Michael Buble and Ol' Blue Eyes croons at you softly as you walk into a refined, warm culture not…read moreso reminiscent of blossoms, but of heavenly chocolate. Salivate over the fountain of chocolate at the counter before being overwhelemed by the choice of sweet dainties, or choose something more substantial from the brunch menu. The brown furnishings are clean, and the decorations and setting are tasteful and unique in the shopping centre. This indulgent chocolatier also serves stand out coffee, generously served in porcelain mugs. The staff are extremely friendly and attentive. The selection of cakes and sweet delicacies is awesome, and of particular note is the tiramisu, coffee indulgence in layered sponges. Gotta be happy with that! I have been coming here since they opened in 2010 and greatly enjoy the views from the mid level looking out over the harbour towards North Sydney. Certainly one of the better dining experiences in Birkenhead Point.

Had lunch here with my partner. We both had chai lattes, they were soft with just enough taste to…read moremake it yummy. The view was great, even with a slight cool breeze. We had a BBQ beef burger and a B.L.A.T beef burger. The chips on both plates had no seasoning but were cooked perfectly - which is a shame as I think chips can really compliment a meal. The burgers were weighted just right. Not too heavy, not too light. The flavours were there and they were enjoyable but the oil dripping out of them were a real turn off. We both had a tummy ache afterwards. The burger meat was... strange. I have no idea if the beef patties were over processed or seasoned with the wrong herbs, but it was enough for us to never want to eat their burgers again. Service was okay, the food came out in a decent time. Maybe the eggs and bacon next time.

When I asked my sister why she picked High Street Bakery in North Willoughby for our Saturday lunch…read moregathering with Daddy, she said: "nice food, quiet, and amazing value for money." Ok, sold. I was wholeheartedly impressed by, literally, everything of this buzzing suburban cafe. From the food quality, variety, portion, campos coffee, to the atmosphere. Did I mention "value for money"? We ordered this whole table of food (5 x lunch/breakfast items + 4 x coffee), and it came down to a grand total of...wait for it...$51

The worlds worst pie! And makes you upbuy under $10!…read moreNo longer a bakery. Maybe their Vietnamese stir fry is better.

I should be keeping this gem a secret, it's quiet, refined and tucked away from the hustle and…read morebustle of Darling St. The staff are attentive and courteous, the menu has a wide range of cafe fare and it's not over priced. My partner and I return here because it's good without the pretension of other Balmain Peninsula eateries and cafés.

Jane Eyre is a new(ish) addition to the Balmain cafe set. It's in that little space at the back of…read morean open air arcade with brown tiles. In summer, this is a really nice place to sit - part shade, part sun, and out of the wind. The owners are incredibly friendly, and you get the sense that it's a family business. The coffee is fairly average and there is nothing particularly amazing on the menu, but I did like the fact that a) the owners were so smiley and considerate (they were worried that we were cold), and the biscotti was fresh, rich and full of goodies (rather than being stale and dry, like most biscotti around the traps). I liked it a lot - despite the Bronte name, this place is totally without pretensions, and it is certainly not a hipster hangout. But it would be a great place to steal away to and read a newspaper in the sun (if it ever stops raining). There is also a saxophone in the cafe, sitting around, just waiting for someone to pick it up and play it. You know, Fernside has a guitar, other cafes have chalkboards or paper tablecloths, but Jane Eyre offers a big shiny Sax for anyone feeling creative.

Ok yep I'm a fan. I literally only came in because it's at the bus stop and I'm STARVING ain't got…read moretime for no yelping or finding somehere "perfect"... but Bar Sport kind of is! It was so bizarrely quiet inside I wasn't sure if I should whisper my order but the barista sorted that with a well-projected, friendly welcome. The reason for the quiet by the way, was simply that almost every table was occupied by just one person- and the only pair were buried in newspapers. Techno was pumpin & TVs were playing. .. sport duh! With volume down. This would be an awesome place to watch the football and my great coffee & $6 panini will tide me over til I get home. Local simplicity and a bit of a gem. *UPDATE!: I went back inside to pay after posting the above and it was all chit chat, no techno, and volume on the sport! So I'll leave that there because I enjoyed the ambience but i think the bizarrely quiet library moment was just a moment.

Entering Bar Sport is like leaving the country, flying to Italy and going into a small town bar…read moreanywhere in the country. The newspaper have been well read, there may be several old men sitting having an espresso and the counter bar is full of Italian panini, cakes and pastries. I enjoy going to Bar Sport, it's the next best thing to going to Italy. Owned by Joe, whose brother owns Osvaldo Polletti (see review), it is run as an old time bar. Ordering a coffee means an espresso, if you want to order something else you have to speak up. Joe knows everybody who goes there and everybody's name - if he's never seen you before, he'll strike up a conversaion so that next time you go he'll remember you. He sells fantastic panini (bread rolls) stuffed with provolone and ham. The ciambelli (doughnuts) and canoli are fresh from the bakery. Joe plays all the latest sport on the two TV's and it gets rather crowded if there's a big game on If you've never been there, next time you go to Leichhardt check it out.

Charlotte is a bit of a hidden gem in the back streets of Balmain. As such it is very much a locals…read morecafe and it plays on this card well with a nice owner and friendly staff. It also means it can get very busy on the weekends at breakfast and lunchtimes. The cafe has a cute modern cottage feel with some footpath seating, a front area with a long shared bench and some smaller tables followed by a rear area that has more seating and some toys etc for kids. It is very pleasant overall but it can get a little noisy, especially if full (more so with many little ones present). The food is of very good quality and reasonably priced. Good value for money and tasty. The service is great and usually very quick, even with a long queue of folks ordering takeaway coffee - which is consistently good. Free wifi is an added bonus and I have had a few days where I escaped the home office to do a little work here. If you feel like trying something a little of the high street in Balmain Charlotte is worth definitely a visit.

Very busy but tasty cafe. We were very impressed with the vibe of the cafe very casual and not…read morepretentious. I had bacon and eggs which was great albeit a bit oily. Also charlottes big sista (just a bug brekkie) french toast with mmmm well sweet stuff and another big brekkie with avo mushrooms bacon and eggs etc. Big generous serves lovely wholemeal sourdough which becomes hard if ur not quick but I loath massive big chunks of bread so its my style. As u said it gets packed it was like waiting for a table at yum cha lol but the eggs were delicious the avo creamy so all good!

Stopped by here for a quick lunch, and was very pleasantly surprised! Super speedy and friendly…read moreservice. Food and coffee was delicious. Highly recommended :)

A lovely restaurant with indoor/ alfresco dining with the best woodfired pizza and italian cuisine…read more Daily lunch specials at just $10 and $15, which means great food at a great price.

In summary, the food and service here are awesome, however, the coffee is not. If want a good cup…read moreof coffee in the morning this is not the cafe for you. Nonetheless, if you want some good breakfast/brunch then come a long. So the food here is fantastic - if you could not tell by the above paragraph - they have a large menu and everything is good. For big plates to toasteis. And the service is super friendly. The most famous thing here is the French toast. And they have multiple versions. The only problem with this cafe is the coffee. Yes, I'm a coffee snub. But I think the coffee here is below par. Have a drink and see. But generally if you are looking for a nice place to have brunch, and not to fussed about the coffee then this is your thing.

I came here because Yelp persuaded me and it was good. I hadn't been down this street in years so…read morethe shops that used to be here have changed or had a facelift. We came here for lunch and had a steak sandwich and 5 spice squid salad. Both were just under $20 but were very nice. The coffee is also good and there are some temptations in the refrigerated display but I resisted. There were plenty of people in for coffee and lunch but we didn't have to wait too long for the order to be taken and then the food to arrive. Service was friendly too. You might have to park in a side street but not too far away from the front door.

Hi, the Cafe Manager charged me $150 extra on my coffee order. I went in after music class with my…read moremother and my two year old daughter. I called them and gave them the benefit of the doubt it was a genuine error. They asked me to physically come back to the store for the refund. I've never been treated so poorly but a cafe or any business. They made me wait, and said they were too busy to deal with my request. I had to articulate (loudly) that I'm waiting on their error. They then blamed me three times for telling them the wrong date and amount and they can't confirm. Once the charge was found they refused to refund the money because they couldn't confirm it was me. The Cafe Manager was rude, defensive and aggressive. I left upset and embarrassed by the whole scenario. They have no email to communicate. I will have to escalate to the Ombudsman, because they've my money and refused to refund. I'm most upset because they've ruined my Saturday mornings where I go to music class with my little girl and we have a babyccino and coffee after.

Me and my partner have been regulars at Clover for the past few months. The food is consistently…read moredelicious and yummy! Brunch needs eggs and Clover has a nice range from baked to benedict, but don't discount the French toast which is probably healthier than a regular French toast but just as delicious ;) Overall Clover doesn't have impressive fancy dishes - missing that to get a 5! What it has is nice comfortable food :)