Ninou, Rosebery

Ninou, a french cafe and patisserie located in Rosebery is the perfect location for brunch or lunch followed by a delicious and decadent treat. You need to save room for a few cakes... you'll see why soon.

It's a sunny Sunday morning and as I walk into this little french cafe, I see a gorgeous dog enjoying the sunshine. The first thing you notice is the display of all the cakes and pastries in the glass cabinets. Immediately you will be tempted. I also notice the big open area where you can see the kitchen making coffees and all the pastry chefs are making the speciality cakes. 

The name of the venue is Ninou which is the nick name of one of the owners, Sabine (very cute). Sabine blushes and tells me that Ninou means "little cute thing". Sabine who is of french origin smiles sweetly and tells me about her child hood and how fondly she remembers eating all these delicious treats. Ninou recently introduced a new breakfast/brunch menu so Matt and I check it out. First up is the french toast..

The french toast ($10) is served up with whipped cream and fresh berries. The soft toast is quite sweet and enjoyable to eat. I have forgotten how awesome whipped cream taste with fresh strawberries. It's such a winning combination. Highly recommended.

As this is a sweet breakfast, perhaps you should share this so you ensure you still have room for their cakes... Or you can always take the cake away to enjoy later. You don't want to miss out on the cakes though so choose wisely.

Ninou also serves up coffees and chai lattes. With every hot beverage purchase, you also get a little cheeky Chouquette (to the side) which is a little choux pastry sprinkled with sugar. You can also purchase additional little bites of heaven if they are too addictive.

For a more savoury breakfast dish, there's the Bacon and Egg Roll ($7.50) which is served up on a brioche bun with bacon, poached egg, cheese, caramelised onions and salad. It's a well prepared roll and I enjoy the egg porn. Who can resist bacon and eggs at breakfast? Matt devours most of this so I have plenty room for cakes.

Ok.. so who's ready for dessert. I am! YOU MUST ensure you save room for the dessert.

Sabine tells me that a very popular dessert is the Infiniment Chocolat ($7) which is a milk chocolate mousse, single origin chocolate ganache, praline feulletine and almond success. This multi-layered cake is light, textured and delightful. I can completely understand why the locals love this one! I'm surprised at how light and enjoyable this cake is. It's one that will leave you smacking your lips over and over.

They also make full cake versions of these mini cakes so I think this would be one to make on a bigger scale for on occasion. 

One of the fond memories Sabine tells me about is this Raspberry Macaron ($7). Fond memories of her childhood around this pistachio flavoured macaron with fresh raspberries sounds lovely. It's a simple and well put together dish with the mesh the soft/crunchy macaroon and pistachio filling.

For a more lighter dessert with citrus tones, I recommend the  Exotique ($7) which is a lime panacotta mousse with coconut dacquoise.  The best part is naturally once you crack into the shell to get into the smooth mousse filling. I like the lime tones in this dessert as it sits lightly on the stomach which means you can feel less guilty.

Summary: Ninou is such a charming little cafe. It's warm and friendly and basically impossible to resist. I would suggest you drop by for brunch that way you can order breakfast or one of their crunchy baguette sandwiches followed by one of their incredible cakes. 

My fave was the Infiniment Chocolat but everything was essentially really good so you can't really go wrong. There's something for everyone. I highly recommend!!!

Price: Most cakes are $7, breakfasts are $7-12ish

Location: 1/3 Dunning Ave, Rosebery

Opening Hours: 7am to 4pm daily

Weekend Food Escapes dined as guests of Ninou. All photos, opinions and words are my own.