But it’s not just flaky pastries that make a visit to Rise Bakery worthwhile – folks are flocking for crusty sourdough loaves, picture-perfect patisserie treats and velvet-smooth coffee, too. What’s more, soon the chicly appointed locale will be adding a champagne bar and a covetable pairing menu to its offering. Take a peek inside …

Growing up, visiting the local patisseries and boulangeries was a weekly, if not daily, occurrence for Adrien Marcinowski and Maxime Bournazel. They’d join the community as it turned out in droves for loaves and sundry, often stopping to chat and connect with neighbours and friends. With their high-end baked-goods concept Rise Bakery, the chef duo is looking to recreate this communal experience – they’ve kneaded traces of this youthful reminiscence into the very foundation of the business, from the taste and aroma of its offering to the atmosphere and aesthetic of its interior spaces.

Just over a year on from the launch of Rise Bakery at Sanctuary Cove on the Gold Coast, the duo has quietly opened another location at Portside Wharf in Hamilton – snagging a prime spot at the heart of the precinct, which is in the midst of a $20-million facelift. Drawn to the site’s proximity to the rippling waters of the Brisbane River (a nod to the duo’s upbringing near the French riviera), Adrien and Maxime have spent most of 2023 to date working with Clui Design and Lowry Group on transforming 75-sqm of indoor dining space and an 80-sqm alfresco terrasse into what might be one of Brisbane’s best looking bakeries.

Modern, but with touches of French heritage, Rise Bakery’s shopfront is a lavishly appointed locale boasting hanging gold chandeliers, mirrored arches, a cream-coloured banquette, a takeaway coffee window and marble bench tops.

As stunning as Rise Bakery’s interior is, it pales in comparison to what guests will find in its cabinets. Closest to the entrance sits the viennoiseries – buttery beauties that include croissants (traditional and almond), apple turnovers, lunettes, pain au chocolat, pain Suisse, pain aux raisins and chocolate brioche. A few steps along you’ll spy hot savoury items like beef bourguignon pies, sausage rolls, ham-and-cheese croissants and quiches before reaching the patisserie section, which boasts a murderers’ row of all-star sweets like lemon-meringue tarts, cream-filled Paris brest, flaky mille feuille and chocolate eclairs.

Artisanal breads, including sourdough baguettes and loaves, fill the shelves along the rear wall – nab a few for sandwiches at home or skip the middleman and order a ready-made baguette sandwich from the Rise cabinet. On the beverage front, Rise Bakery serves brews from Bear Bones as well as top-shelf tea from Tavalon, including black-truffle tea, which is available for now only at Rise.

Once the neighbouring terrasse is complete in August, Rise Bakery will launch its champagne bar. A list of 15 champagnes will be served by the glass (with some premium drops available in more affordable half-glass pours) or as part of a curated bubbles and patisserie pairing.

Three tiers of indulgent pairing options will be made available, ranging from champagne and sweets for two, to a full-on tasting menu that matches different cuvees with specific patisserie treats. The rest of the Rise Bakery offering is expected to grow as well – we’ve been told that cakes and a boosted range of savoury products will soon be added. As if we needed more excuses to pop in!

Rise Bakery is now open at Portside Wharf. Operating hours, contact details and other bits of important info can be found in the Stumble Guide.

This article was written by James Frostick from The Weekend Edition.