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    Bawa

    4.3 (11 reviews)
    Closed 7:00 am - 4:00 pm

    Bawa Photos

    BAWA ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Outdoor seating
    Good for kids
    Good for groups

    Recommended Reviews - Bawa

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    Reviews With Photos

    Matt L.

    When will they stop? The team and family behind Barry and previously Touchwood and Pillar of Salt, to name a few, have another new kid on the block. Named after a Sri Lankan architect, Bawa is the latest addition to busy Burwood Road in Hawthorn and brings with it the team's specialty in creative and innovative food and drink. Bawa takes prime ground floor position in a freshly redeveloped office building and the fit out had taken full advantage of being able to start from new. Their namesake, Geoffrey Bawa, is known for his design mantra stemming from tropical modernism which revolves around bringing the outdoors inside. The cafe upholds these principles with its scattering of plants throughout the interior and a centrepiece hanging garden built atop the lighting fixtures. Elements of dark timber furnishings, barn-style rolling glass panels around the kitchen, tiled bar, white walls and surprisingly comfortable wireframe chairs all add to the clean, modern but natural atmosphere. Seating is a mixture of small tables, raised booth-style tables overlooking the street and a handful of outside tables in the building forecourt. If you've been to Barry or any of the team's other ventures, the left-field food menu should come as no surprise. Black quinoa porridge, chilli scrambled eggs, ricotta pancakes with lavender custard, the list goes on. Barry's infamous Californian Superfood Salad also makes an appearance. The pressed lamb shoulder with purple cabbage purée, cauliflower tabbouleh, barberries, pine nuts and harissa was the choice for this visit. Not knowing what to the expect, the juicy, tender lamb pressed into a rosti-like rectangle combined well with the creamy cabbage purée and the tabbouleh, barberries and harissa providing a nice flavour kick. The drinks menu is equally creative with two smoothies being the highlights; banana, peanut butter, cacao nibs, honey and almond milk or spinach, kale, green apple, chia, flax and coconut water. Coffee is a blend from Dukes and a guest single origin with choices of espresso or batch brew filter. The "Black Tonic" is the interesting mixture of espresso, tonic water and lime. There is also a range of teas, cold pressed juices and kombucha on offer. Service was excellent apart from a few of the usual, minor, opening week teething issues which are to be expected.

    Potato Roseti with poached eggs & hollandaise sauce.

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    Light Years - An elegant venue to have your breakfast in solitude.

    Light Years

    5.0(2 reviews)
    2.2 km
    $$

    My first visit to Light Years was for breakfast; a delicious and unforgettable meal it was…read more The location was off the beaten path, it took me about 15-20 minutes walk from the nearest metro. I was wondering why such a popular spot would be so isolated? But all is well worth the effort to get here. The venue is brimming with natural lighting, classic charm and warmth. For my breakfast, I ordered the Pixelated avocado (on a sourdough toast) because it just looked so darn intriguing. I didn't expect anything else to be honest, and turned out this was GOOD!! Every single element in this dish has complex flavors that compliments each other. The chili dried air kale, diced pixelated avocado and the soft shell crab was especially stunning. The dish certainly performs to its Instagram ability. For my drink, I ordered their matcha latte; it was strong tasting yet smooth. I could drink this all day! The Light Years is certainly not disappointing in any way, from the beautiful venue to the outstanding food, supported with service and ambiance for days. Easily, my favorite brunch spot in town at the moment and much to recommend you :).

    Went to Light Years for Sunday brunch and was relieved to find that, although very busy, the wait…read moretime was only a few minutes. Recently opened at the bottom of a new apartment block just along from the Camberwell tram depot, it should not be confused with Lights in the Attic cafe which is a bit further down Camberwell Road. The fit out is the now common scandi/minimalist affair with a smattering of potted greenery. Coffee is from Dukes, but the star of the show here is the food. All the dishes I saw coming out looked great and were good sized portions. I had the bircher and it was a generous serve, looked pretty and tasted even better. Overall a good value and tasty option for brunch/lunch in the leafy inner east.

    Photos
    Light Years - Matcha Latte.

    Matcha Latte.

    Light Years
    Light Years

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    Hawthorn Common - Seating area

    Hawthorn Common

    3.8(12 reviews)
    0.4 km
    $$

    I really like this place, I have been here plenty of times and it continues to grow on me…read more Definitely time for a review. I'm a little surprised to see people queuing at Axil when this paradise awaits upstairs next door, don't get me wrong I love Axil, but this place is pretty stunning. But please don't tell them, it's rare to be able to get a seat outside on a gorgeous sunny deck under an umbrella surrounded by trees and a veggie garden in Melbourne without a queue. The food has never disappointed. From the porridge and oats to the cooked breakfasts, I always enjoy my meal. Good specials on offer too, on the weekend I had corn and ricotta fritters with heirloom tomato salad and avocado cream, it was the goods and I'd love to see it on the menu. Their coffee offering is pretty solid, from the standard milky affair to the fancy filter stuff I don't understand but order to impress our interstate guests with my Melbourneness. Their green smoothies are tasty too. The staff are great with a sense of humour that I really enjoy, the owners in particular are cool (banter with them is a highlight for me), they're friendly and it's a family affair and they welcome families alike. But don't worry this place isn't overrun with yummy mummies, it's not really overrun with any 'type' it's just full of people who enjoy good food in breezy, relaxing surrounding. They also do yoga on the deck on Saturday mornings.

    Fight the lure of Axil and take the stairs to this gorgeous new comer. The coffee was perfection…read moreand made even more enjoyable on the sunny deck amongst the succulents. Choosing a snack was difficult as everything looked delicious. The custard donut did not disappoint. I'll be back to try something from the breakfast menu or for yoga on the deck Saturdays!

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    Hawthorn Common - Seating area

    Seating area

    Hawthorn Common - Outdoor seating

    Outdoor seating

    Hawthorn Common - Seating area

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    Seating area

    The Grounds at St Columbs - Exterior (image source: The Green facebook page)

    The Grounds at St Columbs

    4.3(4 reviews)
    0.9 km

    Looking to find the entrance you find yourself walking around a very well kept church. Although you…read moresee signs and can peek through the windows to see people enjoying a coffee inside you wonder where the door is and turns out a tiny little sign is all they need to peek your curiosity towards the most inconspicuous doorway. Walking in, it warm, high ceilings... You find yourself inside the back of the church. From wood, brick and Tolix chairs... You feel quite at home. Having had the pulled lamb on humus and lentils, their menu describing it much better than myself, it was delightful. The citrus zest dressing complements the slow cooked lamb and lentils which are too full of flavour. The brownie is very good. Not at all sweet and surprisingly much more creamy that what you would expect from a traditional brownie sadly it is quite small and seeing as brownies are my only vice there is always space for more. For those more interested about their coffee, they source their beans from code black and for the soy fans, you'll be delighted that they use Bonsoy.

    I love myself a good social enterprise. Eat, drink, be merry and help someone out. It's a win for…read moreme and humanity. I have only been here for coffee and snacks but they are both good. It can be tough to get a decent soy latte, but these guys do it well. The ginger cakes ain't bad either.

    Photos
    The Grounds at St Columbs - Cafe behind the church

    Cafe behind the church

    The Grounds at St Columbs - Café with space for kids to run around. Coffee and food great too. Friendly staff. Love it.

    Café with space for kids to run around. Coffee and food great too. Friendly staff. Love it.

    The Grounds at St Columbs

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    Bawa - restaurants - Updated May 2026

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