Michel's Patisserie - Upper Mount Gravatt, Brisbane. A well-known franchise for bakery items, coffee and even ordering special occasion cakes, Michel's is very well known originating from a European background. Now many sweet delights from the north are readily available and made daily for hungry customers. This is a win-win situation as they get quality and familiarity.

There are a couple of outlets in the Garden City shopping center. One of these is right next door to a child's play gym. Therefore it is perfect for parents to go and have their small child run around and interact with other children for a bit and get a coffee break whilst doing so. Several table are around and are given table service (after ordering from the counter of course). A good amount of customers will be happy parents and child-minders.

That was what happened. One day while doing some child-minding, my dining buddy and I went right to the said Michel's. It was hard to argue for value, getting two orders of the cake of the day for only $5. There were two different types, both of which were mud cakes. Getting one of each (caramel and marble) the two of us split them. It would have been uncharacteristic for there not to be a coffee ordered as well. Thus, it was a double cappuccino to come my way.

The mugs they used for these coffees were very big. They were practically beer-steins. In fact, they must have been so hefty that the barista could only bring one at time using two hands to carry the plate. I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the coffee, it had a smooth consistency throughout and was at the right temperature to readily drink. All the right aspects of a good cup of coffee were done correctly. That coffee cost all of $5 and it was just as enjoyable as numerous coffees from many other places.

Both cakes were sweet - in the case of the caramel mudcake, it was really sweet. They had a simple texture and moist inside. The marbled mudcake contained shards of mixed chocolate (i.e. a combination of white and milk) stuck onto the outside, ultimately which I preferred out of the two. That is not to dismiss the caramel cake, as it was also good; its strong point was the thick layer of icing.

Michel's is an example from a franchise that is onto something. They are realising that familiarity alone is not enough to thrive. Thus, the products are still freshly made and there is the care given to the coffee as most other coffee-places. This is yet another franchise which I would not mind giving support to in the future.

Lovely place for a cuppa and tasty pastries.