Le Bon Choix at Paddington

Sweet notes replace bank notes inside Paddington’s old Commonwealth bank, now Le Bon Choix’s third French-style pâtisserie

First published on 19 Nov 2012. Updated on 19 Nov 2012.

The cavernous inside is an exposé of white-on-white counter, cabinets, pillars and floor; the walls are cream (not the edible kind); and the cabinet contents add a splash of colour, as does Carole, as she greets customers with her lilting "Bonjour!"

A trifecta of pâtisserie, café and bakery, Le Bon Choix is the place to drop in for casual daytime indulgences and light bites. Today, a flat white (Map’s Italian) falls short of delivering strength and character but still offers more appeal than the underwhelming demitasse of signature hot chocolate ($3.50) mimicking sugar-laden, commercial chocolate topping.

But then came the glory, the sweet, sweet glory: a gleaming orb of burning summer sunset. Bamboleo ($7.50) is a parcel of mango and passionfruit mousse with a banana heart, every bite filled with fruity flavour, the mousse light and the base crisp. And Lucie ($7.50), who stole our hearts: demurely blushed pink, Lucie has a strawberry mousse centre supported by a floor of coconut dacquoise, all encased in a delicate pink, port-holed sponge. Named after owners Savico and Karen Basset-Rouge’s daughter, she's soft, sweet and rather unforgettable.

Blueberry macarons are incorrectly labeled 'macaroons' and in this case are devoid of the macaron's much coveted chewy centre and taste almost nothing of blueberry. The viennoiserie menu includes swirled and glazed escargot and danishes of apricot, pineapple or cherry ($3.80), flaky croissants ($2.80) and pain au chocolat ($3.80) beside filled baguettes and ciabattas ($9.80), pre-made croque monsieurs ($6.50) and quiches ($5.90), all backdropped by today’s bake of crusty loaves and baguettes.

Le Bon Choix translates to ‘the good choice’ – and when it comes to intricately decorated pâtisserie treats you can rest assured they are.

Words by Karen Reyment |

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