L’eclair Patisserie

Remember this amazing cake which was made for me for my 21st?

Well I do, and I loved every bit of it from the sponge to the fresh cream frosting. It was made for me by my dad’s colleague when he used to run his own Japanese restaurant. And now 4 years later she has finally opened her very own patisserie in Mosman, L’eclair Patisserie (672 Military Road, Mosman).

Mum and I decided to trek over the bridge to enjoy some lunch and afternoon tea on a rainy Saturday. It was a nice surprise to find that they also serve lunch as well as dessert. Mum ordered the Roast Beef sandwich with horseradish while I ordered the hearty Beef Stew which was perfect for winter with melt in your mouth beef chunks in a rich stew served with a freshly baked bread roll and a side salad. I was very happy with the generous portions!

Now onto the important sweet treats! I really wanted to have a piece of the signature Mont Blanc cake, however it was not meant to be, as it had already sold out for the day. Instead I had a Strawberry Cream instead which was delicious with light fresh cream, fluffy sponge, delicate chocolate leaf decoration and reminded me of my 21st cake. Mum had a Chocolate cake and was expecting this to soft but it was more of a rich decadent fudge but not overly sweet. I also wanted to try the Green Tea Latte which was delicious with a great matcha flavour, very similar to the green tea cappuccino at Cafe Cre Asion. We also bought some cakes to take home to share with the family and we received a couple of complimentary danishes too!

L’eclair Patisserie

Roast Beef sandwich

Beef Stew

L’eclair patisserie also do an afternoon high tea, but you’ll need to book this in advance.  I will definitely try again for a piece of the Mont Blanc cake 🙂

Brickfields, 2013 SMH Good Cafe Guide Best Small Cafe

Congratulations to Brickfields, 2013 SMH Good Cafe Guide Best Small Cafe!

On the way to the city one Sunday morning, a small crowd caught my eye outside a tiny bakery and we decided to spontaneously make a stop. The cafe was Brickfields (206 Cleveland St, Chippendale) which in fact is a half a bakery by Luxe head baker, supplying bread to the likes of Cornersmith and half espresso bar by Mecca Espresso – with a collaboration like that you know it’s going to be great.

Though Brickfields appears to be in a very small space, they definitely make great use of it, making the cafe feel open and airy with hanging plants, large windows and a peek into the working bakery behind the counters. Even smarter use of the space are the industrial looking swivel stools which can be hidden under the counters. There are several large tables outside however, luckily for us it wasn’t too busy this particular morning and we grabbed a couple of counter seats by the large sacks of flour and grains.

You would expect great coffee by Mecca Espresso and Brickfields did not disappoint, the coffee was smooth and one of the creamiest I’ve had. Just a note ladies, they don’t offer skim milk, but they do have Bon Soy! They also serve carafes of homemade mint sodas and lemon sodas which most tables were enjoying. Bill likes to judge eateries based on how well their bacon roll is, and he didn’t have any complaints, bacon, lettuce, mayo sandwiched between a freshly baked roll. I opted for the Breakfast Plate which was as satisfying as it sounds, a piece of sourdough toast beneath layers of fried eggplant, tahini, a halved boiled egg perched on top with zhoug (a green paste made with spices and coriander) served with a wedge of lemon. The entire dish as a whole was so delicious from the zhoug to the zing of the lemon, I forsee many breakfast stopovers here just for the Breakfast Plate.

Brickfields

Breakfast Plate

Bacon Sandwich

Brickfields is located on Cleveland Street but it’s best to find parking around Balfour Street. The menu is quite limited but you won’t be disappointed by their freshly baked goods and if you don’t happen to grab a table just sit by the wooden planters under the trees with a take away croissant and coffee.