Fabrique Humlegårdsgatan 9 — Specialty Store in Östermalm, Stockholm

This is a branch of Fabrique, the Swedish bakery chain, set on Humlegårdsgatan in Östermalm. What you notice first is how small it is: a few tables, flowers on them, tiled surfaces, and a counter of baked goods that takes up most of the room. It reads as a neighbourhood bakery that happens to sit near the National Library and Östermalm Saluhall, and passing visitors and locals share the tables.

The kanelbulle is what to buy first, soft and classic, and the cardamom bun is the other one worth carrying out. Both are the reason to come. If you want something sweet beyond those, the carrot cake and the almond bun are on the counter too. The coffee holds its own: an Americano with oat drink or a cappuccino alongside the pastry is the standard order here.

Bread is the quieter strength. Seeded sandwich bread, loaves and rolls go out fresh, and a sandwich built on that seeded bread makes a proper start to the day. The shop works as self-service with a coffee counter, so you order at the till, carry your own cup and plate, and find a seat if one is free. Seating outside is there when the weather allows.

Prices are on the high side for individual pastries, and you feel it most when you buy one piece rather than a bag of buns or a loaf to take home. The bread and rolls are where the money stretches further. Expect to pay for the setting and the address as much as the flour and butter.

Service can be slow at busy moments, and a warmed sandwich can take a long while to come out. None of that changes the buns, which are the reason to stop, and the shop suits anyone who wants a proper Swedish fika in Östermalm without a long detour.