even if it is far from the most unlikely, or not even ranking within some of the most likely of places where it is, i would never have thought of all the possibilities that this would be where it is. to make it shorter, of all the places to be on this back-street, a parisian style patisserie would not have come to mind. that is what was happening on the bottom level of this apartment block, made by an award winning pastry-chef (if in doubt, just look at the wall when you get in). regardless of just how highly i think of it, it was really welcome around here.
it is the old combination of both of us liking our coffee, needing to find a new place, and (most importantly) supporting the local area's businesses. from some time being around the area, i had noticed this out of the corner of my eye and managed to keep it in thebackof my head. one day, it was the usual wanting for a cup of coffee and i told my dining buddy/housemate about this place and off we were to here.
no kidding around, this place is small. you could barely fit even a small apartment in the entire space there is, but from just a look of it, and a short stay in for coffee, a big impression about it was made. the whole look of the place was immaculate. not one single inch of it was out of place, nor blotched or anything. it was like perfectionism in a small package. inside has a few tables tucked around to give it more of that european feel, much of the seating is al fresco and the tables are fairly small. there is also the high level of service here. it is efficient, and very polite. even without getting to the product, you know you are in for something slightly better than normal coming here.
with what they serve here, it is another case of "keep it simple, sir". the range of items comes down to several different pastries (including heaps of croissants), a bunch of cakes, hand-made chocolates and several flavours of macaroons. they even don't fallbackon taking food away; the boxes have an appealing look to them. coffee and tea are also available to have on the side. what more of a combination do you need?
the coffee that they use comes from cleanskin, and from memory this can be a pretty good coffee in the right hands. well, count this place as being in the right hands. that doppio i had was really good. everything that it needed to be: a decent temperature to drink, it had a lovely and slightly sweet flavour, and it was also well extracted.
as for the sweet on the side, well a pastry is needed to give a patisserie a fair go. what i went with was an escargot. well, was it mentioned beforehand that this is at the hands of someone who has won awards for his pastry-making skills? because if i have not, the chef justin yu, has won numerous awards from it. this was a tasty little treat, sweet from both the raisins in it, and a molasses that they used when baking. throughout the pastry was a buttery texture, and the pastry itself was flaky and soft. if the cards are played right - so far, so good - this place will have a good future.
i can certainly see a lot of the appeal, much of it being because it is off the main drag and thus can get an aura of authenticity that might not otherwise be possible. with the price tag, it might vary from person to person with how worthy it is, though in its defense it is worthy from how much they care about the quality of the product. this is not like your usual bakery, and it is with meticulous perfectionism that the food comes out (hence a 4.0 score, much higher would need more justification than i feel is possible). what really distinguishes it is the aesthetic and philosophy that the place has. with it already being a local favourite, and one of consistently high quality, there is a hidden gem for now on thebackstreets.