Written by: Hennie Fisher
There are few societies on the planet these days that do not have some form of coffee shop, bakery, or pastry shop. From Vietnam to Chile, everyone is up for a piece of cake and a coffee. It may have something to do with our addiction to sugar, but perhaps we just need a bit of sensorial pleasure in an increasingly dreary-looking world. Apart from Lynnwood, there is, of course, also Lynnwood Ridge, Lynnwood Manor and Lynnwood Glen. Together, these are large residential areas, often referred to as the Old East. There would naturally be a wide selection of bakeries, patisseries, and other establishments specialising in desserts. Here are some of our favourites.
Château Gâteaux
Even though they are perhaps better known for the commercial manufacture of cakes, Château Gâteaux’s shop in Glenfair Shopping Mall is more coffee shop than cake outlet. There are a few tables, and one can order individual slices of decadent cake – think Caramel Mozart, consisting of no less than six or seven layers of soft meringue with shortbread, caramel cream and caramel swirls, topped with shortbread biscuit crumble, or a cake inspired by the famous Dubai chocolate, with layered pistachio and chocolate mousse on a moist chocolate sponge, crunchy knafeh and pistachio paste finished with decadent pistachio and dark chocolate ganache. They also do mini-cakes, a range of signature cheesecakes, and other items, such as Biscoff Malva Pudding.
Website: https://chateaugateaux.co.za
St. George’s Cafe & Bakery
Who would have thought that one would rave about a corner café? St. George’s Café is rumoured to make the best fish & chips in all of Pretoria, but in the suburb of Lynnwood, they reign supreme for their Vetkoek – a culinary icon of South African cuisine. These deep-fried dough balls can sometimes be heavy and oily. At St. George, be warned, they are moreish and you may walk out of there with many. Definitely try the jam vetkoek, but they also have interesting fillings such as a burger or a Dagwood filling.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/St-Georges-Cafe-and-Bakery-100057253459443/
JulieBean
Sometimes it is nice to have one's own traditions – who wants to only eat a croissant plain, with nothing else? At JulieBean, on the corner of Lynnwood Road and King’s Highway, one can have a scrambled egg, bacon and cheese croissant or a chicken mayonnaise croissant – yum! They also serve buttermilk scones with butter and jam, and a fabulous collection of cakes. And then, of course, some seriously good attention to coffee, roasting, beans, and the works.
Website: https://www.juliebean.co.za/
The Local
A delightfully airy and fresh space that seems to have perfected the art of collaborations. They serve Plato coffee and have on hand most of The Bread Gypsy’s products. This small centre inside the boomed-off area in Lynnwood, called Lynnwood Gardens Estate, houses a number of other eateries and interesting shops. From Almond or Chocolate Croissants, to a selection of bagels, Vanilla Cruffin and charcoal or brioche buns, it is all there. The Bread Gypsy of course, is known for their use of high-end ingredients, such as those from Groenvlei farm and flours from Eureka Mills.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/meetatthelocal/
Dough & Co
One of their advertisements reads “pastry has never looked this great” – for Valentine’s Day, they made the prettiest red and pink glazed doughnuts with tiny red hearts, they would be anyone's dessert or baked product nemesis. They also produce great croissants, including something wonderfully quirky called a crookie, a croissant and cookie mashup, decadent chocolate and banana/chocolate muffins, wonderful éclairs and that old-time favourite standby, Death by Chocolate cake.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/doughandcosa/
The Lynnwood area in Pretoria features a strong selection of cafes and bakeries, including Château Gâteaux for elaborate cakes and St. George’s Cafe & Bakery for traditional vetkoek. Other notable spots include Julie Bean for gourmet croissants and cakes, The Local for artisan bread, and Dough & Co for inventive pastries like the "crookie."
