Review The French Lettuce

Ainz (ainz_gourmet)

6 stars if I may! 💗Vanilla Slice💗 Friend bought us their Vanilla Slice (see photo in square) and they are soooooo good!! Like so soooo good. Creamy, smooth and not too sweet which is perfect for us. 💗Baked Cheesecake💗 Wanted to get their Vanilla slice in cake form (which they call it Mille Feuille) but it requires at least a day notice. So I went with their 2nd best seller… Baked Cheesecake and we were elated! Apart from the creamy-licious and well balanced sweetness, love the crunchy thin base with a hint of coconut. We topped with a couple of cherries and it was perfect for our pre-Christmas gathering. One of my friend who is a dessert lover approves too ☺️ 🧑🏼‍🍳Service🧑🏼‍🍳 Spoke with Jennifer on the phone and she was really kind and helpful. When we were in the shop, I got a bit of my Parisian fix with the French accent by one of the crew 😁 💰Value💰 Fairly priced imo. $7 for a vanilla slice. $50 for baked cheesecake Note that the shop is not too big (yet filled with so many goodies!!) and there were only 2 tables outside.

Andre Medina

had a takeaway cheese cake from here. normally would only review a place I sit down at. but this cheese cake was the best I've ever had. definitely will be coming back and buying more of them in the future.

Tsukine

Came here just to try the vanilla slice which is voted the best in Melbourne as published in The Age! The vanilla slice is delicious - the custard in the middle had great consistency unlike every other vanilla slice I've had, the pastry is flaky and really good! Not over-sweetened either. Came with a friend who also bought some home for his parents and they also loved it too. Will definitely be back for more!

Courtney Marriner

I have been a customer of The French Lettuce for many years so I felt confident in asking them to make my wedding cake. They are such a lovely business to deal with and we were so happy with the result.

Sunny Days Melbourne

Sometimes there are some foods that are just too pretty to eat. This is one of those times. This delicious and sexy looking fruit tart from French Lettuce was impressive. Beautifully put together with a shortbread shell and vanilla cream, the whole experience was superb. The fruits were fresh and that fig was amazing. Definitely worth a try!☀️

Trader Joe

We got a steak pie, quiche and a vanilla slice. It was about 12:30pm and the pies we not hot yet so we took it home and heated it in the oven. The pie was just a complete mess, tough stringy beef in a glue like gravy and the pastry was doughy and uncooked with way way too much salt. The quiche was completely dry and 50% pastry. Vanila slice was pretty nice because it wasnt too sweet and it was nice and creamy. Was quite expensive overall I think it was around $19 ?

Sav

Small, cute and underrated. This place makes an incredible baguette sandwich and good coffee. There isn’t much indoor seating except for some bar stools but you can sit outside. There is a lot of café food options to choose from which is always great to see. Also, the staff is very helpful and the dude has a crazy viking beard.

John Lawson

Fantastically presented food and bakery. I will be back. The cheese cake was sensational. The vanilla slices was nice, but missing something. The pie was great.

Monamassarany

Amazingly talented patisserie chefs! Friendliest most hard working people around! Thanks for the amazing sweets!

MsEG

Love all your cakes and pastries. Not overly sweet which I like! The chocolate ganache is so yum!!! Friendly staff as well 😊

Good Food Good Mood

We attended a 60th birthday dinner last night and tried the lovely chocolate sponge with fresh cream and strawberries. This is a simple classic done well and whilst I’m not typically a fan of sponge this was really light and quite a good option after a large banquet style dinner. Note the ten inch size is HUGE Original review Mum would have her birthday cake from non other than The French Lettuce. A simple coles muddy wouldn’t do for mumsy she had to have a $140 chocolate mud creation complete with toffee shard. As I had outlaid so much for said cake I thought screw the calories I’m having a huge slice and it was suitably divine. I had to pre order this cake and once I was finally able to get them on the phone (called about ten times with no answer, I guess they are super popular) they were extremely helpful. Such a decadent option for a special occasion cake and so many more lovelies available instore for smaller treats

Timinmelbourne

How disappointing. I saw this bakery pop up shop at Richmond markets and whilst the bread didn’t look to good I thought well, it’s Xmas so give it a go. I reluctantly brought a vine sourdough fruit loaf for $8.50c. The bread is definitely not sourdough, it has sultanas and cranberries and that’s it! The bread tastes like it’s made using really cheap white bread flour!! Don’t bother!!

Nom Noms

Everything was stale and rubbery. The cannoli custard had the texture of a sandy mousse. I had a tiny spoonful of some of their cakes and immediately wretched. Would not recommend. Do not know how they get their awards.

Morgs71

The French Lettuce has the reputation for having the best vanilla slice in Melbourne, so I had to check it out. This is definitely more of a patisserie set up, with a few tables if you wish to sit in. Service was OK, but it was busy with a lot of takeaways at the same time. The staff still seemed friendly though. The standout here is the food. There is a beautiful choice of cakes and pastries, and sure enough, the vanilla slice was excellent. I'm not sure that it's the best I've ever had, but it was still delicious with a really creamy custard filling, and nice flaky pastry. Coffee was also good, but the pastries are easily the star here. It's not a bad place to come to get some delicious treats, especially if you are taking away.

Kayster007

Easily the best vanilla slice in Melbourne, I cannot get enough of their magical vanilla custard, it's very consistent with the flavour every time I've been there, tastes exactly the same! Pies are very good also and the sausage rolls are great, can't fault this place.

Foodie Voucher Queen 👸🏻

Vanilla Slice 5/5 ⭐️ French Lettuce takes price for serving the best Vanilla slice in Melbourne and indeed they are worthy of it! The Vanilla slice has a crusty and light layers of pastry. The Vanilla filling was creamy, smooth and light - not over powering at all. Unfortunately they’re short of 1 star because their other desserts & pastries were just alright. I ordered the sticky date pudding, quiche and hot chocolate. They were only average. 👯‍♀️ Service 4.5/5 - Good service. Very helpful staff members. 💰 Price $ Standard pricing for pastries and dessert. Vanilla slice is $6.50 and it’s worth it. Overall verdict ✅✅ I’ll only go back for their Vanilla slice 🥰 💰Tip💰 I used the entertainment book and got 25% off!

Nina Lichtenstein

On Friday May 10 just before 5 pm, my husband and I went into the shop hoping to order/discuss about a cake for our daughter's 18th birthday a week from then. The lady that spoke with us asked us to send her the picture I had for the cake so she could show the cake designer. I had bought other cakes from French Lettuce before and have been happy with them, but when the lady said to me "the cake might be out of your price range", my heart broke into pieces. I asked her what my price range was, and she said their prices could be something like $400. I told her I was was prepared to spend $500 or $600 but I wouldn't be ordering from her as she was looking down on people. They have no right to treat/look down on any customers. There's nothing worse than crushing a mother's heart like that. What gave her the right to pre-judge my ability to pay for a cake! I had troubles sleeping that night and can safely say I will definitely not be returning to this place even if they were the only people to feed me my last meal on earth.

FOODIE ADVENTURE

Got this delivered to work. Work conference catering and there were heaps of this cute boxes delivered. See through on the front of the box so you can choose the variety of deli burger options. Sadly the deli burgers was boring and lacked any flavour. Quite boring and dry but the vanilla slice was amazing and huge. That alone was very filling but l loved it.

Fatcat

Their vanilla slice really is one of the best I've had! It's not too rich or sweet, but still has a very distinct but elegant vanilla flavour. My partner and I thought it was very refreshing. Also really enjoyed their orange and almond cake.

Leila

Had a try of a few things here, savory pies and quiches were decent, sweet pastries and cakes were yum. The coveted vanilla slice? Not sure about the ‘best in town’ title, a bit on the heavy side. Big ups to the Nutella donut though!

The Wandering Reviewer

When you need to eat sweet treats you come here. And today it was for a vanilla slice known as one of the best in Melbourne. There are lots of sweet choices as well as some savoury pies to choose from. Large cheesecakes, mid ales right up to wedding cakes on offer. There are only a few chairs and tables inside if you wanted to stay and eat but in warmer months you can sit outside and watch the world of Nicholson Street go by. Staff are very friendly and helpful. Wheelchair friendly. Kid friendly sky. Good parking out the front. A must visit.

Ronnie『로니』

The one of the best ever pastries 🥮 ever since I’m back in Melbourne... Words cannot describe ☺️👍 Especially the vanilla slices 😏💗 고마워요 😊

Espy Eats

Went to a pot luck birthday today where those that could bake, baked and those that couldn’t bake went to The French Lettuce Patisserie & Bakery. We had a a selection of custard tarts and French vanilla slice which had a flakey crunchy pastry and a smooth creamy vanilla filling. An enjoyable treat.

Yan.

Vanilla slice is god like, recommended by ex boss. It looks like ordinary but tastes better than you can ever imagine, must-try dessert in Melbourne, really want to know how they can make such delicious vanilla slice!

AaronN

Got a vanilla slice here and it was very nice, however I was expecting something a bit more amazing given the reputation of the slices here. That being said, still very good with a lovely pastry to boot

Food Lover

My favorite place. They have the best vanilla slice. The fruit tart is also good. The cakes also have good quality and presentation. I love to go there every weekend.

J Tan

We got a mille feuille cake for my partner’s birthday celebration. From the reviews the cakes from here seem like a winner. The cake was beautiful but the problem was the pastry layers in between the custard ‘felt’ and tasted stale. We used two different knives to try and cut through the cake. While eating it I had to split the custard away from the pastry and eat the pastry with my hand. The pastry was tough and chewy. Disappointing as the whole cake was let down by the pastry.

Marc

We ordered a Millefeuilles cake for my birthday which was awful. The pastry was so hard it was nearly impossible to cut a slice, with similarity to cardboard. Sadly, this wasn’t the worst part. The worst experience was when we tried to offer some criticism regarding the cake, we were fronted with excessive defensiveness and an utterly rude and obnoxious lady. There is nothing worse than someone who can’t take some simple customer feedback and walk away. No, this lady was incredibly rude. Disappointed with the cake and more disappointed by the lack of decent customer service. We won’t be coming to The French Lettuce for cakes again, first and last time.

HANNAH

Popped in a long while ago to grab the Pear Symphony cake for a birthday occasion. The cake did not disappoint, it was fluffy and flavourful. The pear matched nicely with the sponge cake; this combination was a good pair! Nomzzz. I dined in here as well. The savoury pie tasted okay, not one that would make you shout: "Oh, that's super delicious'. But the ambience of this cafe/bakery was quite cozy (:

Angel Khong

Decent hot finger food (sausage rolls, quiches, pies) and vanilla slice, disappointing coffee (very bitter/burnt) and croissants (texture was more like that of bread; very doughy and not crispy/flaky - refer to picture). Venue felt a bit old and run down but beautiful cake displays improved the atmosphere somewhat.

Zainab

It’s a nice cafe nice location friendly staff you feel like you’re in Europe or even in France with environment however the menu need to be more and bigger

Sam Hii

Always there for their famous vanilla slice. Probably one of the best vanilla slice I had in Melbourne. Flaky crusts, delicate, milky custardy filling and some icing to touch it off, just perfect. Highly recommended.

DineByNine

From the point of entering, the French Lettuce looked good from the outside and even better when I entered. The decor and variety of cakes and patisseries were amazing, and even better they start at 1am to make these scrumptious items. I havent been here in so long, so I decided to get 4. A Sticky Date, a Blueberry Tart, Fig Pastry and a Recommended one - Lemon Tart. I admit the Sticky Date wasnt how I expected, but apparently it having nuts and fruits is the actual way to make it. The Blueberry Tart was my favorite and while Lemon Cakes not being my favorite choice, or not even a choice, I actually liked it and would order it again. Would I bring my friends? Yes. Would I recommend it to others? Yes. Would I wait another 7-8 Years to come? Definitely Not. I will be back in less than 2 weeks.

Whenfoodsonpoint

I tried this place out for the first time last week for my birthday! As soon as you go into the bakery you can smell a delicious, fresh, pastry smell throughout the air. I ordered a vanilla slice birthday cake and my whole family commented on how yummy this cake was! Next time I will be popping back in for one of their small little tarts which looked amazing in the display cabinet.

Kim Recreant

I tried to discuss ordering a very important cake today - knowing that time was limited and expecting I may not have left enough time to get it done. The woman I spoke to about it was utterly rude and patronizing. Didn't listen. Assumed I knew nothing. Blacklisted. And I'm telling all the people and the "fine dining" institution where I was hoping to have the cake - who referred me to French Lettuce - about this experience. Happily I have found another place that I'm sure will produce something as good, if not better.

Donita

Vanilla slice is one of my fav dessert and so far my fav vanilla slice is the one from Costco so I’m curious knowing that vanilla slice from this patisserie cafe nominated as the best in town. I got the chance to try today, the vanilla slice has a very flaky skin but I need lil bit more sweetness on the custard side, that’s made me still prefer vanilla slice from Costco. But it’s still a nice cute patisserie cafe, I’ll come back again to try other cakes & pastry.

Rhiannon Beck

Quickly called in for a hot drink and treat just before closing on a Sunday afternoon. Great array of gorgeous cakes even towards end of day. Vanilla slice must have been good because he devoured it. I hardly got a taste! I went for the beautifully decorated chocolate tart. There were two different layers of soft chocolate filling, one dark, the other light like a mousse. Absolutely decadent. Hot chocolate was great but a bit on the small side.

Neer Ly

We came at an awkward time just as the staff were cleaning the floors, so we had to sit outdoors on a day that was just a little bit on the wrong side of too hot. But the staff were very friendly and accommodating, offered us water and a seat despite the poor timing. We ordered an orange and almond cake and the famed, vanilla slice. The vanilla slice lived up to the hype! It was very creamy, but not at all too sweet like I’d expected from the heavy dusting of sugar powder. It’s mild and offers a lovely balance to the pastry. The only complaint I had was that the pastry was softened a little too much by the cream at that point, but it was delicious nevertheless. The orange and almond was lovely in taste. Although a little too sweet, it was moist and flavorsome. The prices are so reasonable, though, that I would recommend it to anybody.

J0yy173

On a Saturday afternoon a steady stream of customers pour into this artisan partisserie on a quest for their delectable offerings. Reputed for their vanilla slice, the beautiful cakes displayed in the window and inside cater for weddings and special occasions. While there was a range of savoury pies, the only heated ones were vegetarian. That's a good enough excuse to choose two desserts - their famous vanilla slice and a baked cheesecake. There's a reason why the vanilla slice has been voted the best in Melbourne. A delicate top layer pastry dusted with sugar blends beautifully with the sensational pastry cream - light, balanced vanilla flavour that makes for happy taste buds. The baked cheesecake was moist, delicious and deeply satisfying, without the heaviness so common in baked cheesecakes. The tiny patisserie seats 12 intimately inside with a couple more tables on the footpath. I think the lady serving me was on her first shift as she could barely explain what the different desserts were, had to ask before she could answer anything and appeared really tentative. Her concept of cleaning the table was only to remove the dirty dishes, leaving all the crumbs from the previous diners. The other lady seemed much more helpful and approachable to her customers, so I will put that down to inexperience.

Andreas

I'd heard of and had driven past this place many times, noted that it looked old school and wondered if was terrible or excellent. Well it's closer to the latter. I mean, I popped in very quickly today and bought a vanilla slice and passionfruit curd tart only, so I've hardly experienced the full offering, but what I had was great. The custard in the vanilla slice wasn't too sweet and was rich, creamy and dense without being gelatinous like those you'll find in most small town/suburban Aussie bakeries, and the puff pastry was crisp and flaky. The passionfruit tart shell was delicate and buttery, and the filling creamy and tangy.The fit-out inside is as expected - looks like it hasn't been refreshed well, ever. But that's part of the appeal. Next time I'll try some savoury treats.

Sophie

The Vanilla Slice here is awarded best in Melbourne and truly deserves that title. I come here often and have never had a bad slice or any other pastry here. Yes you pay a little more but totally worth it! YUM

Devina Faustine

Perfect combination between the light taste of vanilla custard and crunchy pastry 💜 The best vanilla slice I’ve ever tasted in Melbourne! So good 😊

V3R0

I was here last weekend to try their awarded vanilla slice. I'm not sure if they are the best, but it's indeed a very tasty one. So this is really recommended for vanilla slice lover out there.

Renegade

After hearing that the French lettuce was awarded the best vanilla slices in town, we thought we would give the quaint little place a try. Sadly the vanilla slices didn't live up to the hype. Definitely not the best but also not the worst. Custard centre was nice but the crispy hard top caked in icing sugar didn't do it for me. On the up side the beef bourguignon pie was quite tasty. Worth a shot if your in the area.

Rita8448

Best vanilla slice and very friendly staff. Love the sausage roll and pies. Pies are chunky not minced. Birthday cakes are also fabulous. Have been going there for the last 2 years. Have never been disappointed 😍

YesNoMelbourne

Had their vanilla slice dubbed the best in Melbourne. When I went in the shop all the pastries and cakes there look incredible (especially the sticky date pudding) but I thought I would stick to the vanilla slice! At first I ate it with a spoon and it was nice but then when I ate it with my hands it was perfect! The pastry and the vanilla custard were perfect together when melted all into one bite!! I absolutely loved it! So yes it is the best vanilla slice I've had so far but for $6 I think it's pricey

Joshua

Definitely do not go here. Seating is cramped and the room is tiny. Got up to leave and the manager kicked my chair and then complained about people not pushing in chairs. You work in hospitality, deal with it or get a larger premise. Absolute disgrace

Kimberley Leggett

This was on my list of must try when making my way through Melbourne By Mouth when I was on holiday. Had the Vanilla Slice as it was a known award winner and despite trekking here on several trams (not easy to find for a tourist) I was delighted that it was moist and delicious.

Shefali Patel

Highly recommended. I ordered cake for my husband's birthday and it turned out amazing and very tasty. Thanks for making our celebration very special.

Veronica Lin

It's been a while since I last went there. The vanilla slice was very good! Not too sweet. I find the vanilla slices at a lot of other places are too sweet. Icing is just the right amount. Love it!

Alvin Gan

I ordered a chocolate bavarois as a birthday cake for my partner. I was very pleased with the cake both in taste and presentation. It was simple but every component was flawless in taste. The cake was $40 for an 8 inch diameter and I was told would be enough for 8 people. We only managed to get though half with 6 but we ate it straight after dinner. I thought perfect, at least we get to take home leftovers because it was so good! For the price I though it was very reasonable. I looked at Brunetti's but found them more expensive and the flavour combinations odd. I also found you'd struggle to get a whole cake at Michel's patisserie for $40, but that's a chain bakery. Price aside I was more than happy to part with my money to support this local Carlton business which has been there for 35 years. I hope they're there for another 35 more!

"JT" Jeffrie Trika

It's worth the effort getting there ..... It takes a bit of effort driving there and finding a parking spot on that busy Nicholson St. Not sure about their claim of "the best" Vanilla Slice, however after a few of their Vanilla slices and a few Birthday cakes, I think it was well worth the trip.

Hello. Imnikki

I have always drove past and saw the sign proclaiming that they serve "the best vanilla slice in Melbourne". Thought to myself that I should really find out whether what they claimed is true, because if they are then I'm missing out on a good thing and should get myself on board. Other than vanilla slice, they have a wide variety of pies, sandwiches, and baked goods such as tarts, brownies, cakes and doughnuts. As we didn't want to overload our tastebud with sugar before we tried the famed vanilla slice, we ordered a beef burgundy pie and roast beef sandwich to share. Both were quite ordinary tasting, nothing particularly outstanding in both taste or flavours. Saying that, I must commend the pie crust for being extremely sinfully buttery and flaky. Definitely the best part of the whole meal. It even eclipsed the vanilla slice. The vanilla slice wasn't bad per say, but it definitely wasn't the best. What I liked was the light sweetness of the creamy and smooth custard, but I didn't enjoy the puff pastry that was tough as nails. It was a solid slab that resembled more of a biscuit than a puff pastry. Was definitely very disappointed as the custard was beautiful. It was then heartening that the lattes made by the friendly waiter/barista exceeded our expectations, and he was very attentive - bringing out the sweets as soon as savouries were done definitely earn a plus in my books.

Armitage Shanks

Sign says best vanilla slice in Melbourne and I'd be prepared to believe that could be true. No gelatinous custard or diabetes inducing icing glazy thing insight. Soft custard, crispy base and dusting of icing make this near perfect. Will try their pies and sausage roll next

M. T.

We'd driven pass this place almost every single day at one point but never gone in. Finally had a day off and set my mind to going here - was not disappointed! Everything was delicious but standouts were definitely their Vanilla Slice and Cheesecake. Yum!

RZ

Friend brought a strawberry vanilla birthday cake. It's looks normal, we didn't have high expectations of the flavor. It turns out the cake is incredibly delicious! Not too sweet and the cream not too thick. Stunning taste and everyone finished their own piece. Best bakery in Melbourne.

Maggie Hunter

Cosy little French bakery with delicious pastries and sweet To try: - sausage rolls - flaky buttery pastry with a smear of tender and moist meat - chicken and mushroom pie - sticky date pudding - raspberry tart

LindaMelb

This is the place to get a cake made north of the city. Don't let the little shop front fool you. They've been ding cakes or years and have a good reputation with the locals.

Erin

Nice little gem of a French Bakery and Patisserie in Nicholson Street. Great place to stop by for a latte and cake, to pick up some fresh bread, or even just to admire the pastries on display. I recommend the baked cheese cake or the chocolate tart (the vanilla slice also comes highly recommended).

VodkaO_ZS

I'm not a big vanilla slide fan, but the best sell item tastes good for sure. And the tart is even better with those fresh fruits! Actually, I'm still confusing about how to cut a vanilla slide without smashing all the beautiful jelly part inside. The service is not bad, but still okay for a small cafe mainly deals with take away sells.

Mireille

Vanilla slice is one of me fave desserts and with The French Lettuce's take on it being touted as one of the best in Victoria, I of course had to try it. It did not disappoint. Custard was so creamy and pastry was perfectly flaky and crispy. Without the addition of that gross layer of icing sugar that a lot of places have, it had the perfect amount of sweetness. The only reason why I can't rate a 5 is because the brownie I also bought, while being nice was definitely not the best I've had.

Occasionalist

When I told my husband I wanted to take him to French Lettuce, he thought it was some fancy French produce store with organic greens. Should've seen his face when he realised it was a patisserie ... And not just that ... One that was famous for vanilla slice, his favourite. We had: 1) Vanilla slice: very nice. Custard was quite creamy but the real standout was the crust ... It was so crisp and fluffy. I was really baffled on how they managed to keep it so crisp beneath custard! 5/5 2) caramel slice: I thought it was OK but my husband said it didn't taste as sweet as he would've liked. 4/5 3) chocolate Charlotte: very nice and fluffy. Really liked that it had strawberry slices inside the cake fillings too. But not the best cake I've had. 3/5 Service was 5/5 with the girls being polite and patient. The place needs a bit of a facelift though.

North Fitzroy Food Addict

A golden oldie, have been going to this place for years and it never disappoints. I would have to say it would be one of my saviours when it come to hosting or going to a dinner party. I can always rely on their cakes to top off a beautiful meal. Favourites are the flourless orange cake and their chocolate mud.

Mrs Lavender

Read from the former review, most of the review recommend the vanilla slice . I am here now ordered a vanilla slice & a cronali , a earl grey tea with milk & a cappuccino . My god ! The vanilla slice is really good ! The best I had ever had. The shell is so crispy and fresh . Every bite I Tasted the freshness. Awesome ! There's tons of customers were here for take away while we are here .Btw,I'd like to give the staffs some credit too，even the shop was busy and they do the coffee & serves the cake also busy working in back of kitchen, they are still friendly with smile on their face . Thank you two beautiful girl :)

Ag

Have been wanting to come here for so long! Finally got the chance today and was not dissapointed. Best almond croissant I have ever had. My short macchiato was perfect. Have bought some vanilla slice to try when I get home. Hope it's as good as everyone says. And the young girl behind the counter had great customer service.

May

This place makes really gorgeous vanilla slice! Soft , smooth and not too sweet. One slice is big enough for two to share . The blueberry and fruit tarts were beautiful as well.

Alex Tee

Haven't been here in years and wanted to see if it was just as good as it used to be. Being incredibly indecisive and a little disappointed there were no more vanillas slices left, I still managed to walk out with a box full of goodies. An almond and a pistachio croissant, a cannoli, some little fig tart, and a bag full of brownie. Croissants and cannoli were a little stale, could have passed on them, but the tart was delicious and the brownies were out of this world, chocolatey, gooey goodness in a bag wrapped with a bow. Definitely pop in if for nothing but those brownies!

SueyLuey

Drive passed the delivery vans near my house everyday and finally got to try their delicious cakes & patisseries!!! The pear & choc mousse cake was absoputely delicious! Hug cake that is def great for a small party. So creamy and rich. Then got myself another small box of slices today - sticky date and vanilla slice and was given the orange flourless cake to try tooo!!! Absolutely delicious! Service was lovely! So friendly and genuine. I will be a regular here i think!! Considering i have more then half the store to try!!!

Steve M

Came in on Chinese New Year with some friends to try the famous vanilla slice. It was absolutely perfect, not too sweet because they don;;t use thick icing. The gorgeous waitress there was very knowledgable and brought out a red teapot when we told her we were celebrating lunar new year which was a nice touch. Coffee was great too. It is a small bakery and could do with some renovating but when youre eating sweets that good it really doesnt matter.

Foodie85

The best vanilla slice in Melbourne. Soft and creamy. Not sickly sweet. Pastry was fresh. Reasonable portionsize. Delish!!! The only place in which I'd get a vanilla slice from in Melbourne.

AH

While the blueberry tart is delicious, it was definitely the savoury that reigned supreme on my first venture to The French Lettuce, as the beef and burgundy pie was absolutely exceptional and one of the best in Melbourne. The ladies serving were also very friendly, and I had no issues with the customer service, that some reviewers have noted, so perhaps I lucked out with the best staff on the day of my visit! I will definitely be back to try more savoury offerings and the famous vanilla slice!

Ciccio ?

I drive past every day to go to work and yesterday I stopped, got myself an amazing pie (chicken and mushroom). The place is small but amazing. Friendly staff that have a smile on there face and make u feel welcome. Couldn't past up the opportunity to buy some pastries and take home for the family, and OMG!! They were out of this world! I've been around the world, and flavors, textures, taste and style have never been seen like this before, only in Melbourne at The French Lettuce. Keep up the great work guys 👍🏻

My French Rituals

Tried the mille-feuille - vanilla slice this morning and was pleasantly surprised. The pastry was flaky and the custard was light and fluffy. I would love soft icing on it but the icing sugar is right as it doesn't make this desert overly sweet.

Sue

Walked in for a slice of the famous vanilla slice and I was surely not dissapointed. It was melt in your mouth decadence and my experience was made even more pleasant by the lovely staff who greeted me with huge smiles and happy faces. I took my time looking for what I wanted and the staff were extremely patient and made suggestions as to what I should try. I walked in only meaning to try the vanilla slice but ended up leaving with an assortment of delicious desserts which me and my family enjoyed later that night. Will be sure to return

Sugar Spice

Just recently I ordered a cake for my birthday and it exceeded my expectations. As a lover of sweets and desserts, all I wanted was a delicious cake and that’s what I got and more. I ordered a layered white chocolate and dark chocolate mud covered in ganache, topped with chocolate swirls and fresh flowers. The cake was flavoursome and moist and it was beautifully decorated. I highly recommend ordering a custom cake for any special occasion, you will not be disappointed. Though the shop is only small, it is bright and fresh and has an upbeat vibe. The shop staff is friendly and helpful and they know their products. If you're looking for a cafe to enjoy delicious savoury pastries and a sweet treat for the road, give The French Lettuce a go!

Darren Borg

Hmmm, all this hype for what I wonder? Look I love patisserie's and baked goods just as much as the next person but.. I was extremely disappointed. It's honestly not all that its cracked up to be. In my honest opinion, the vanilla slice in Sorrento still rains supreme in my books (yeah I know its a long drive for a slice). The cannoli was just as disappointing if not more, it was dry and bland. The service.. slow to sum it up, heaps of people piled in at once and this poor girl was trying to do everything at once while 2 people the back did nothing but chat. If this place is or was as good as people make it out to be, they need to pick up the slack.

Lucy Nguyen

Their pies are amazing, and famous vanilla slice deeliciously good especially with their raspberry coulis. All their desserts are always fresh and yum :)

TresHungry

Been here twice. Best vanilla slice in Melbourne! Savouries are..not so good. Quiche was soggy and didn't taste fresh. Egg and bacon frittata was dripping with grease! Kind of horrifying to eat.

Financehouse318

Sunday Treat. Wanted to test the "Best Vanilla Slice in Melbourne" on a Sunday afternoon. I was warmly welcomed by smiling staffs, and was served the vanilla slice accompanied by a latte. As they have claimed, I would award them with the best vanilla slice in Melbourne, however, they would be slightly behind the vanilla slice I have tasted in Sorrento. Overall, 8.5/10 based on quality of food and service.

The Food Society

Our favorite place in Melbourne for vanilla slice.

Byron's Vanilla Slice Blog

I had tried this one in 2013 and didn't understand the hype as "Melbourne's Best". It was nice, but not knock-out. So I went back, sampled it again and I have to say their slices are quite delicious. The pastry is so beautifully baked so that it crumbles and flakes. The custard is subtly vanilla scented, creamy and smooth. Good size portion, but the dusted icing sugar would be better as fondant icing in my opinion. Glad I went back for a second round.

The Travel Journo

Going against my normal M.O here are only reviewing a menu item. But when that menu items is THE BEST VANILLA SLICE IN VICTORIA, that’s okay! I had driven past The French Lettuce many times and seen the big bold banner in the window stating the gloriousness of their slice. It was high time for me to test it out. So in I went, a lovely girl with an Irish accent asked me what I would like, I looked at her and said “I’m here for the best vanilla slice in the universe!” She smiled and obliged… the time had come. I had it to go and made myself a coffee to go with it. The first bite… there was a crunch and then some kind of gooiness on my fingers and then I blacked out… I woke up with my girlfriend standing over me asking “did you just eat the whole thing!” I just smiled. Food: 5 passport stamps Staff: 5 passport stamps Value: 4 passport stamps Total: 4.66 = An around the world trip SLICING your way through sooo many countries! Share this: Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Google StumbleUpon

DAMMIT JANET I LOVE FOOD

The Best Vanilla Slice? The mildly sweet custard filling was light and extremely creamy, while the pastry was thick, flaky and buttery. The vanilla slice here also came with a side of strawberry jam which was perfect for breaking up the creaminess and for providing some contrasting flavour.

Skinny Glutton

French Lettuce offers creamy,sugary delights and are often heralded the makers of the best vanilla slice enthusiastically by fellow Melbournians and The Age newspaper. After such endorsement, I finally made the trip to acquire my little slice of heaven.

Nikki NurikkoVisits

Famous for their Vanilla Slice, Aj and I wanted to see it for ourselves whether they really are the best in town. We arrived at the shop at 0730 on a Saturday morning, it wasn’t because we were desperate no – it was on our way to work. Street parking at that time in the morning wasn’t an issue; the city was in deep sleep. There was a half empty tray of Vanilla Slices placed in the display when we got there, they didn’t look as fresh as the new tray brought out before we left the store. I wonder if the batch we got were left overs? Fresh Vanilla Slices at 7:30 on a Saturday morning Taste Taste: French Lettuce Vanilla Slice has moist fillings covered by the crispy pastry; I liked the balanced texture and flavour. Even if they weren’t the best in town I would give high scores for its quality – not to

KYYL

...one of their award-winning creations. This thing was huge- good value for money coming in at only $5. Pastry was lovely and crispy. Custard had a nice vanilla flavor and a creamy rather than gelatinous texture. The raspberry jam did provide some flavour contrast that was needed for getting through it all though. Verdict- Yum.

Popcornandtoast

one of the best vanilla slices I’ve had. This one, flaky puff pastry, with the fluffiest lightest vanilla custard. I won’t even begin on the others because one thing will lead to another and before you know it you will have tried everything on offer.

The Bake-a-nista

They have so many other things behind the glass counter that I'd love to try, someday.

Al' The Picky EAter

Rating: Yummy cake; yummy +1 vanilla slice. I will try to remind myself to drop by for more of that custard heaven, and maybe try the other cakes and pastries.description is utterly understated - they were more like thick slabs of couverture chocolate forming palisades around the cake. Not that I am complaining. Sandwiched between thick

Theindolentcook

French Lettuce is famous for their vanilla slices, with great reviews from Herald Sun and The Age. I'm not a vanilla slice connoisseur, but I can say that I enjoyed this, and so did Simon: the gentle crunch of the flaky pastry together with that fluffy and not-too-sweet custard made it quite the refined experience.

Food Lover

I often go for a run around this area and am always tempted to stop at The French Lettuce for one of their amazing looking pastries or just to stare at their gorgeous cakes. Apparently, this shop if famous for wedding cakes that look (and taste) fantastic

Awhy

Service was appalling, they were so rude. No regard for any of the customers in the store. I asked a question about the sweets and got snapped at!

Traminguyen386

Lives to its reputation!. Since driving past this pretty shop, now 6 months later and I've finally come to try the best voted vanilla slice. dayummm its so good! Pastry is flaky crunchy, just devine and the custard itself.... Heavenly. Service is wonderful as well :)

Peony

Nice Cakes and Great Staff. I found myself on annual leave randomly googli7 whee is the best vanilla slice. And my god you never believe it, it was literally down the road at The French Lettuce Patisserie & Bakery. I quickly got dressed and looking through the pictures to see what was there. I made up my mind, I had to get the vanilla slice and the berry vanilla custard tart. When I got there I was quickly greeted but the girl that there. I quickly saw the vanilla slices and berry tart, on the corner of my eye I saw the vanilla and chocolate cannolli's. I quickly ordered the cakes, not thinking that I had to order lunch. I saw the sausage rolls and they all looked devine, and mind you the pies were huge. As tempting as the pies looked I opted for the sausage roll and chicken and sage roll. I rushed home to eat my goodies purchased. I grilled the savory rolls and they were as yummy as they looked the pastry was crispy and the meat filling was so tasty. The vanilla slice was okay, would have preferred the sugar icing over sugar dusting. The disappointing thing was the cannolli, although the custard was nice the shell was soft and soggy. Overall its a nice little cake shop with very yummy food and cakes. The worst thing was why didn't I discover this place when I lived down the road for 16 years old.

Natalie Kovacevic

Disappointed. Attempted to go here today at 3.15 and it was closed even though the hours are till 4 on a Sunday .....? Bad business.

Asdfasdfmk

The Best Cakes in Melbourne. The best vanilla slice in melborne The Best Cheesecake in Melbourne

Iceman

FLP is an urban legend. The vanilla slices are still amazing :)

Sue

The best vanilla slice in melborne!!

Alex Benevento

We heard about the vanilla slice here and decided to try it. Not disappointed, it was fresh and very tasty. One slice was big enough for the two of us to share. The coffee was quite nice, no bitterness at all. We'll definitely be back the next time we have vanilla slice cravings.

Reis. R.

Nice Chocolate Croissant. Was walking along Nicholson St and chanced upon The French Lettuce. Bought a Chocolate Croissant back. I placed it in the toaster for a while to melt the chocolate and crisp the croissant up. It was delicious! I love the chocolate that they used (and generous portion too), and the croissant was buttery and not dry at all - just the way a croissant should be. Would be back to try another of their treats soon!

Sampson White

After travelling past a sign that says 'Voted Melbournes best vanilla slice' every day for the past year, I finally made the effort to try one. Easy to see why they took the prize. Caramelised golden pastry, not overly sweet custard with an amazing consistency. If you have a sweet tooth, this is a definately worth a visit.

Samantha.carmody

OVER PRICED, OVER SIZED, OVER RATED. 'The best vanilla slice in melbourne' is sadly not the best. Yes the custard inside was lovely, but hese vanilla slices are over prived, over sized, and over rated. It has left us very dissapointed and feeling like we have 5kg of custard sitting in our stomach... we were expecting the most magnificent vanilla slice! Black Rock Bakery & Langwarrin Bakery still have our vote for the best vanilla slice!

Roxanne

Just tasted their new apricot jam filled donut and it was heaven. I'll be back!

FOO-DEE

Humble sweets win I went sweet mad my first visit and left with half the shop. I happily worked my way through a fruit tart and some decadent chocolate thing...but realised the stars were actually the most humble of treats and the ones I go back for time and time again. 1. Vanilla slice - base to icing this is perfect. The lid and base are light, slightly flakey but somehow strong. You can easily cut through them without making a custard mess. The custard is fluffy, light and not set too hard. The icing is a just a dusting of icing sugar so it's all about that fluffy custard. 2. Berry / pistachio nougat. This is the softest, fluffiest nougat I've eaten. Perfect balance between the sweet nougat, tart soft berries and salty pistachios. I'm off to the cupboard to get some now :)

Cwa

Went a bit crazy on my first visit, got vanilla slices, lemon tarts and other goodies. Were not disappointed as all. The vanilla slice is to die for and lemon tart is the best I have tasted. Amazing!

Samantha Telepe

The chocolate & vanilla Charlotte cake is the most amazing cake. We order it all the time for our important milestones as its not cheap but definitely worth it. I wish this shop was closer to home!

Katrina

Nicole from French Lettuce made our wedding cake and it was unbelievable. It looked exactly the way I wanted it to look, it tasted amazing and it was more a feature in the room rather than just the cake. Nicole even made a seperate little cake for the people that couldn't eat nuts. I would recommend French Lettuce to everyone and would say don't bother looking anywhere else.

Review The French Lettuce - Melbourne