On the fringes of Brisbane’s CBD, set within the award winning boutique luxury Emporium Hotel, is a thriving hub of Parisian café society and decadent pastries – Belle Epoque Patisserie – recently named Best Bakery/Patisserie at the October 29, 2
012 Savour Australia Restaurant and Catering Hostplus Awards for Excellence.
A mini mecca of tantalising treats, Belle Epoque provides what could be described as a Charlie and the Chocolate Factory experience; the only difference being that here you’ll find a veritable array of French pastries such as mille feuille, éclairs, framboisier and opera cakes, three different types of croissants made fresh daily, six flavours of macarons including an unusual Peanut Butter-flavoured variety and more recently, Christmas gingerbread houses. The patisserie also caters for the savoury inclined with a range of quiches and healthy wraps.
The artisanal pastries are created by resident pastry chef Nick Tierney whose background includes stints at the Brisbane Hilton and working alongside renowned foodies and chefs Peter Reinhart and Adriano Zumbo prior to joining the Emporium Hotel team and Belle Epoque in 2009.
Tierney says the idea is to create a traditional French patisserie experience for each guest and focus on a seasonal menu of local ingredients – where possible.
“Each item is individually made ensuring (they’re) not manufactured,” Tierney says.
“Each pastry has individuality. This is the European way of making pastries – creating an artisan trade (rather) than your generic bakery stores. It’s all about quality and flavour.”
The patisserie isn’t the hotel’s only offering with the Cocktail Bar flanking the ornate foyer and providing something a little out of the ordinary thanks to its retro cocktail menu encompassing a Passionfruit Colada – with a light and fluffy texture based on the all-time favourite classic Pina Colada – and other cocktails deemed ‘retro’ – The Wallbanger, Grasshopper, Mai Tai and Cuba Libre Daiquiri.
The 102-room, five-star Emporium Hotel was conceived, designed and created by Queenslanders Anthony and Francine John of the Anthony John Group and boasts interiors featuring an eclectic collection of locally made custom-designed items and antiques from across the globe.