Ray's Patisserie

The first thing you notice about this place when you walk in is that they're award-winning. Really, you can't miss it. I dare say every trophy, ribbon, plaque or certificate they've ever won is on display in the front of the shop. Call me crazy, but if you're going to make your past achievements that well-known to potential customers, then you at least need to live up to the reputation!

I gather that most of the accolades were actually for their meat pies, but I wasn't sure if that meant an order beef pie or applied to their other varieties as well. I had a Ned Kelly pie - beef, bacon, tomato, cheese and an egg. It was OK in terms of flavour, and the pastry was light and flaky (although I think I've had better), but structurally it started to fall apart early on since the bottom of it was a little on the soft side. The vanilla slice - my personal litmus test for a good bakery - fared a little better, but still wasn't quite as good as I've experienced elsewhere.

Ultimately, for a suburban bakery, this place is adequate - maybe even a step up from adequate. But as patisseries go, Paris it is not.

Approximate cost: $4.50 for a pie, $3.50 for most cakes