Having driven past this quaint little corner cafe too many times to count since it opened its doors and consistently seeing crowds inside, we figured it was about time we tried it out for ourselves.
It was worth checking out for the gorgeous design aesthetic alone - everything is soft, homely, loved and beautiful. Shades of green make the space calm and inviting with the most beautiful feature wall of art deco wallpaper commanding the interior. Creamy white pressed metal sits behind the front counter which brims with all manner of sweet offerings.
The chairs don't all match, and are a mixture of polished timber and green velvety soft cushions with a line of bench seating along the feature wall. Very comfortable, if a little pokey for larger groups.
We elected to sit outdoors under the verandah on the row of sunken timber beach chairs. Rustic crates act as small tables, however we found it tricky to negotiate breakfast plates, cups of tea and cutlery on such a small area. The arms of the chairs are thankfully quite thick, and can act as a drink holder at a pinch to give some more elbow room.
The seats are very pleasant to sink into, although this can prove to be an issue when eating.
The cafe is situated on busy Hawthorne Rd, and during our visit our conversation was punctuated with the seranade of noisy motorbikes and grinding truck brakes. It's a very visible spot for them being on a main road of course, but I can't help but think it would be so much more pleasant tucked away in a side street away from the fumes and traffic.
Service was pleasant and efficient and we were not left waiting long for both drinks or food.
I ordered the sardines with steamed spinach and chipotle sauce with two poached eggs, and the boy-thing went with the savoury mince.
My sardines came out looking amazing. They were full, whole fish piled atop the eggs with a dressing of chipotle and spinach. I was salivating at the site.
The first mouthful revealed that looks aren't everything. The meal lacked a certain bite, or oomph.. one of my eggs was runny and lovely, the other was hard and powdery. The spinach was bland, and the toast was soggy and unremarkable. I felt as if the chipotle had simply been thrown on the top in a hurry, and it was all-in-all quite uninspiring.
The savoury mince was presented in a small ramekin, and all reports suggest it was "fine"... nothing special however. More toast was needed, and it was quite a bland mix to see on the plate.
My fresh pineapple, apple and mint juice was served quickly with a frothing head without which I would have been convinced it had just come out of a bottle. The juice was bland and tasted slightly watered down.
The atmosphere was of course, second to none and I really really REALLY wanted to like this place. I'm afraid we'll be giving it a wide berth when it comes to future breakfasts, but we agreed it would be a great spot for morning or afternoon tea. read more