Oliver's Patisserie & Cafe Niddrie, Melbourne

This is an unpretentious place, a typical neighborhood decent bakery and cafe. Their coffee is smooth. They have a great variety of gourmet breads baked on site every day, as well as what I call 'tradies lunches', and a good selection of freshly baked cakes, which are lovely. The cruffin in the photo is delicious. The place has no character and the sitting arrangements inside are not very inviting or cozy. Not a remarkable place or gourmet place, but very good every day hangout. 

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Parisian Baker, Essendon Vic, Melbourne

This is one of the most popular bakeries on Keilor Rd Essendon for many reasons. The wonderful location and European vibe to start with. But, most importantly due to the quality of the breads, pastries, croissants and cakes they bake on site. Their coffee is a good smooth coffee. I have been going to this place for many months, and I love their pistachio and raspberry croissants, pain a chocolate, and some of the smooth cheese cakes on sale. The staff is friendly and efficient. and I have barely had any issue with them. The bakery is packed during weekends. A very pricey place.

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Laurent Bakery (Camberwell, Vic)

I had one of the best cakes of the last two months in this branch of Laurent's. Le Jardin D'ete or summer garden wasn't only beautiful to look at, uber-fresh but also delicious, with many layers of yummy stuff and with the right amount of sugar. The place is really great, with many different areas: quickie family eat area, armchairs cosy classy corners, communal tables. I love the place. Service was fast and friendly but also distracted. I ordered an earl grey tea and got a green tea. No-no-and-no. Please listen to clients. I'll be back.

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Crux & Co Patisserie (Melbourne CBD)

They have a small selection of cakes but, wow, the yuzu cake is absolutely yummy and beautifully presented. The barista prepares an excellent coffee and he is super-artsy with his coffee art, which he personalises for each client. Nicest coffee art I've seen in Melbourne. This cafe is inside the Sheraton, barely noticeable from the street. It has a very small seating area, but it is very cozy and quiet. Staff were very friendly, especially the boys. I'll be back

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Choux Café Pâtisserie Française (Swanbourne, Perth WA)

93 Shenton Road  
Swanbourne, WA 6010
Phone: 08 9385 4227
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Choux I love youx xxx

There is only one reason why I visit Swanbourne, and that is to go to Choux. I mean Choux is Swanbourne's Identity.

Just the short walk from the train station to the patisserie is lovely, almost initiatory, as it is short but sweet, the houses and gardens there seem always so flourished and green, and the area is just peaceful  and birdy.

 
Arriving at Choux is like landing on planet Uranus from Earth. Were am I? The cute tiny wonderful cafe and patisserie looks like sucked by a space-time machine and transported to this Perthian soil by magic. Everything about it looks "Frenchy", the sizing, the furniture, the cabinets with the cakes, the doors, the baskets with the pastries, the "je ne sais quoi" in it. There is a small area outside, a bigger one inside and the backyard.

Choux bakes daily and has a small but wonderful selection of sweet and savoury cakes, and wonderful pastries.

Their Apricot Danish is my favourite in the whole Perth, and is just one of those pieces of food that it is worth including in your "must eat before dying" if you happen to like Danish. Full of flavour, moist, flaky, crunchy. Ohmygosh, I love those. My belly is singing. All the small slices and cakes I have tried are wonderful.

What about the "fuchsia bomb" aka Raspberry Mousse Cake, with that wonderful perky mush flesh being penetrated by those lovely round pieces of thick black chocolate?

What about the Strawberry Tartlet, that makes you think that what your are eating must be sinful because is so yummy and delicious and beautiful to look at.

Their citron tartlet, their pistachio slice, the apricot tart, their little cute pieces of brownie, their normal croissants, almost everything is wonderful. There are so many interesting things that I have never tried their macaroons. That is like something worth noting!

Believe it or not I am more into savoury stuff than into cakes, especially if they are good. And Choux delivers again because has my super-favourite savoury pastry things around the planet, especially their quiches, pies and, above all, their savoury flat tarts that are just fresh, light, healthy and exquisite.

The coffee is really well prepared, but I am not wowed by it as it is too smooth and latte-ish for my taste.

Service is matter of fact, still courteous. I love the fact that they pack things well, so you can carry your "thingies" for a long time without them mutating into an amorphous blob.

ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT
> They need to improve their toilets,
> Their furniture is too heavy and too big. They could have more people inside by using smaller tables.
> They should have a happy hour at the end of their working day...

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