Though there’s no shortage of places to brunch in Montmartre, Hardware Société manages to stand out thanks to its appealing Australian spin on French breakfast classics. Bizarrely done out like a traditional British sweet shop (all butterfly wallpaper, light wooden furniture and colourful crockery), this outpost is owners Di and Will Keser’s second foray into café management, following the success of their first opening in Melbourne, Australia. Clearly taking some inspiration from their new surroundings, here they propose pastries from chic boulangerie Bo and luxury jams like apricot and orange blossom or strawberry champagne, while a wide selection of Melbourne Padre coffees and proudly exposed Australian cookbooks still pay homage to their homeland. If the jams sound slightly sickly, then there are also plenty of savoury options, like boiled eggs with either smoked salmon or crumbled black pudding, or the crème fraîche blinis (€15.50). The waiting staff are all clad in Breton stripes (twee much), but we can forgive them as the brunch is delightful.
TRANSLATION: FLORA HUDSON