Hidden down a nondescript pathway off High Street lies one of Penrith’s best kept cafe secrets: Henri Marc. Owned by husband and wife team Sophia and Aaron, Henri Marc has a very relaxed atmosphere with polished concrete, exposed brick, native flowers and mismatched china. With Reuben Hills coffee and an all day menu, Henri Marc is a great meeting place for a casual catch up.
The punters have been saying new Penrith cafe Henri Marc is like something you'd find in Surry Hills, but that does it a disservice. Yes, they're serving Reuben Hills coffee. Yes, it's decked out with polished concrete, exposed brick, and hipster lightbulbs. Yes, there's Mariachi El Bronx on the sound system.
But in opening their first cafe, Sophia and Aaron Bernecki are not looking to the city. The 20-something husband-and-wife team, both chefs by trade (Aaron was once found in the kitchen at Becasse) moved back to their native Penrith in 2012 with the dream of opening the sort of place at which they'd like to eat. They opened Henri Marc in August, thinking they might need perhaps one other employee, but have quickly expanded to a team of half a dozen.
First-timers may struggle somewhat to find it, but when they do, down a nondescript pathway off High Street behind a pharmacy, they'll find a cheerful greeting at the door and, hopefully, a table.
