World leading chef creating authentic French desserts in Melbourne - New French food haven

Anyone who has eaten a pastry on a Paris street corner knows it instantly. The flavour is precise, the texture is light and the sweetness is restrained. According to acclaimed Maître Pâtissier and Maître Chocolatier Alex Charasse, that difference is not nostalgia, it's craft.
 

"Traditional French desserts are built on discipline, balance and technique," Charasse said.
 

"They are not designed to impress visually or overwhelm with sugar. They are designed to be remembered."
 

What makes traditional French desserts so exceptional
 

True French patisserie is governed by centuries-old methods that prioritise process over shortcuts. Every ingredient is weighed precisely. Doughs are rested, not rushed. Chocolate is tempered by feel and temperature, not machines alone.
 

"In French patisserie, simplicity is the hardest thing to achieve," Charasse said.
 

"A perfect éclair looks effortless, but behind it is years of training and uncompromising standards."
 

Unlike modern desserts created for speed, scale or social media, traditional French desserts are designed to be eaten slowly, where flavour, mouthfeel and balance matter more than decoration.
 

Why it's so hard to find authentic French desserts in Australia
 

Despite Australia's world-class food scene, Charasse said genuine French desserts are extremely difficult to replicate outside France.
 

"Ingredients are often substituted, techniques are simplified and processes are sped up," he said.
 

"That fundamentally changes the outcome."
 

Australian palates also tend to favour sweeter desserts, leading many bakeries to alter traditional recipes to suit local tastes.
 

"When sugar levels are increased or steps are removed to save time, the soul of the dessert disappears," Charasse said.

There is also a deep skills gap. Classical French patisserie requires years of structured training and repetition, something few kitchens are prepared to commit to in a high-cost, fast-turnover environment.
 

Bringing uncompromised French patisserie to Melbourne
 

After earning France's highest culinary titles and working in elite European kitchens, Charasse made a deliberate decision to bring uncompromised French craftsmanship to Australia, not as a novelty, but as a standard.
 

"I didn't want to create something French-inspired," he said.
 

"I wanted to recreate the experience exactly as it exists in France."
 

That philosophy underpins Almost French Patisserie and the expansion into the CBD with Almost French Epicure, where every pastry is produced using traditional techniques, premium French ingredients and time-intensive methods rarely seen in Australia.
 

For the first time, Melbourne diners can access authentic French desserts, not hidden behind exclusivity or occasion, but available daily, made properly and served as they are meant to be enjoyed.
 

More than dessert, a cultural experience
 

Charasse said what he has brought to Melbourne goes beyond food.
 

"In France, dessert is not rushed," he said.
 

"It's a moment. It's conversation, connection and enjoyment."
 

Almost French Epicure was designed to immerse guests in the French way of life, a place where people slow down, sit longer and savour the experience, not just the product.
 

"Food gives cities their soul," Charasse said.
 

"When you create something beautiful and consistent, you create memories. That's what people come back for."
 

Elevating Melbourne's culinary landscape
 

Charasse believes Melbourne is ready for this level of authenticity and the response has proven him right.
 

"People tell us it reminds them of Paris, Lyon, their childhood or their travels," he said.
 

"That's when I know we've done it properly."
 

By refusing to compromise on technique, ingredients or time, Charasse has achieved something rare: he has made true French patisserie accessible in Australia without diluting its integrity.

"French desserts aren't better because they're French," he said.
 

"They're better because the craft is protected."
 

Thanks to Alex Charasse, Melbourne no longer needs a plane ticket to experience it.
 

"It is possible to do it properly here. You just have to refuse to compromise," he said.
 

Location
 

Almost French Epicure
27 Little Collins Street
Melbourne, VIC, 3000
(03) 9429 2080
 

Open 7 days:
Sun to Thu: 7.30am - 9.00pm
Fri to Sat: 7.30am - 10.00pm
 

www.almostfrenchepicure.com.au