Agathé Kerr used to begin each working day in Paris, her hometown, with a chocolate croissant. Now she’s the one serving fresh French pastries to workers in the Melbourne CBD at her store, Agathé Pâtisserie Petite, in the Royal Arcade.

The tiny space, only a few feet wide and deep, was previously a key-cutting shop. It’s essentially a serving window – with an old wooden frame – beneath a stairwell.

Kerr trained at prestigious cooking schools in France including L’École de Boulangerie et de Patisserie in Paris and Pâtisserie Lenôtre before moving to Melbourne with her family. She started selling her pastries at Prahran Market, then opened her shop at South Melbourne Market.

A portion of the pastries baked at South Melbourne are delivered to the Royal Arcade each morning (and in proper Parisian style – by bike). You’ll smell the fresh pastries before you reach the tiny storefront. There are almond croissants, danishes, canelés, escargots and friands, as well as less-traditional pastries such as matcha, pandan or coffee croissants.