Muratti Cakes & Gateaux

Muratti Cakes & Gateaux has been catering to locals and not-so-locals since 1990. This elegant patisserie was the work of Polish immigrants Robert Ziolek and Darek Pietka, who met working in the kitchens of Adelaide restaurants.

Soon, a small wholesale business supplying function centres and cafes emerged in the kitchen of pastry chef Ziolek’s home. With sponge cakes occupying every available surface in the house, it was time to open a shop.

And so Muratti grew, with the addition of coffee, lunch and a host of young, enthusiastic chefs and business partners along the way. The influence is distinctly European, though its focus is broad – unsurprising, given that Swiss-trained Ziolek has lived in Italy and is heavily inspired by French cuisine.

These days, the chefs are making 21st birthday cakes for customers who also had Muratti cakes at their first birthdays – a testament to the bakery’s loyal following. But this success isn’t just about repeat business: it’s about learning new aspects of the craft and keeping up with changing customer tastes.

Delicately crafted macarons and Florentines glitter like jewels behind the glass counter, among small cakes such as the Chocolate Concorde, a mousse-laden work of art studded with chocolate meringue sticks.

There’s also a range of freshly baked breads and gourmet sandwiches for lunch. These savoury options see Muratti’s customers – both new and regular – spill out onto the terrace, cutlery clinking from the early morning coffee rush until evening.