The city’s bakeries and coffee shops have a bun in the oven. On the surface they may appear to be quaint practical places, to grab a quick drink and bite on-the-go, but these days they’ve risen to the challenge of becoming a more powerful hub of social significance. A perfect example of this is Luneurs — a Parisian-themed neighborhood bakery, which opened inside Xingfu Lane on Panyu Road a year ago. The establishment soon became popular among the locals, who couldn’t get enough of their freshly baked croissants, baguettes and sweet pastries. And such was Luneurs’ success that the team opened a second outlet eight months later. The new Luneurs has a slightly different orientation. It boasts a bigger interior with more tables available for those wanting to have chill for a while with a coffee or pastry. It also features an outdoor space with a communal table and several individual seats to soak up the leafy neighborhood ambience on Huashan Road. The outlet offers a wider selection on pastries than their first shop from the classic croissant, pain au chocolat, brioche to the French kids’ favorite friand and Brittany specialty kouign amann, as well as sweet tarts and cakes. A French pastry master, who got a Meilleur Ouvrier de France title, is Luneurs’ consultant and has helped  create some truly genuine delicious recipes for the bakery. The round multi-layered kouign amann, originally from Brittany, is worth a try. The pastry consultant was a competition winner seven times in a row with the product back in his native Brittany. The bread dough contains layers of butter and sugar folded into it — very calorific but definitely satisfying. Enjoyed with a sip of coffee, it’s a wonderful feeling in the morning. Another highly recommended savory item is friand, which is a popular item on the school menu for children. However, adults love it too. I enjoyed the warm friand cheese filling inside the puff pastry, which is a mixture of Emmental cheese and comte. Luneurs bread is their house signature — baked bread with apricot, chestnut and spices inside. Take it back home and have it with a coffee for breakfast. In the summertime, many people come to Luneurs for its delicious salted caramel ice cream but the newly invented Apricot flavor with a hint of thyme inside is equally lovely. Compared to Italian gelato, French ice cream is creamier and served at a more icy lower temperature. Luneurs promotes a sustainable concept and it plans to give a discount for those who come to purchase pastries with their own bag. You can also buy an eco-bag at the shop for 25 yuan. Info Opening hours: 9am-7pm (Monday closed) Tel: 177-2123-4052 Address: 888 Huashan Rd Average price: 50 yuan (US$7.26)