Lune Croissanterie Fitzroy

Lune began in 2013 as a tiny croissant shop in Elwood, opened by Kate Reid and her brother Cameron. Reid, who grew up in Melbourne, studied aerospace engineering at RMIT and worked as a Formula One aerodynamicist for the Williams team in the UK before turning to baking. Demand quickly outgrew the Elwood shop, and the business moved to a 440 square metre warehouse on Rose Street in Fitzroy, which became its flagship and headquarters.

The precision of Reid's background shows in the way the pastry is made. In Fitzroy, all of the dough is worked inside a six-metre, climate-controlled glass room, with bakers kneading, rolling and folding at a central marble counter in full view of customers. The temperature of every batch's ingredients is recorded and resting times are adjusted to suit. The New York Times once suggested that Lune's croissant might be the best in the world, and the business has since grown to seven stores across three states, including two Sydney sites opened in December 2024.

The core order is the plain butter croissant, but the range is wider. Lune's signatures include the ham and Gruyère croissant, pain au chocolat, kouign-amann and the cruffin, a croissant and muffin hybrid that the bakery claims as its own creation. Specials have included finger buns and birthday cake croissants. For something more involved, the Lune Lab in Fitzroy serves a three-course set menu of signature and experimental pastries; past examples include a millefeuille with roasted pear and thyme and a Danish inspired by Yorkshire pudding with rare beef. Lab sessions have tended to sell out well in advance.

Queues are part of the Lune story. Early openings drew lines from the small hours, a limit of six pastries per customer was introduced, and croissants used to sell out within the first hour. Waits of more than half an hour have been reported, so it is sensible to arrive early, particularly at weekends, and to have a back-up choice in mind if a flavour has sold out.

The Fitzroy warehouse suits pastry lovers, couples and families who want to watch bakers at work through the glass. Check the official website for the full street address of each store, current opening hours and Lab bookings before you visit, as the business has expanded considerably since 2013.