François Artisan Baker

There was once a bakery on Old South Head Road with a line out the door all the time. It was called Dinky Di. Back then it sold some bloody good pies.

Those pies are back, but now they’re under a different name – François Artisan Bakery. François Galand (previously François Cointrel) was the original owner and chef at Dinky Di before moving into the corporate food world to launch Pie Face.

Francois Artisan Baker isn’t just about pie nostalgia, though. Galand, a master with 30 years' experience, has also resurrected the classic French cakes, tarts and pastries from his early days in bakeries when he handmade everything.

When you walk in you’ll see rows of zest-sprinkled lemon tarts; soft, triple-chocolate-mousse cakes; and eclairs with various toppings, some more mysterious than others (there’s a green-tea variety). Then you’ll smell the sourdough baking and spy the croissants and meringues.

Merveilleux cakes are covered in whipped cream and filled with layers of meringue, a trend Galand plucked from France. For as much as François Artisan Baker draws on his experience, it also looks to the future.