#Gauteng52, Week 25: Scrumptious Pastries at Café Patisse

2Summers | 22 June 2017
johannesburg food restaurants gauteng52

Welcome to Week 25 of my #Gauteng52 challenge, for which I will visit and blog about a new place in Gauteng Province every week for 52 straight weeks. This week I visit Café Patisse in Emmarentia.

I’ve been hitting the bakeries hard in this #Gauteng52 series. Out of 25 posts so far (browse them all here), at least five are about bakeries or bakery-like dining establishments. I wasn’t planning to add another so soon.

Then I tagged along on a visit to Café Patisse and changed my mind.

A woman looks inside Café Patisse
A woman gazes through the window of Café Patisse’s new location on Komatie Street in Emmarentia. I don’t blame you, lady. Everything in there looks delicious.
Pastry case in Café Patisse
Here’s what she was gazing at.

Café Patisse, which belongs to South African pastry chef Martin Ferreira, recently moved from the industrial neighborhood of Wynberg (near Sandton) to the inner suburb of Emmarentia. I had never heard of it before but according to Marie-Lais, who tipped me off about Café Patisse, Martin has had a pastry-loving cult following in Johannesburg for a while and is also a supplier for hotels and other restaurants. Martin is best known for his eclairs but he also produces spectacular cakes and other pastries.

Inside Café Patisse

chef Martin Ferreira in his new shop
Chef Martin Ferreira in his new shop. Martin trained in France and worked at a few Michelin-starred restaurants before coming home to start his own business.
Eclairs at Cafe Patisse
A few of Martin’s eclairs. I haven’t tried them yet but I’ve heard rave reviews.
Fancy cake at Cafe Patisse
Fancy.
Pastries at Cafe Patisse
Breakfast at Café Patisse. I know what you’re thinking: These danishes look about the same as those you’d see at a Holiday Inn breakfast buffet. I assure you, they are nothing of the sort. They are the lightest, fluffiest, perfectly not-too-sweet danishes I’ve tasted.
Fancy pastries from Cafe Patisse
More fancy stuff, including pastries shaped like pretty blue rocks (top right).

Martin purchased his new shop from Shahin Coovadia, who ran the Something Sweet Bakery in the same spot for many years. Shahin was still behind the counter when I visited a couple of weeks ago, ensuring a smooth transition between the two businesses, and I had a lovely chat with him.

In addition to the new offerings, Café Patisse will continue to produce the breads and other baked goods that Shahin made – I can personally vouch for the Indian-spiced sandwich bread – and the bakery will remain halal.

Breakfast things at Cafe Patisse
More breakfasty goodness.
Chef Martin holding a rainbow cake at Café Patisse
A closer look at Martin’s rainbow cake.

The shop is tiny and currently there are just a couple of tables on the sidewalk. Martin has plans to expand and create more space for sit-down customers.

I love this quirky little corner of Emmarentia and Café Patisse is a great addition to it. I plan to become a frequent customer;I just need to go on a diet for a few weeks first.

Café Patisse is at 92 Komatie Street, Emmarentia. Call +27-11-026-0411.

Read all of my #Gauteng52 posts and check out the interactive #Gauteng52 map.