Before setting up Textbook Patisserie in Alexandria, head chef John Ralley perfected his pastries in some of Sydney's best restaurants. You might've seen him in Olivier Dupon's book The New Patissiers or battling for international glory as part of Team Pastry Australia. Before that, he trained at Michelin-starred institutions around the UK.
Take a seat in Textbook's light-filled, glass-walled space and cast your eyes over Ralley's delights. The most eye-catching are the petits gateaux, like the blueberry cheesecake layered with blueberry jam and port jelly on a graham cracker. Then there's the chocolate almond cake – topped with crunchy hazelnut, raspberry cream, chocolate mousse and dark chocolate.
But Ralley's most popular tasty morsels are his croissants. The truffle, which has been splattered all over Instagram, is a long-standing favourite. And, every weekend, a new creation is unveiled. If you're not in the mood for a sweet treat, settle in for weekend brunch. Offerings include mushrooms on house-made toast — that's king browns, enokis and buttons topped with a poached egg, as well as a decadent bacon-and-egg roll served on — you guessed it — a croissant.
