Challenge # 7: M Patisserie

| The Stellenbosch Culinary Challenge |

- a student's quest to visit every restaurant in Stellenbosch, 

before her final graduation - 

Patisserie | A type of French or Belgian Bakery, that specialises in pastries and sweets. 
M Patisserie | A small patisserie, owned by Martjie Malan in the heart of Stellenbosch. "Our culinary  repertoire includes treats for all occassions: bright-eyed breakfasts to scrumptious lunches, decadent desserts to perfect pastries." 

When my boyfriend wanted to take a quick study break, I was immediately ready with a location. I have often driven past M Patisserie but have not given it much thought. However, since I have started my Stellenbosch Culinary Challenge I have been looking at eateries in the area with new eyes and M Patisserie was next on my list. Therefore when the opportunity presented itself, I opted in whole heartedly. 

Being Stellenbosch, we parked a couple of blocks away but with the delightful weather this week we did  not mind the short walk to M Patisserie. The first thing that caught my attention was how well they have arranged their shop space in such a small area. The decor is minimalistic without giving a clinical feel and the open kitchen at the back draws you in and it almost feels as if you have stepped into a baker's home.

M Patisserie is the brainchild of Martjie, who left the teaching industry to fuel her love for beauty and baking, as developed by her mother. The idea behind the patisserie was to create a home for her baked goods and in that she has definitely succeeded. Not only did she create a home for her delectable treats, but as a customer you immediately feel at home when stepping into M Patisserie. 

The owner, Martjie at work 

The love for cooking and baking is evident at M Patisserie. 

This quote is displayed on their stained glass door 

as you enter the restaurant

Seeing as all the tables outside were already taken we sat at the long table in the centre of the restaurant. From here you have a direct view on the kitchen and food preparation as well as all the pastries and treats on display. If you are hungry this is not a good place to be seated - temptation will soon overcome you. 

As it was still morning, I opted for the the Cream Tea ( R 45) which consists of a pot of tea / coffee of you choice and two scones served with cream and raspberry jam (which I exchanged for cheese). My boyfriend is a croissant enthusiast and had scrambled eggs and slow roasted cherry tomatoes on a croissant (R 40). 

The scones were really exquisite. Usually I don't prefer scones seeing as it almost always end up leaving an overwhelming taste of baking powder on your palate. The same could not be said of these scones, they were sligthly sweet and albeit having a finer texture, they bear a strong resemblance to shortbread. Paired with some cream, I was a very happy patron. 

I could only finish one of the scones and took the other as a take away. At home I reheated the scone and added some mature cheddar - the slightly sweet and savoury combination with the lingering taste of the matured cheddar, was quite a success. 

All the meals are prepared by hand and on request. Therefore you will find no mass production or ready made meals at M Patisserie.At the end of our meal, we received two complementary vanilla macaroons - this is reason enough to return. 

The service was a tad slow, but seeing as they had a birthday party at the same time, it was understandable. 

Scrambled eggs and slow roasted cherry tomatoes served on fresh croissants

Scones with fresh cream and cheese  

Earl Grey tea and vanilla macaroons

M Patisserie serves breakfasts, lunch and solace for every sweet tooth in town. They also serve a high tea for R 125, where you receive a selection of their scrumptious pastries and treats. They offer all types of croissants (R 16- R 18) and then add eggs, hickory ham and preserves to present a satisfying breakfast (R36-38). For breakfast they also serve buttermilk crumpets (R 35), honey roasted granola (R30) and a croissant croque monsieur (R50). 

If you do not have a sweet tooth, they also offer an array of savoury items, such as quiche and sandwiches.

They also bake cakes and other treats on requests, so be sure to give them a call if you are interested in something special. 

After our meal, the tables outside have opened up and we took our tea outside. We savoured the first of the beautiful Spring days and left feeling satisfied and with the knowledge that there's a small kitchen in Andringa street that feels like home and will ensure our return.

Some of the quiches, eclairs and scones on display

Birthday cake baked on request

Photo Credit: M Patisserie

Trading hours | Monday - Friday 08:00 - 17:00, Saturday 09:00 - 15:00
Address | 3 Andringa Street, Stellenbosch
Email | m@mpatisserie.co.za
Telephone | 021 886 5020
Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/MPatisserieSTELLENBOSCH/timeline

Alternatively view their review and full photo shoot on the Pretty Blog at http://www.theprettyblog.com/style-and-home/m-patisserie/