Victoire

A lovely little van with a variety of breads and pastries. The customer service I received from Ella was simply delightful, she is the most friendly and courteous girl!! The pastries I bought were nothing short of amazing. I am already looking forward to my next visit to Victoire.

This is a small local bakery. Tried the croissant there and it tasted very good but was not very flaky.
Will return to try the breads 🙂

Sydney, Rozelle
Bread is really good, I like the rustic. Have to try their custard flan, lemon and fruit tarts, danish, brioche with creme diplomat etc. Strawberry mascarpone cake is great, pure exhilaration in taste and texture (Instagram is just eye candy without much thought to sensory perfection) So are the rhubarb and strawberry pies, just right and not too sweet like some other copies that I’ve tasted. Croissant is very good, could have continued with the buttery recipe of ten years ago. Overall, not to be missed +

This cute little French bakery offers a range of freshly baked breads, pastries, sweet & savoury tarts and cakes. People are in & out buying all the goodies and the popular items go fast. The baguette is crusty on the outside & soft inside & I couldnt help but to nibble on it straight after buying it – how French! The almond croissant had a lovely almond paste filling enclosed within a nice croissant. The fruit tarts look delectable & perfect for me as I don’t like them too sweet. Flakey puff pastry base with a thin layer of custard and topped with seasonal fruits. I loved the tartness of the plum & apricot ones I chose. The quiches are also delicious – classic lorraine is cheesy & creamy tasting whilst the vegetarian option was sweeter with caramelised onions & roasted pumpkin as well as a pesto base topped with pinenuts. Would love to try the coconut & strawberry daiquoise & lemkn meringue next time. Very friendly service, not cheap & bakery has no seating but they also sell a small range of French cheeses & butter.

In 2011 I moved to Balmain after living in Brussels for 3 years, where I became used to perfect baguettes. The Belgians are so fussy about getting the best baguettes, when a slightly better boulangerie opens they will abandon the previous best en masse almost overnight, even if it means walking further and standing outside in a long queue in snow and -8degC at 6:30am. My favourite was always the Baguette a la ancienne, traditionelle or Parisienne. Slim, pointy, crunchy ends, splintering crust and a soft slightly chewy texture inside.

Armed with a typical Belgian attitude I searched all over Sydney for the best baguette. I found lots of rubbish bread sticks that taste like ordinary bread rolls at best, being passed off as baguettes. I needed a real baguette.

With luck, I got to know a local French woman. She pointed me to Victoire, but upon turning up at 7am to buy a baguette, I found the bakery closed. Yet as I peered in the window to the darkened interior I could see someone inside. I tapped on the glass door but was waved away.

My hopes were dashed. For me, baguettes are for early morning, breakfast with coffee, not for lunch (unless from a fresh batch baked at midday, buttered with charcoal roasted chicken and proper home-made mayonaise). No, I wanted a baguette with my morning coffee, as the French and Belgians enjoy them.

I was just walking away when I saw someone else poke their head in the door, before slipping in. I tried my luck again. “Sorry, we are not open yet” I was told firmly. As I once again turned to go I caught a snippet of conversation between the customer and the proprietor. It was all in French. Of course! A bell rang in my mind.

I opened the door slightly for a third attempt, but before I could be turned away I quickly greeted the proprietor in French. Bonjour Madame, mais je voudrais acheter juste une baguette” “Vous parlez Francais?” she inquired. I went on to explain (in French) how I’d lived in Brussels for several years and wanted to buy a baguette at a reasonable hour.

French was the secret password with which I was admitted to the early morning club. Thank God for Intermediate French Level 3 and a half-decent accent. The baguettes are certainly well worth a trip for. Very good, fantastic by Australian standards. The pastries are quite delicious too.

I moved back to Europe a year later but I intend to move to Balmain again in 2025. I thought I’d best check first to make sure Victoire is still there and it’s worth moving to Sydney. I cannot imagine a life without a good boulangerie, et mon pain quotidien.