Phil's the real sweet tooth at our place, and as a registered chocoholic, finds it testing to walk past a good bakery. Which leads us to Pomona, just twenty minutes north of Eumundi, where you'll find Maison de Provence, and a pastry chef who really knows his shortcrust from his filo.
It's only a couple of years since Eric and Francoise set up their French tea room/homeware shop, transforming an old drapery into - well, a little bit of Provence in Pomona. The place is as charming as Eric and Francoise themselves, full of warmth, joie-de-vivre and style. There's a choice of nooks and crannies with comfy sofas, stools overlooking the street and a leafy, sun-filled courtyard out the back. Whichever you choose, everywhere is infused with light and greenery and fresh air, and the feeling that you need be in no great hurry to be anywhere else. But I do like the window seat, where you can enjoy being, for the time it takes to drink your latte, a part of the quirky, miniaturised Art Deco streetscape that is Pomona's high street - or rather, Memorial Drive.
And now we need to talk about the mille feuille - no, today we're not going to call it a vanilla slice because it's a real mille feuille, a "thousand leaves" of pastry perfection. Eric's is simply the best I've tasted. It's light and luscious and creamy textured ... and with a mysterious hint of something deliciously toffee-like to the custard. I think we'd best head off to Pomona again, and get to the bottom of it.
And if that's not enough reason for a drive to Pomona (it is), there's the petits fours (see those chocolate ones - that's real, decently bitter chocolate), the brioche (I didn't take some home for breakfast and lived to regret it), the great coffee, the elegant service and the almost impossibly delightful owners.
Postscript: Since the time of writing, Maison de Provence have closed their Pomona doors - oh no! But have since reopened in Cooroy - Yay!
Closed Sundays. Francoise has recently had triplets. Yes, triplets.
They deserve a break.
