“At Le Bon Mélange, a beautiful French Patisserie in Gunghalin, you absolutely want to eat everything. And I mean absolutely everything,” says dining reviewer WENDY JOHNSON.

THEY say you eat first with your eyes… that the way food looks is one of the – if not the – first sensory criteria we use to decide what to eat. 

This is a massive problem at Le Bon Mélange, a beautiful French Patisserie in Gungahlin, because you want to absolutely eat everything. And I mean absolutely everything. 

The handmade pastries, petit gateaux, entremets, macarons, croissants, Danishes, tarts and handcrafted chocolates are all neatly lined in rows, looking oh-so-pretty (and yummy). A rainbow of colours. A gorgeous array of shapes. A magnificent variety of flavours. 

How does one decide?

We eventually did, loving every bite.

The pear frangipane ($6.50) was delicate and not overly sweet. The almonds on top added a slightly crunchy element and made the dessert look exceptional. 

Equally pretty was the vanilla bean Mille Feuille ($6.50) with a pattern dusted on top (icing sugar). The puff pastry was divine. Manu from “My Kitchen Rules” would approve. 

Lemon lovers shouldn’t pass by the tart, packed with citrus flavour and featuring a decadent chocolate disk on top ($6.50). Pucker power extraordinaire.

Raspberry lovers will find themselves in heaven with the tart topped with ruby red, plump berries – nine on each tart to be precise ($8.50).

If sweet isn’t your thing, don’t fret. You can enjoy scrumptious sausage rolls, savoury pastries, European-style sandwiches and specials on the blackboard which, on our visit, included a hot pumpkin soup ($14.90) no doubt served with a slice of artisan bread. Side salads available also.

For drinks, Le Bon Mélange has a full range of Italian coffees, frappes, iced drinks, milk shakes, hot chocolates and divine teas. If you’re not keen on a bigger dessert, try one of the delightful individual mini tarts ($3).

Le Bon Mélange creates celebration cakes to order, caters for high teas and other functions. 

The décor at Le Bon Mélange is as inviting as the food. Warm green tiles behind the front counter and a cosy atmosphere. You can dine inside or outside (smallish number of seats).

The vision of this special spot is to “offer a little piece of Europe in the heart of Gungahlin with a fresh take on old favourites, modern patisserie and wholesome food familiar to all”.

How sweet is that?

Le Bon Mélange, Gungahlin Place and Bruning Street, Gungahlin. Open Monday to Saturday, 8am-5.30pm and Sunday, 8am to 4pm.

Vanilla bean Mille Feuille with an icing sugar pattern dusted on top… the puff pastry was “divine”. Photo: Wendy Johnson

Pear frangipane… not overly sweet with the almonds on top adding a slightly crunchy element. Photo: Wendy Johnson

The handmade pastries, macarons and chocolates lined in rows. Photo: Wendy Johnson

The handmade pastries, macarons and chocolates lined in rows. Photo: Wendy Johnson

The handmade pastries, macarons and chocolates lined in rows. Photo: Wendy Johnson