Detour Espresso Bar is such a good find. The staff are fantastic and the food is CHEAP.
The guys that work here are super friendly and accommodating. Genuinely greeting us at the door, as we perused the menu, mentioning that it could be tricky on a gluten free diet, they offered up changes to the menu without us even asking. "We can do whatever you want!" they offered, a surprise alternative to the many begrudging responses I've encountered. These guys bend over backwards to help you, maintaining a smile all the while (and I can't even do a handstand).
Whilst the super busy William St strip of the Cross doesn't seem like the nicest place to sit for lunch, Detour has a great vibe both inside and out on their butt-hugging street-side seats. There's no barrier between customer and crew here, with the skinny bench that lines the left of the cafe directly facing the kitchen/long-skinny cooking bench that lines the opposite wall. This means that customers are less than four metres away from where the action happens.
This closeness between crew and customers is not just spacial, but also applies to the relationships that Detour has with its clientèle. The day we dined here, hoards of school girls filled the inside and outside tables. When we asked the barista which school they were from, she informed us that SCEGGS high school was directly behind the cafe (whilst handing a drink to one of them, calling them by name). "These girls have just finished their HSC English exam!" she told us, looking over them like a proud mum. "We're so happy for them - but still nervous!" The staff joked around with the girls and you could tell that they had earned their loyalty.
The guys at Detour have their own blend of coffee which isn't too bad. The food is simple but good and their menu is cheap cheap cheap too, with sizeable salads and paninis for $8.50. And, with Belgian Waffles on the menu for $3 (with optional vanilla gelato and nutella for $1 each) I can see how they've lured in the school kids, locking it in with old-school Coke Spiders.
Detour is basic but great - and whilst it's not rocket science, the prep-time sticker system (Fast, Faster, Fastest) is a good idea and makes the cafe worth the detour if you're on the run. read more