Alex Charasse, the founder and head chef behind Almost French Patisserie in Richmond, has unveiled a new venture on Little Collins Street.
Charasse – a maître pâtissier (master pastry chef) and maître chocolatier – has opened Almost French Epicure, marking his official entry into the exclusive epicurean dining market.
The café-restaurant will blend the warmth of a neighbourhood café with the sophistication of a Parisian dining room.
Located inside the Sheraton Melbourne Hotel, the venue is primed to become a destination for lovers of French food, wine, and patisserie. It has been designed for every part of the day, from morning pastries and coffee, to long lunches, or a spot for a late-afternoon wine.
It offers a curated selection of sweet and savoury pastries, freshly baked baguettes, charcuterie, cheeses, and a menu of French favourites.
Each pastry, loaf, tart, and cake is handmade daily at the Almost French Richmond bakery before arriving in the city still warm from the oven.
Charasse has spent more than two decades immersed in the world of haute pâtisserie and fine dining. He began baking in his mother’s kitchen at the age of six before earning the prestigious titles of Maître Pâtissier and Maître Chocolatier in France.
Over his career, he has experience working at Le Clos d’Or and the three-Michelin-starred Le TroisGros, as well as roles across luxury hotels, cruise lines, and fine-dining institutions throughout Europe and Australia.
Alex Charasse
After relocating to Melbourne in 2009, Charasse shaped pastry programs at Vue de Monde, The Windsor, Grossi Florentino, the NGV Tea Room, and the Australian Open, before launching Almost French Patisserie in 2019.
Charasse says Almost French Epicure is more than a café.
“It is a place to savour life’s simple pleasures,” he says. “It reflects everything I love about French gastronomy: beauty, generosity, craftsmanship and a deep respect for ingredients. I want guests to feel transported, even just for a moment.”
He says the new venue is natural extension.
“It allows us to share the full breadth of French culinary culture, from pastries to charcuterie to wine, in a space that feels both intimate and elevated.”
Almost French Epicure is open seven days a week from 7.30 to 4pm.
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Dining and Cooking