Popping into Simmone Logue Double Bay for a Devonshire Tea ($12/person) last month reminded me of how useful her freshly made dinner options were, particularly back when I was living alone and time poor. While I was tucking into fluffy golden scones with house-made preserves and cream, most visitors to the store were loading up on takeaway dinner, from hearty serves of chunky split pea and ham soup, to Vietnamese chicken pho to rich beef bourguignon. You can also head down to the wide, leafy, tree-lined streets of Double Bay for a Sunday Roast ($27.50/person) until the end of August. After admiring their counter of sweet stuff, I’d suggest you throw in a traditional pudding like sticky date, bread and butter, or apple crumble ($5.50/person) to make the most of your Sunday away from the washing up! By the way, this popular café has both indoor as well as outdoor (dog-friendly) seating.

2 Cross Street, Double Bay (02) 9327 5700 simmonelogue.com

Lune Croissanterie, the renowned Melbourne bakery hailed as a croissant masterpiece, has officially opened its first permanent Sydney location, drawing huge crowds from across the city. 

The new location, Lune’s largest yet, occupies a former industrial space at Rosebery Engine Yards, where a team of pastry chefs work around the clock to produce their renowned pastries.

Enormous crowds as Lune Croissanterie hits Sydney

On opening day, footage from Lune’s new Rosebery store showed hundreds of eager pastry lovers lining the block to sample the bakery’s iconic creations.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Lune Croissanterie (@lunecroissant)

Lune Croissanterie plans to open in Martin Place

Lune Croissanterie currently has six stores across Melbourne, Brisbane and now Sydney, with plans to open another premises in Martin Place.

Reid has explained how her background in aerospace engineering influences her approach to pastry-making. “The relationship between aerodynamics and croissants isn’t immediately obvious,” she told Delicious. 

“It’s not like we put our croissants in a wind tunnel to test their lift and drag coefficients. It’s more about a mindset. We are a process-driven organisation, with a focus on innovation, improvement, and experimentation,” Reid said. 

The new Sydney site is expected to produce around 5400 pastries per day. 

When asked how Lune’s croissants differ from other croissants, Reid told Pastry Arts magazine that their croissants stood out for their slightly thicker, fewer layers that create a delicate, crunchy exterior and a rich, buttery interior.

Lune’s global following

Founded by former aerospace engineer Kate Reid, Lune Croissanterie is known for its precise, scientific approach to pastry making. 

Lune gained international recognition following a 2016 New York Times review that hailed its pastries as “the finest you will find anywhere in the world.”

NY Times food critic Oliver Strand described Lune’s classic beurre croissant as “a holy balance of buttery heft and feathery flake” at the time. 

Since then, Melbourne’s Lune Croissanterie has built a global following, attracting celebrity fans and customers who queue for hours to taste what is regarded as one of the best pastries in the world. 

“A Lune croissant is 43 percent butter, and most classic croissants are between 25 and 33 percent. So, it’s significantly more than a normal one…And I think the final difference in a Lune croissant to most other bakeries is that we bake fresh constantly throughout the day. So, at any given point in time, if you walk into Lune, there is an oven with fresh croissants.”

“Nothing that you are served from our fresh range will be older than 15 or 20 minutes… To get a fresh croissant is a truly special experience,” Reid said. 

Lune’s Rosebery location is now open at 115-151 Dunning Ave, Rosebery. 

The new Lune Martin Place, located at Shop N80, Metro Martin Place, 1 Elizabeth St, Sydney, will also open soon, with dates yet to be announced.