Perth Voice Interactive

AT times it’s been called the ugly little sister of Beaufort Street with no Art Deco panache or culinary glamour.

Fitzgerald Street has copped a bit of criticism over the years, but recently it’s upped its game with a number of good restaurants including Acqua E Sale, La Mortazza and KCH.

Okay, the parking and driving is still tight and it’s not as pretty as Beaufort, but don’t overlook North Perth next time you’re out for a meal.

I’d heard good things about Picobello Patisserie, so I fired up the Voice jalopy and headed to the Fitzgerald St bakery/cafe to see what they had to offer.

Originally from Scotland, I was on a downer after my national soccer team got humbled 5-1 by Germany in the opening match of the 2024 European Championships, so I needed something sweet to cheer me up.

To add to the gloom, the heavens opened on the drive to Perth.

Thankfully, Picobello Patisserie is part of a group of shops with dedicated parking and I managed to nab a space directly outside.

The interior of the cafe had some nice chandeliers, feature wallpaper, an antique mirror with ornate frame, and wooden tables and chairs. It was a classy vibe, without being pretentious, and the huge bay windows maximised the natural light during winter.

There was also some comfy couches and it felt homely and welcoming.

On entering you are confronted by a diabetic’s nightmare – a cabinet bursting at the seams with colourful cakes, tortes, gateaux, light pastries and gourmet biscuits.

It was a mouth-watering range of sweet delights including Portuguese tarts, ricotta cheese cake, cannolis and everything in-between.

I was a bit out of my comfort zone, as I normally don’t have a sweet tooth, but the smiley girl behind the till was very accomodating and gave me plenty of time to choose a selection of goodies to take home for the family.

More importantly she placed them nicely in a robust cardboard box and all five cakes were still intact when I got home (We’ve all opened a cake box to be confronted with a gooey ground zero).

The cakes were like mini artworks when placed side-by-side and I marvelled at the craftsmanship that had gone into making these sweet treats.

My favourite was the Apple Crumble ($7).

It was a perfect miniature of an apple crumble pie and like something out of the movie Downsizing.

The flavours were there too with nice chunks of fresh apple, delightful pastry and a tasty filling that wasn’t too sweet nor tart, walking the flavour tightrope.

My wife “Special K” is a chocolate junkie, so she enjoyed the decadent chocolate pudding ($7).

It certainly looked the part – thick impasto swipes of dark chocolate with a strawberry and white chocolate wafter perched on top.

“It looks dense, but is actually incredibly light inside and the chocolate isn’t too rich, so you can work your way through it,” she said. “It would go perfectly with a nice blob of good-quality vanilla ice cream.”

Taking of vanilla, my young kids Bamm-Bamm and Pebbles were busy wolfing down a giant vanilla slice ($7).

Again, beautifully presented with that trademark icing swirl on top, it was light and creamy, and the perfect accompaniment to a cup of tea.

Fearing our blood sugar levels might reach Chris Farley’s in the 1980s, we reconvened the following night to tackle the large lemon tart ($7) and custard puff ($6.75).

The tart had a pleasing citrus tang, which was offset by the buttery pastry. Very enjoyable.

The custard puff had some nice chocolate swirls on top and was dusted with confectioner’s sugar.

Light, airy and rich, it was a sticky, tactile joy.

The individual cakes are big and one is large enough for two adults to share, so it’s great value when you breakdown the cost.

They also do made-to-order cakes for special occasions including birthdays and religious celebrations.

The quality of baking at Picobello Patisserie was great and it nearly managed to lift my spirits after a chastening soccer defeat.

Dolcetto Patisserie and Cafe
3-4/400 Fitzgerald Street, North Perth
dolcetto.com.au

by STEPHEN POLLOCK