Does life after cronuts lie in Melbourne?

What's next after the cronut? Where is there left to go after two of the world's favourite pastries have been fused into one?

Well, you experiment with riskier cronut flavour combinations, such as yoghurt and honey cream filling with banana chips, and rosewater icing sprinkled with toasted oats and whole almonds.

Pastry chef Nabih Gaaloul worked at La Pyramide in Vienne, France, and Francois Payard Bakery in New York before settling in Melbourne six months ago. He is putting his spin on the world's pastry trends at Rustica, in Fitzroy.

"Very detailed eclairs are popular overseas. Also choux buns," says Gaaloul, whose choux creations include a burger-like choux bun sandwiching chocolate ganache.

"I am also doing an almond-ispahan croissant [with rose, lychee and raspberry] after Pierre Herme [the French pastry chef famous for his macarons]."

So, what of the cronut; are we tired of it yet? Apparently, that would depend how often you eat them.

"I change the flavours every 15 days," Gaaloul says.

Rustica Bakery, 402 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy; rusticasourdough.com.au