Some places you see, and they just seem too beautiful to be real. That is the feeling I had when I walked into Gateaux Patisserie. I had been stalking them on Instagram for a while, so I knew what I was getting into, but it was just so pretty in person.
It is designed to look like a Parisian bakery with intricate gold moldings and a beautiful chandelier greeting you as you walked in. Owners and sisters, Suendos and Sueha Beydoun, were inspired by French architecture, like the Palace of Versailles, when it came to the design of the place.
"Everything from the smallest alleyways, to the largest buildings, are just filled with beauty, and that was something we wanted to bring to Dearborn," said Suendos.
The desserts they serve perfectly match the gilded decor. The sisters had a large hand in designing them, each having their own talents they brought to the table.
"I used to bake in high school a little bit," explained Sueha. "My sister's the more artistic side of designing, so we kind of collaborated on it and started making things."
"She basically taught me everything I know about desserts and pastries," Suendos chimed in. "It was an idea that was just left on the back burner, but then once it became available, we went for it."
It wasn't always easy for them, Sueha was finishing up school and Suendos was pregnant while they were trying to open up the place. Both ladies said it was a whole family effort to make their dream a reality. Thanks to their support, they opened up the doors to Gateaux Patisserie on the corner of Military and Michigan Avenue in downtown Dearborn in 2018.
They serve up a variety of classic French pastries including macarons, St. Honeres, mille-feuille, chocolate tarts and more. While the pastries are very traditional, their designs and flavors are where you can see the sisters' influence. A lot of the flavors are inspired by their Arabic roots with things like pistachio and rosewater making common appearances. The decoration of the desserts are both simple and clean as well as a bit whimsical. Gold leaf and real flowers are frequently used in decorating the desserts.
Not only do they serve classic French pastries, but they also consider themselves a tea house, creating their own blends of tea and serving the formal afternoon tea. Yes, that is afternoon tea, not high tea. As I found out, there is a difference between the two. High tea is the less formal of the two and was frequently enjoyed by the working class. Afternoon tea was a luxury the rich enjoyed that is served with mini sandwiches, scones, croissants, and pastries. Gateaux Patisserie's afternoon tea costs $25 per person and comes with tea, your choice of scone or croissant, mini sandwiches of your choosing, and one of their pastries.
Besides their regular offerings, Gateaux Patisserie also likes to do theme months, and for the month of September, the theme is Harry Potter. They have Harry Potter-inspired pastries including macarons themed after each of the Hogwarts' houses. They are also serving up their version of Butter Beer, a popular drink in the Harry Potter universe.
Gateaux Patisserie is located at 1004 S. Military St. Dearborn.