Little French Cafe's Point Chevalier outpost is, by its own cheerful admission, indeed little — a takeaway-only counter where the cabinet is filled fresh every morning with pastries, savouries, cakes and sweets. There is no room for tables here, so everything is made to be enjoyed on the go, from an espresso-and-macaron pairing to a box of the bakery's signature Mille-Feuilles.
The cafe is the neighbourhood expression of Little French, a modern French food experience founded in 2015 by two French transplants: pastry chef Ben and maître d' Matt, who met while working at Auckland's Clooney and decided, somewhere on a road trip to Russell, to go into business together. Their treats are handmade with French flair from exceptional, often unexpected ingredients, with the kitchen working alongside local artisans and suppliers, following the seasons and changing the menu accordingly.
Open every day from 6:30am to 3:30pm — public holidays included — the Point Chevalier counter is built for life on the move. Grab a quick savoury for lunch, a jewel-toned macaron with your coffee, or a box of pastries to make yourself très popular in the office. The same kitchen also supplies cafes, restaurants, delis and shops across New Zealand, runs a second cafe in Mount Albert, and offers an online store with pickup and local delivery.
On a corner of Point Chevalier Road sits one of Auckland's smallest French bakeries — and, by its own cheerful admission, it is "indeed little." Little French Cafe Pt Chevalier has no room for tables, so everything it sells is takeaway, made to be enjoyed on the go. What the space lacks in seating it makes up for in its cabinet, which is filled fresh every single morning with pastries, savouries, cakes and sweets, all handmade by the Little French team.
The story starts in 2015, when two French transplants — maître d' Matt and pastry chef Ben — met while working at Clooney, one of Auckland's most admired restaurants. The pair bonded during a roadie to Russell, where the question "should we open a company together?" was apparently on their lips, along with pastry flakes. Matt's head for business met Ben's hands for baking, and Little French was born.
Their idea was simple: convince the New Zealand palate that French desserts are worth it, and have a good time doing it. Little French describes itself as a modern French food experience for Kiwi foodies — built on the belief that great food brings people together and creates connections and memories, that food is "not the enemy" and nothing is off-limits, and that "everything in moderation. Including moderation."
Every morning the Point Chevalier cabinet is restocked with fresh pastries, savouries, cakes and sweets. The kitchen works with local artisans and suppliers, uses what it calls the best ingredients, follows the seasons and changes its menu accordingly — so what you find one week may not be there the next.
Some things, though, are constants. The signature Mille-Feuilles are the bakery's calling card; the founders suggest a box "to treat friends or make you très popular in the office." Jewel-toned macarons are the classic partner to an espresso, and the daily savouries make a quick, satisfying grab-and-go lunch. The treats, the site notes, are "handmade with French flair from exceptional, often unexpected ingredients" — the work of two chefs, one with "crazy-brilliant ideas" and one in relentless pursuit of the perfect dish. That partnership, they joke, is possibly why the pastries are so light.
Because the cafe is takeaway only, the experience is a swift one: order at the counter, choose your treats, and take them to the park, the beach or the office. Coming early in the day means the fullest choice from that morning's bake.
The Point Chevalier counter is one part of a small but busy operation. Little French also runs a cafe in Mount Albert and an online store with pickup and local delivery options, and its seasonal ranges — a Halloween collection is the current example — appear online throughout the year.
The bakery also supplies cafes, restaurants, delis and shops across New Zealand that want "a point of difference," and offers catering, promising to reply quickly and guide you effortlessly through the process. In other words, the pastry you grab on Point Chevalier Road comes from a kitchen with a wider reputation than its tiny storefront suggests.
The cafe opens every day, Monday to Sunday, from 6:30am to 3:30pm — and, unusually for a small bakery, it stays open on public holidays. You'll find it at 201 Point Chevalier Road in Auckland 1022; the cafe line is 027-248-7111 if you'd like to check on the cabinet, while the office can be reached on 021-173-0896 and by email at littlefrenchpastry@gmail.com.
Whether it's a box of Mille-Feuilles for a family morning tea, savouries for lunch, or a single macaron with your espresso on the walk home, this little counter makes French baking an easy everyday thing. Ben and Matt sign off their story as "your new French friends" — and after one look in the cabinet, you may well agree.