Get your waffle on with Le Jolie, a French cafe hidden in a small shopping strip in Pascoe Vale.
Those in the (waffle) know may have heard of Waffle Jolie, wholesalers of Belgian style waffles that sold out time and time again at Flour Market Fitzroy. Le Jolie is the permanent retail operation for the Waffle Jolie crew.
Before you say anything…yes, it’s not spelled the grammatically correct way ‘La Jolie’ but is Le Jolie because it’s an extension of Le (Waffle) Jolie.
Le Jolie serves breakfast and lunch with a French twist. Prep starts at 4:30am and all the items are made on site, with exception of the buttery flaky croissants which are bought in par-baked then baked every morning. The simple menu includes sweet and savoury tarts, tartines and daily lunch specials such as casserole and quiche.
The setting is just very charming. Inside is warm and cosy with dark timber floors, a nook of leather couches and a fireplace.
On a sunny day head out the back (past the small doorway to the hairdressing salon) and settle into the bucolic courtyard, with its lush canopy of vine leaves, a babbling fish pond with goldfish and wooden pallets turned green wall.
I tried the Croque Monsieur with a rich bechamel sauce made with roasted garlic and fresh herbs from the garden pots ($13). It’s served with a rather limp leaf salad which could be made more interesting.
The children’s menu is small and all $6. The kids devoured their ham and cheese toasted brioche in a hurry because they were anxious to dive into the waffles!
The waffles are made with a secret recipe of 10 ingredients and are Belgian style, meaning they have a lovely caramelised sugar crust and are denser than American waffles. Le Jolie’s waffles are almost biscuity in flavour and texture and not so dense that you couldn’t maybe fit in two…I also recommend not drowning your waffle in too many toppings – the simple house-made chocolate sauce is enough, or even plain to really appreciate the texture and flavour.
Make sure you order them when you order your main meal. On our visit all the waffles had sold out by midday and we were lucky to get the last one because we’d ordered it with our lunch.
For other sweets I also highly recommend the pistachio croissant, a croissant slathered in pistachio paste inside and out and studded with raspberries and almond flakes.
And don’t miss their French hot chocolate ($4.50) which is a frothy whisked couverture concoction rather than a thick, gooey, Italian-style hot chocolate. Babycinos come with a complementary marshmallow.
Coffee is from the award-winning Melbourne microroaster Bambaleros and Le Jolie serves the No 6 blend.
If you’re going to Le Jolie with kids you’ll find a couple of books to read in the bookshelf by the fireplace but exploring the courtyard and fish kept my kids sufficiently busy.
Several high chairs are available for toddlers. When it was time to do a nappy change the owner whipped out a padded change table mat from the shed.
Le Jolie is a lovely neighbourhood cafe which hits all the right notes in terms of food, setting and ambiance. The husband-and-wife owners work in the kitchen and on the floor and it’s obvious that they really care about their customers and they want welcome families. The waffles alone are worth a visit!
Features:
- pram access, though you may need some help getting up the front step and to the courtyard;
- high chairs;
- change mat on request;
- children’s menu;
- books; and
- standard menu suitable for kids.
Le Jolie, 438 Gaffney St, Pascoe Vale (03) 93799886
Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri 7.00 am – 3.30 pm
Sat-Sun 8.00 pm-3 pm
Closed Wed