La Colmena

Inside the @PrahranMarket at stall 20 lies @LaColmena_Melbourne, offering Spanish pastries. I love discovering new foods from different cultures and particularly those of the sweet variety. I came away with several items.Flor Manchega are a delightful, sweet pastry with a crunchy texture made with a family iron baroque piece that has been passed down a few generations. The flower shaped pastry is thin, light, crunchy pastry with the chocolate top adding just enough sweetness.Miguelito are a light and flaky pastry filled with either a delicate vanilla cream or a velvety chocolate cream. The puff pastry has risen high with the top layer filled with nutella and another variety with vanilla cream. Both are light and airy with their respective fillings delicious.Glaseado are luscious cakes made from layers of puff pastry, pastisserie cream and Italian meringue. The Italian meringue is a bit sweet but very creamy atop the many layers of crispy puff pastry which is almost biscuit like. I really liked this.Roscon de Reyes is a very special sourdough cake with whipped cream, almond flakes and candied oranges, baked in Spain exclusively during the Epiphany, on the 6 of January, to celebrate The Three Wise Men.The citrus cake is really lovely and goes down nicely with the layer of cream balancing well against the light cake and flaked almonds.Baked fresh each day get in fast before they sell out.Made another visit for some different pastries:Ensaïmada - a spiral shaped sweet sourdough pastry. One is filled with a quasi cream and the other with chocolate.Like a cream but not cream, a Spanish version, slightly sweetened encased by the soft flaky dough like pastry, the edges a little crunchy which presents a nice texture, large in size, this is a very tasty treat.The chocolate version is similar without the Spanish cream and the chocolate is quite an addition and quite strong in flavour.Mum's CheesecakeThe cheesecake is smooth and unctuous, not heavy or too cheesy and very different to the traditional form I've eaten before. I absolutely loved this.#SpanishFood #pastries #chocolate #puffpastry #nutella #vanillacream #ItalianMeringue #cremepatisserie #dessert #sweettooth #foodie #melbournefood @zomatomelb

The cheesecake is to die for! It's absolute perfection. The owner is also really friendly and helped me with my dietary restrictions. Can't wait to return!

It is too hard to just pick one to try so I got a few home. And they are so delicious and special !! Cannot wait to go back

Delicious Ensaimada with nata filling and burnt caramel. Texture was so light, not too sweet, and I couldn’t stop eating. The owner lady is very kind. I will definitely go back to try other pastries here.

This place is a MUST for all pastry and dessert lovers. The Belgian dark chocolate ensaimada is very well balanced in taste. The ensaimada de nata was absolutely divine. The cream just melts in your mouth with the right amount of sweetness and not too heavy and the ensaimada balances the texture of the dessert. The grandma's cake is a party in your mouth. You can taste each individual layer. The cheesecake is a 10/10. The texture is like a firm jelly but is also creamy and sweet with a hint of sourness? ( not sure how to explain it but it's delicious ). The glaseado is more for the sweet tooth. The pastry is crunchy and the fruit in between breaks up the sweetness of the Italian meringue on top. The Flor Manchega was so crisp and delicate. We also had the Flor manchega with chocolate and that left me speechless. Overall I'll definitely be back here to try the piononos, the miguelitos and the citrus cake. It's definitely a 10/10 experience. The owner Christina is very lovely, full of passion on keeping her family legacy and is very knowledgeable on the history of the pastries that she makes.

Their puff pastry was so fresh and light! Can’t wait to try their other pastry.

This is the first Spanish patisserie in Australia and is absolutely worth a visit (or three). All her pastries are made the traditional way, using quality local ingredients as well as Callebaut Belgian chocolate. She is very passionate about her products & ingredients, stop by and give them a go! My favourite was the 'pionono'.

WOW. These pastries are incredible. Easily the best pastry that I've had the good fortune to eat. I had two of the layered pastries that has some sort of the most delicious meringue on top.