LITTLE CARDIGAN — Restaurant in Melbourne

23/10/25 - 3.5 stars

Disclosure: review is only about the pastries.

A quintessential Melbourne café. In a warehouse. Minimalist aesthetic. Wide open air vibe. Staff are friendly and I really like the transparent bakery.

I had been recommended this place so came to try the baked goods. Was a little disappointed to find out there were tea based drinks. Overall, the craftsmanship and range of the pastries is quite good but a little expensive for the end product.

Jalapeno croissant Flavour: S+, 8.5/10. Cheese and chilli is always a winner. Add the buttery croissant and its amazing. More filling would be better. Texture: SS, 9/10. Maybe because it's smaller, but, outside crispiness remains yet inside is fluffy compared to the almond croissant. Value: A, 7/10. $8.5

Almond croissant Flavour: A, 7/10. Not sure if I have truly never tasted a good one yet, but, I seem to be underwhelmed everytime I get one of these. It wasn't bad by any means, but, the almond or butter flavours were just not noteworthy either.

Texture: A, 7/10. I think if it had been warmed up it would have been nicer. Crunchy outside, but, not fluffy or airy inside. Too dense. Maybe less would be more.

Value: B, 6/10. $9.5.

Salt bread (shio pan) Flavour: S+, 8.5/10. Very plain, but, that's what makes it good. The buttery taste is right there though can't help but be reminded of standard supermarket croissants. The 'salt' part was very subtle.

Texture: SS, 9/10. Crispy outside but super soft and fluffy inside. Value: B, 6/10. $6 for a pretty small piece.

Hojicha melonpan Flavour: A, 7/10. Very odd. Both a powder and custard like filling yet neither that strong tasting. Texture: B, 6/10. Not a fan of crunchy top. Must be an in house spin on a melonpan. Value:...

Came down here on a a Friday Grand Finals eve for a hit of Japanese nostalgia. Set in an industrial warehouse setting, the place is simple yet modern, spacious and welcoming. The lighting is perfect for photos as light is diffused to ensure no shadows in your food photos. We ordered practically everything on display. The standout and must try is the breakfast toast where shokupan and Singapore Kayanis served together, the nod to the chef and his business partner’s heritage. Their Shokupan is also top notch especially the salted bread, Shio pan is also soft and fluffy with a surprise in the middle. We would like to try a matcha croissant but given the price hikes around the world it’s understandable that it’s off the menu. Speaking of which, the prices are very very reasonable here. You would not get the quality and quantity at another western bakery in the area. My other favourite is also the miso cookie and it reminds me of the chicken cookies from China but a healthier version. It was salty sweet, chewy like a Anzac biscuit. There were no holiday surcharge, a great cafe and bakery combo in the heart...

Another coffee roaster I’d recommend checking out. Parking was difficult as the streets are quite narrow, but I enjoyed my visit. Staff were all super patient, friendly and accomodating. The place was clean and liked the minimalistic and spacious area.

I intended to only drop by a coffee but was wowed by their spectacular selection of pastries, both sweet and savoury, looked so good and special, I’d be down to try the rest of the menu.

I ordered the Jalapeño, cheddar caramelised onion croissant ($8.50) as per staff recommendation and it was soo good. Great textures of the crispy outer layer, soft and buttery inside and great combination of flavours, very evident but not overpowering.

📍 38 Breese St,...