By Marie-Antoinette Issa.
While the glossy cherry-red tiles and butter-yellow interior of new Wareemba cafe Martha’s, are ‘almost’ enough to warrant your full attention, ultimately the smell of pastries fresh from the oven wins.
Like a gilded procession - if the marchers were sprinkled with caramel sugar and ivory sheened icing - they make their way from kitchen to cabinet - where stainless steel racks proudly display a colourful array of carbs.
Think buttery, deeply bronzed croissants, rosewater-cardamom pastries perfumed with floral sweetness and spiced kofta lamb rolls that are flaky, fragrant and fantastically moreish - the kind of thing you tear apart with your hands before you’ve even sat down. They sell out fast - every single day.
"Martha’s originated from the values of the biblical character of Martha, who hosted Jesus in her home and is the patron saint of hospitality. She was a woman who wanted to share a moment of joy and love through food and so do,” says Paris Nassif, the bakery’s founder.
"We live in a chaotic world and sometimes our only opportunity to slow down is the time we have to meet our family and friends for a coffee or the simplicity of a pastry.”
The Martha’s menu delicately balances comforting cafe classics and Mediterranean mouthfuls. Little surprise given that Middle Eastern hospitality runs freely through Paris’ veins - with her Uncles Ameer and Joey launching the cult Knafeh shipping container, which practically put the namesake dessert on the Sydney food map.
At Martha’s, Paris’s unique pastry offerings are the main act - a star in their own right. Stepping out of the shadows of her famed hospitality family, she’s bringing something new to the rustic wooden tables.
Think: the afore-mentioned twice-baked almond croissant, its crisp, golden shell giving way to a cloud-soft centre scented with cardamom and kissed with rosewater. A za’atar knot that pulls apart in satisfyingly chewy strands begging to be dragged through silky tahini and a selection of showstopper sandwiches.
Highlights include The Counter Stack - focaccia piled high with salami, mortadella, pesto and stracciatella - and the Soft and Salt, which sees taramasalta and soft boiled eggs oozing with herby lemon out of toasted rye.
Through a small workshop window, diners can watch the lamination process, a hypnotic production line of folding and layering that gives each croissant its signature whisper-thin flake and buttery crumble. Quality is clearly paramount, with a team dedicated to refining each pastry to perfection.
"We focus on small batches and fresh production daily, so sometimes it means we sell out earlier than anticipated. We want to make sure quality isn't compromised,” says Paris.
However, sweet treats extend beyond laminated pastries. There’s a plush, olive oil-soaked citrus cake that hums with zesty brightness, fudgy double chocolate brownies with a molten interior, fragrant Earl Grey black sesame cookies that tread the line between sweet and savoury and pastel de nata-style custard tarts with shatter-crisp shells and creamy, caramelised centres.
For the indulgent, buttery triple-chocolate croissants and a sticky, pull-apart monkey bread with coconut and lime offer a joyful sugar rush.
Coffee at Martha’s is also no afterthought. Rotating signature drinks on tap include a spice-flecked nutmeg citrus cold brew, a toffee-sweet maple brown butter iced oat latte and the current favourite, a jammy, velvety blackberry matcha.
For those who prefer a classic, the Single O barista menu covers all the essentials, from batch brews to short blacks, served with a side of sparkling water at the standing espresso bar.
Martha’s isn’t just about food; it’s about creating a space for connection and comfort. With 20 seats ranging from cosy banquettes to kerb-side tables, the bakery invites guests to linger, sip and savour.
"We wanted to create a space where people feel like they can savour their morning moment with their coffee or an afternoon pick-me-up to share with their family. For us, it’s about creating a hub for the community that people feel a part of.”
Martha’s is open Wednesday to Sunday, 6 am-4 pm, at 312 Great North Road, Wareemba.
