Ann's Bakery

You'll smell Ann's before you see it – that proper bread-baking aroma drifting down Mary Street that makes you suddenly ravenous. This is the kind of bakery that's been feeding the northside for decades, where the display cases are packed with honest-to-god fresh pastries and the coffee is strong enough to wake the dead. The queues at lunchtime tell you everything – office workers from the surrounding streets know where to get a decent sandwich that won't cost a tenner. Their apple tarts are the stuff of local legend, and the brown bread is baked fresh twice daily. It's cramped, it's no-nonsense, and the staff move with the efficiency of people who've been doing this forever. Perfect for a quick breakfast before hitting Henry Street or a proper sit-down with the paper.