Spiel: Elizabeth Bay Cafe is one of those cute 'hole in the wall' cafe's that strives to be an upscale cafe with a restaurant attitude.
About the Space: Situated at the roundabout that marks the 'centre' of Lizzy Bay, it's right in the heart of the cafe strip for this tiny suburb of Sydney. On the ground floor of a beautiful Art Deco building, between an old'skool general store and a cute little hairdresser, it commands a great position as you come down either of the hills towards lizzy bay.
Inside: Small, tight, modern fitout with a huge coffee machine. Last time I visited, there's window seating and from memory a few tables inside, however the mean hangover I had may have confused me.
Outside: With 4 to six tables outside, you'll easily get a spot to watch the world go by on weekdays. Crowd is your usual suspects of locals, people on sickies, book editors.. On weekends, prepare to battle the hipsters, wannabes, trendites, and samesames who command these prime position seats.
Food: For breakfast you get your usual cafe fare, with delicious bacon & egg rolls on your choice of bread go well with a double espresso. I've tried about half of the menu and have no real complaints. I've heard that the Lunch menu is pretty fantastic. These people also own the Darley St bistro in Newtown. I'm yet to try the lunch menu here, so it would be unfair for me to comment. I hear it ranges from Asian/Pan/Mediterranean with a very heavy southern italian focus.
Coffee: Allpress coffee, while generic and a little burnt (not the cafe's fault) can arrive perfectly hot as an espresso, or cold and weak if you're one of those people who order a skinny soy latte. If you want your coffee a particular way, ask the Barista nicely and they'll usually deliver best as they can.
Service: Extremely patchy! I've had incredibly rude snarly service on weekends, mediocre on a Friday afternoon, and brilliant on Tuesdays, around 10am, if it's sunny out and the planets are aligned with the Staffs' Chakras.
IMPORTANT: This spot has a lot going for it, but I think they are too focused on opening times, laughing with each other in the kitchen and making cold coffee. I'll give them a second chance, but The cafe owner should seriously consider sending their team on some service training. read more