Cafe Ish was a damn fine little cafe in Surry Hills, but they closed up shop and have opted to set…read moreup a milkbar instead. A milkbar! Yay!
Milk Bar by Cafe Ish is in a once-forgotten, swiftly gentrifying strip of Regent Street, Redfern. At the Milk Bar, there are a few things to note. They bake "absolutely bloody everything" (their terminology, not mine), and it's all absolutely bloody tasty. Seriously good stuff. Tarts! Nut Tart! Jam Tart! Lemon Tart! Best to come here very hungry, and on a sugar low.
One of the main benefits of the Milk Bar is it's sooooo cheap! Cheese burgers are $5!!! they're small but tasty fare indeed. The patties are meaty and don't taste processed, and usually served with some well cooked onions and tasty sauce. You can have everything doubled up for $9, and then add other extras - so it's kind of a build-you-own burger situation.
Another big deal: they have generously made milkshakes -- weird and wonderful flavours like the choc-coconutty "bounty" or the caramel miso shake, or salted peanut butter and jelly, or Super choc, or Orient express (with green tea ice cream in it). Like I said, come here on a sugar low, and Milk Bar will sort you out.
One note: the space itself is pretty awful. They don't seem to have sorted out the exhaust fan situation so it's smoky, smells like hot chip oil, and right now kinda cold. They've only been open 2 weeks so that might be something they get sorted with time. The other option is to sit outside on Regent street, which is sunny but very busy with road traffic. Look, I'm not complaining much, it is so delightful to have such a cheap, amazing quality cafe nearby. The owners are sometimes a bit stressed, but they're very sweet and they mean well. And they can cook.
NB: Cash only right now.
Oh right - AND THEY HAVE A JUKE BOX!!