Central is Vanilla Café – a place that, miraculously, manages to inject a measure of tranquillity into the neon-lit bowels of Kad Suan Kaew. This coffee shop and bakery, with its tinkling water feature, birds of paradise and mellow music, is a great place to take a break from shopping, sink into one of the cushioned rattan armchairs and indulge in a delicious brew and something sinfully sweet. Vanilla Café’s range of coffees are all made from Doi Chang coffee beans, a Chiang Rai brand that promotes hill tribe sustainability, and artfully decorated with the barista’s steamed milk designs. Other beverages on offer are juices, teas, cocoa and ‘freppes’ – presumably a Tinglish take on the Italian frappe – while the bakery beckons with its luscious range of cakes and desserts: brownies, apple pie, lemon meringue pie, cream cakes and an array of baked cheesecakes, even one imported all the way from Taiwan.