Cafe de Beaumarchais, Sassafras by Bureaucrat

It's no secret that a favourite ritual of mine is to drive up to Mt Dandenong, eat at Pie in the Sky and wander around the cute shops and indulge in some foodie treat or spa treatment. Despite being very content with this ritual, I thought it was time to shake things up a little.  As such, Big Fil suggested that I check out Cafe de Beaumarchais, that's located in Sassafras, a place that he'd been a few times before.


Quiche Lorraine

So on a sunny weekend, I made my way up the mountain and after a lurvely treatment at Nourish Day Spa, I took myself into Cafe de Beaumarchais.  First impression is that it's dark and narrow inside.  But through that atmospheric gloom, you begin to notice how special this place really is.


In keeping with the name of the place, it's very tastefully decorated in faded glamour of a vintage French well-to-do home. Dark wooden furniture with lots of visual accents of dull gold and bronze fittings. Me like!


You place your order at the counter, which is staffed by some pretty young things of both gender.  Along with the human eye candy, there is a display of the tasty cakes and pastries on offer.

So for my inaugural meal at Cafe de Beaumarchais, I had...


A deep and aromatic cappuccino.

A quiche Lorraine, which was a fantastic YUM (see first pic).  One of the best quiche's that I've ever eaten. The pastry was short and buttery and melt-in-your mouth. The filling was creamy and rich without being too laden with calories. It came with fresh salad with a vinaigrette dressing and this incredibly moreish and flavoursome chutney. I practically licked my plate clean.


And because it wouldn't seem right to not get one of the sweet goodies, I got a Portuguese tart. It was small, deliciously sticky and rich.  Unlike most Portuguese tarts that I've eaten (where the filling is wobbly and custardy), the texture here was more like a waxy, baked cheesecake.  It was different, it was unusual and it was nice.  I also liked the crispy and caramelly brulee topping.

Being so happy with the food there, I made another visit shortly thereafter.  This time the food and service wasn't as perfect as my first visit, but it was still above average.


I got a chai. This took a while to come out.  I had to chase them up on it (I think my order got lost) because I was served my lunch before the drink came out.  When it arrived, they apologised, which was nice.  The chai, I suspect, was not made from proper tea leaves as it was overly sweet.


The smoked salmon and dill quiche was tasty but not as perfect as the quiche Lorraine.  The pastry here wasn't as light, buttery and melt-in-your mouth. Instead, it was a bit more heavier in texture and a smidge bland.  However, the filling was smooth and creamy and there was a good amount salmon and dill.  It was also served with a side salad and that delicious chutney.





Verdict
Food – 8.5
Ambience – 8.5
Service – 7
Price – 8.5

Overall
I am quite enamoured with Cafe de Beaumarchais.  Quite quickly, it's become one of my favourite places to eat.  There's so much more of the cakes and pastries that I have to try.  I like that it's almost a hidden little secret, tucked away in Mt Dandenong for people to find.  Do check this out when you're in the neighbourhood.

Address
Cafe de Beaumarchais
Shop 1, 372 Mt Dandenong Tourist Rd
Sassafras 3787
Telephone: 9755 1100