Yesterday, I was supposed to head out to Campos for a cuppa, which is a bit of a trek but my weekly travelpass meant I might as well make use of it. So I met up with a mate in the rain and we headed to town for lunch before suddenly changing our minds and opting to head to Balmain.

Our destination was a tiny little slice of heaven called Adriano Zumbo, which also happens to be the name of this younger than me pastry chef. The place has won rave reviews from Timeout Sydney as the best patisserie in town.

Is it? Quite simply, yes. The shop is small, really really small and when you enter, the bread section is on the right. Already just glancing at a danish, I can tell this place was different. The selection of breads is also rather interesting but it didn’t take long for my gaze to be averted by the brightly lit pastry display nearby. Apparently, people used to have to consume off premises, presumably at home although some would surely not have been able to suffer the wait. Recently though, they’ve actually expanded, with a cafe of sorts to actually sit down in and have a coffee. There’s also a reasonable selection of chocs that certainly piqued my interest and some dessert. Someone at another table ordered one where they do a gimmick, injecting some coulis and anglaise with a syringe into the dessert.

But make no mistake. The main draw has just got to be the pastries. Marvellous, delightful little concoctions that are a blend of artistic flair and pure skill. There’s such an attention to detail in how each and every piece looks so beautiful. It was immediately apparent to me that this was the work of a skilled patissier and also one with a bit of style.

I shall now dispell your doubt. They actually do taste as good as they look.

Its one thing for me to dissect a single pastry alone to illustrate what was going on but in my opinion, its best to savour these pricey (7ish a pop) but oh so worth it bits of pure goodness by oneself. I guarantee anyone with a sweet tooth to come away feeling surprised and absolutely ecstatic having savoured one of Mr. Zumbo’s confections. Gorging on 4 different ones with my mate, we were pretty chuffed as pretty much everyone, waitstaff included were cooing over us as we ate. Every 15 seconds, I had someone saying “OMG That looks gorgeous!”. Their glee certainly helped to make my experience all the more enjoyable but the pastries themselves could hold their own. I felt like a kid on X’mas morning as I whacked away at meringue, mousse and marzipan alike, digging for gold and finding it.

Go on an empty stomach. Get as many as you want and get diabetes. It will be worth it. Trust me.