By Blackbird is a small little cafe and patisserie located in the popular King William Road cafe precinct. Coffee and pastries seem to be their specialty, but they also do all day breakfasts in the form of croissants with a variety of fillings. The place is warm and cosy with a dash of character about it. Jin, one of the owners, mans the counter and mingles with the customers, while Chucky is behind the scenes, working on her culinary delights. It becomes clear that the people here are passionate about what they do and this is reflected in their products and customer service.

Today, I ordered the Pear Tart. The crust of the tart was perfectly formed and crumbly in texture, which worked well with the natural sweetness of the pear. Inside the tart was what a nice firm filling which worked really well with crunchy texture of the almonds. It was nice, delicious and well presented.

The staff here were friendly and inviting, and it’s not everyday, they’re willing to sit down and have a conversation with you. Many of the clientele seem to be local, to the point that people are known on a first name basis and the staff know what they like to order. The service was excellent, and the pricing was average for this well-to-do area. The atmosphere was quite relaxed and it’s a perfect spot to spend a few hours watching time go by. If there was one criticism about this place, it is a bit small. Other than that, they do pretty much everything right.

WHERE: Shop 4, 100 King William Rd, Goodwood