Henri Marc, Penrith

Husband and wife duo Aaron and Sophia Bernecki opened Henri Marc in Penrith in August 2013. With a fine dining background, Aaron was busy in the Becasse and Bathers Pavilion kitchens before he knew he wanted to open his own place.

The Place

The name of the cafe was inspired by their first nephew who’s two years old now and comes to the cafe from time to time to chill out. Why did Aaron and Sophia open a cafe in Penrith? They were born and bred here, but they moved away and now have come back to the hood. They’ve actually known each other since they were four years old and now they’re married. Adorbs much?

Sophia and her dad built the cafe using a lot of recycled materials. The industrial chic decor is closed in by exposed brick wills and governed by a penchant for plants. There’s a good mix of vintage and new. Even the soundtrack is peppered by old school music and hip hop. Aaron tells us that it’s the type of place they want to come to – a casual eatery with quality food and table service, almost like a cross between a cafe and a restaurant.

The Food

Aaron is intent on keeping the food fresh and clean at Henri Marc. It’s not about being fancy; instead the focus is on making everything in-house and using quality produce. For example, their popular caramel is made from scratch pretty much every day because there isn’t enough space to make big batches.

The caramel is the star of a couple of dishes. The caramel on toast is pretty self-explanatory. It’s a slice of crunchy, toasted Brasserie Bread sourdough drenched in caramel, but it’s oh-so-good. If that’s not enough for you, try the French toast with caramel and fresh berries. Also made with sourdough, it’s an even more decadent breakfast option. Swoon.

The Eggs Benedict are incredible. Leg ham, hollandaise and poached eggs are perched on Brasserie Bread quinoa & soya sourdough. The quinoa & soya bread base adds a wonderful element of texture to the mix. The hollandaise is perfectly creamy and flavourful, making this an ultimate brekkie choice.

The duck eggs and soldiers are presented in cardboard trays. Buttered Brasserie Bread sourdough are strewn with salt flakes, which you can then dunk into the soft boiled duck eggs. Aaron and Sophie also have Brasserie Bread pastries, and if there are any left over they make bread & butter pudding out of them. Coffee is by the ever-fabulous Reuben Hills.

The Future

At the moment the cafe is only open on Saturdays on weekends, but from 12th October you can get your caramel toast fix on Sundays. Note that there is likely to be a short wait for a table on weekends. Other news in the pipeline is that Henri Marc will be opening the space next door for a night-time dining space in the future, so keep a look-out for casual, contemporary share food.