Acclaimed chef Alex Charasse, founder, owner, and operator of Almost French, has always had a love of the flavours of his homeland.
French-born and trained, Alex Charasse discovered his passion for pastry very early. At the tender age of six, he invaded his mother’s kitchen to make desserts for the family dinner. Ever since then, his passion for sweets has grown stronger.
At just 14 years old, Charase started his apprenticeship in the prestigious school Le Clos d’or and graduated as Maître Pâtissier and Maître Chocolatier.
The tone for his career was set by landing his first job at the 3-Michelin-Star restaurant Le TroisGros, from which Charasse continued working for renowned chefs such as Marc Verrat, Pierre Gagniere and Paul Bocuse, as well as at exclusive hotels, luxury cruise lines and private yachts all over the world.
In 2009, Charasse relocated to Melbourne, taking the position of head pastry chef at Vue du Monde, working with Shannon Bennett and opening its 401 St Kilda Rd location. He moved on to master the art of High Tea at The Hotel Windsor before joining Grossi Florentino in 2013.
In 2014, Charasse ventured into elite corporate catering, creating and executing the dessert menu for the Australian Open under Delaware North Company (DNC).
He headed the pastry kitchen of the NGV Tea Room before moving on to the Mariner Group-owned Regent & Princess Theatre and its famous Plaza Ballroom function centre. With the aim of passing on his experience to the next generation, he signed up as a teacher at Melbourne Polytechnic, where he has taught since.
In 2021, Charasse took the leap to open his own business on Swan Street in Richmond, VIC and expanded his business in 2025 with a second location in Melbourne’s ‘Paris End’.
On his menu, standout dishes include Millefeuille, a French Classic and a lighter version of the Australian vanilla slice, complete with flaky puff pastry layered with light and airy crème pâtisière.
Another customer favourite is his Chocolate Éclair, made with a Choux Paste shell and a light, airy crème pâtissière filling, with a chocolate fondant topping. Customers also adore his croissants and Danish selection, made from beautiful layers of French butter and dough perfectly laminated to the maximum crunch and taste experience.
Product-wise, Charasse’s point of difference can be found in his formal training, artisan techniques, top-quality ingredients, and not sacrificing on flavour and taste. In service, he has created a place for the local community to meet, greet and enjoy a slice of Parisienne savoir faire with friends, colleagues and clients. He said Almost French offers a space to be, to enjoy, and to linger.
Key trends have always been a source of inspiration for Charasse, especially in recent months. He said the Dubai Chocolate trend was impossible to ignore, but he adapted it to make his Pistachio Chocolate Croissant, which was received very well.
Charasse also experimented with different flavours of Croissants, such as a heart-shaped creation for Valentines day and a tree shaped option for Christmas.
“We have direct and indirect competitors but we are standing our ground of difference as we are not a café, we are a bakery (Richmond) serving only the good out of the baking kitchen and not ‘made to order’ food options. It is unique but it set us apart,” said Charasse.
“For Almost French Epicure, the concept of all day French food and beverage from breakfast to lunch to dinner with changing offerings is new to Melbourne with the intent to transport customers to Paris in the Paris end of Melbourne.”
In the future, Charasse would like to see Almost French continue to grow and expand.
“Opening the second location through the door wide open and we realised that we can take this as far and wide as we wish to. So keep engaged, support us and watch us grow in the coming years.”
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