Eloise & Lou celebrates the beauty of classic French baking in The Valley
Craftsmanship and flavour rises at Eloise & Lou, a new Fortitude Valley patisserie from acclaimed pastry chef Adrien Marcinowski. Built on tradition and technique (and plenty of butter), the bakery celebrates impeccably crafted sweet and savoury items inspired by the classics of France.
When Adrien Marcinowski first began planning his own patisserie, he knew exactly where he wanted to start: back at the beginning.
Drawing on the classical French techniques that shaped his early career, his new concept, Eloise & Lou, sees the pastry maestro – previously the brains behind the offering at Rise Bakery – returning to the fundamentals of his craft, eschewing trends in favour of timeless simplicity.
“I feel like it’s easy to get lost in your menu when you try to constantly be creative and original,” Adrien admits. “The goal [with Eloise & Lou] is really to create something artisan. Traditional French classics, well executed and well designed with really good flavour and texture.”
Eloise & Lou quietly opened last week on Wickham Street, transforming an empty shell into a sleek and inviting repository of handcrafted patisserie and viennoiserie. A slender service space with a pastry counter and coffee machine beckons those passing by, with a spacious kitchen shielded from view at the rear.
Using his classical training as his inspirational north star, Adrien has endeavoured to recreate the experience of visiting a French bakery, placing supreme emphasis on quality above all else.
“Over the last four years, I have really put a lot of thought into building a very unique menu,” says Adrien. “I’ve really put a lot of thought into every single product to try to get it as good as it gets.
“We do use both imported products and local products – then the skills and the experience make the rest.”
Were you to visit Eloise & Lou this week, you’d be greeted by a collection of familiar favourites, from classic croissants to pain au chocolat, pain aux raisins, ham and cheese croissants, and truffle fromage danishes.
When it comes to sweets, there’s vanilla mille-feuille, Paris-Brest, fruit tarts, peach-filled chaussons and barquettes framboise. Though hewing close to their classic expression, don’t be surprised to see a few contemporary tweaks appear here and there.
“You will find all your classics, the things you expect when you walk into a French bakery – some are going to be pretty classic and traditional, some are going to have a twist,” explains Adrien. “For example, I’ve just done a calamansi-flavoured mille-feuille, really playing with those beautiful flavours.
“Whether it’s in the shape, the texture, or the flavours, I will play around with all of that.”
Subscribe for updatesFew things pair better with a croissant than coffee. Eloise & Lou has recruited two top roasters for its bean supply, with Paradox Coffee Roasters on deck for milk-based brews and Passport Specialty Coffee utilised for black. Matcha lovers are catered for as well, as are cold-foam enthusiasts – your beverage can be topped with clouds of vanilla, strawberry or salted-caramel foam.
The Eloise & Lou offering is set to grow in the coming weeks, with Adrien eager to introduce macarons, petit fours and cakes.
“There is so much more that I’m going to bring – we are barely warming up now,” Adrien informs us. “We have maybe 15 different products right now. I want to have 45.”
For now, Adrien is content to let Eloise & Lou’s range speak for itself. So far, Fortitude Valley denizens have responded positively to the offering, with workers popping in for a coffee and croissant in the morning, then returning later for a sweet treat fix.
“I think it’s the perfect fit for this neighbourhood,” says Adrien. “They’ve been really supportive and they really appreciate just a quick stop, pastry and coffee.”
Looking ahead, Adrien hopes that Eloise & Lou eventually earns a place among the top echelon of Brisbane’s pastry scene. While he’s got talent in spades, it’s the chef’s unwavering commitment to quality, meticulous craftsmanship and dedication to mastering the classics over chasing trends that will likely elevate his patisserie to rarefied air.
“The idea is not to sell thousands of pastries all over the city, but very few here that are very unique,” Adrien reveals.
“I’d love people to think, if they want a dessert, something sweet, or a nice little brunch from a bakery, this is the place they are coming to.”
Eloise & Lou is now open to the public. Keen on a visit? You can find all the necessary info in The Directory.
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