“Bread, coffee, pastries, and good vibes” reads the opening line on the Lumos Bakery website. The new bakery opened recently in Melbourne, where it has already gained a name for its brownie-filled croissants and other Viennoisserie.

Lumos is located in McKinnon, the neighbourhood of owner and chef Carina La Delfa.

“I’ve always but 110 per cent into the jobs I worked, and I loved them, but when I realised my neighbourhood needed a bakery, it was a real light bulb moment,” Carina told delicious.

“I know I was the person to do it, because I love bread and pastry.”

Carina is no stranger to hard work, having done stints as head baker at Hamptons Bakery and as a pastry chef at Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, Press Club, and Gazi.

Lumos’s speciality—the brownie bomb croissant—is certainly testament to Carina’s skill in the kitchen, with the sweet treat proving incredibly popular with McKinnon locals and regularly selling out.

“On the weekend, we do a second bake of [the brownie-filled croissants] around 10am,” Carina said.

The bakery also sells coffee by Blackburn roastery Symmetry. In addition to this, all of the products Lumos sells are made with responsibly sourced flour.

The bakery itself presents a sophisticated front, with a palette of pink and teal set against timber counters and shelving. All of this makes for a delightful atmosphere for customers standing in line or sitting at the large 10-seater communal table in the bakery.