Nook Urban Fresh Bar is an oasis bursting with colour, warmth, vibrance and life in the middle of an otherwise stoney CBD. Amongst the bustling traffic this cafe provides the perfect “nook” to escape from it all and rejuvenate with a hearty, organic feed.
Setting and Atmosphere
★★★★
Wow, this cafe is gorgeous! Everything comes together perfectly to create a farmhouse vibe that is cleverly contrasted with bright and colourful organic food displays. The natural woodwork compliments the aluminium and antique steel finishes that decorate the cafe. Everything about the atmosphere compliments the food and helps to created an overall wholesome and natural feel.
Food
★★★★.5
Sweeten Me Up | Lemon ricotta, honey caramelized fig and peach, smashed pistachio and fresh mint on organic fruit loafQuinoa Porridge | Served with apple custard, semi dried bananas, cranberries, caramelised figs and coconut chipsYogurt with MuseliChai Tea Latte
How best to describe the food at Nook Urban Fresh Bar? Natural, organic, fresh, homely, but on top of all that, indulgent. Every dish that hits the table is a piece of art, delicately constructed to look as good as it tastes. When my “Sweeten me Up” hit the table I knew that this would be the most beautiful breakfast dish I’d ever have. Another highlight of the breakfast was the chai tea latte. ninjaeats mentioned it was one of the best she’s ever had!
Service
★★★
The service here is your average order from the counter experience, so there’s not much involvement with the staff directly. Meals were a little slow to arrive to the table, however the place is very busy.
Pricing and Value for Money
★★★★.5
Great food at a great price. What more could you want?
If these photos haven’t peaked your interest to try Trad3rs, I’m not sure what will! Located in Top Ryde, Trad3rs are all about giving their customers a positive experience from their coffee, to their food, to their friendly waitstaff, to that cheeky drink you’re craving.
Setting and Atmosphere
★★★.5
Inside, this cafe is somewhat mix-matched in its style. The table setting however – AMAZING!! A bright, beautiful posy of flowers compliments the vibrant blue crockery against a dark mahogany table top backdrop. With this set up combined with our food and drinks, the tabletop was a burst of colour that was absolutely divine to dine amongst! My experience at the table alone bumped my rating for this section from a 2.5 star to a 3.5 star.
With that being said, the rest of the cafe seems to be a mix of vibes with parts of it’s interior design being similar to the cafe vibe I experienced in a lot of Korean cafes with pinned up polaroids and trinkets, to a sort of steampunk/industrial theme with the light fittings and other features, to an IKEA vibe with the plant hangings throughout the cafe. I definitely think the strong point of this cafe’s setting was displayed in their table decor and maybe this cafe would come together a lot more with a stripped back theme that focused around a dark backdrop accented with bursts of bright colours through it’s crockery, food displays and floral elements.
Food
★★★
Egg, Chicken Chorizo, Bacon & Sourdough Bread | $15.90Hawaiian Burger | $13.90From Left to Right: Lychee Beret and Pink LadyApple and Cinnamon Pancake | $13.90
What you’ll get at Trad3rs is good, simple food. The taste is good, the presentation is good and overall you’ll leave feeling full and happy. And while everything is good, it’s just not special or signature which is why this cafe didn’t score in the higher star ratings. If you’re looking for somewhere to rejuvenate and satisfy your stomach after a hard day of shopping, Trad3rs is a great place to come for some casual eats and a little R+R before heading home.
Service
★★★★.5
The service at Trad3rs is really friendly and easy going, instantly making you feel at ease. It was great to see the staff throughout the day seeking out and talking to every customer individually to make sure everything was okay with their order and experience. Our orders were taken shortly upon arrival and food was promptly served.
Pricing and Value for Money
★★★.5
With food here being simple but good, I found that prices are around $2-$3 dearer than other cafes you might go to and receive an equally good or even better meal.
The Details
Where: Shop G3025A, Top Ryde Shopping Centre, 129 Blaxland Road, Ryde NSW 2112
My, my my, you guys are in for a treat! Swanky and sophisticated Lot.1 has unveiled the first of a three level establishment – a lush cafe – with soon to come, 2 underground bars and a restaurant. Boasting to be Sydney’s newest addiction, nothing says sophistication, affluence and opulence like a 3 level development and a capacity of 400 people!
Setting and Atmosphere
★★★★
Stepping inside Lot. 1, you can’t help but feel a little bit special. Maybe it’s the heritage sandstone, or the way the the liquor bottles stand illuminated against the back wall of the bar. Maybe it’s the friendly waitstaff, the charismatic chefs, or maybe, just maybe it’s the suspended timber spiral feature with purple backlighting. Yep, it’s definitely the timber spiral feature with purple backlighting.
The best thing about Lot. 1 is the space. Tables are well spread out, helping the dining experience to feel all that more private. Naturally, a sophisticated cafe, attracts a sophisticated bunch of people, and in saying sophisticated I don’t mean snobbish (Ivy), I mean well mannered and pleasant – definitely the kind you don’t mind sharing your dining space with.
Oh my gosh, I tasted flavours here that I never imagined existed. Let’s start with the hero and my favourite dish of the day, La Gallina. This glorified chicken salad was amazing, it was clever, well textured and one of those dishes where you combine everything together and suddenly, you believe in magic again, because that’s what the flavours taste like. Perfection on your tastebuds. If the whole review was based on this dish alone, I would have rated it 5 stars!
Second on my list of amazingness were the polenta chips! Now these were special – crispy, yet feather light on the palette. I haven’t tried anything more “moreish” in fact, I’m craving right now. And was it just me, or did I taste a subtle hint of truffle oil?
The Cassarecce tasted great, my only disappointment with this dish was in reading “pork cheek” on the menu. I was expecting large, tender chunks of pork intermingled with my pasta, but unfortunately we received small chewy pieces of meat. Not a big deal though, just not what I expected.
The Panza was simple in its taste. Whilst a good accompaniment to the other flavoursome dishes we ordered, for me this dish was a little lacklustre.
As with all good restaurants, tread carefully below – these deserts are irresistible!
Service
Rating: ★★★★★
The staff here were super friendly and made the whole experience well worth it. The food was prompt and the waitstaff took their time to explain the dishes to us and even recommend their favourites. The highlight of my experience at Lot. 1 was talking to chef Grant Croft. Besides being super friendly, it was great to talk to him about his inspiration behind my favourite dish of the day “La Gallina” and the different techniques he tried in order to create a perfectly balanced dish.
Pricing and Value for Money
Rating: ★★★★
Considering the sophisticated and indulgent vibes of Lot. 1, pricing is surprisingly reasonable. Yes portion sizes are on the small side where mains are concerned, but these dishes are created to share, tapas style. With 3 dishes plus a side serving of polenta chips between us, myself and @ningjaeats were full, leaving with two take away boxes between us!
If you’re in to hispter cafes then the Porch and Parlour’s cafe x night bar is for you. It’s creative, it’s got soul food, it offers vegan and vegetarian options and of course, it’s located in Bondi. Need I say more? Hipsters assemble!
Setting and Atmosphere
★★★★
If you’re anything like me, you’ll breathe a sigh of relief when you hear that the Porch and Parlour cafe is located on the quieter, northern side of Bondi. While the cafe does have open front windows for you to enjoy the ocean breeze, the beautiful view of the ocean is unfortunately obscured by the surrounding buildings – which is a bit of a shame. Nonetheless, the hipster interiors are pretty spech and the cafe plays homage to the all too familiar vibes of ‘refurbished warehouse’ and ‘open industrial roofing’, which actually, I still quite enjoy!
Porch and Parlour is small, cosy and not too overcrowded. I especially loved how all the tables were garnished with a small posy of fresh flowers – it’s the little things.
Food
★★★.5
Seared Chicken Breast with Steamed Greens: Broccoli, green beans, peas, fresh herbs, baby spinach, kale and herb pesto. | $22Raw Cosmic Salad with mixed herbs, lettuce, apple, fennel, beetroot, quinoa, sprouts, guacamole, raw sisterhood sauerkraut, sprouted crackers and ocean trout | $25Large Mocha
Both the seared chicken with steam greens and the raw cosmic salad tasted great, as did our mocha. The chicken was organic, cooked well and moist. The steamed greens were well cooked and well seasoned – deliciously lemony. The raw cosmic salad was well dressed, fresh and creative – I really enjoyed the combination of flavours in this dish.
While the dishes and drinks tasted great, unfortunately we couldn’t help but feel a little cheated for our money. The seared chicken dish at $22 was very small with the chicken portion being particularly underwhelming in size. Similarly adding ocean trout to the raw cosmic salad was an additional $7 and unfortunately, the size of the trout was also not the most generous. With the overall salad amounting to around $25 there seemed to be a bit too much lettuce and less of the good stuff – trout, beetroot etc – and for $25 I expect more of the good stuff. I also wasn’t a huge fan of the sprout crackers which for me took away from the otherwise pleasant taste of the salad, and most disappointing of all was the ‘guacamole’. Just because you smash avocado with a fork, does not make it guacamole!!!!
Lastly the “large” mocha would be a regular size in most cafes, especially since it seems to be the trend nowadays to serve mochas in those huge mugs – I like those mugs.
Service
Rating: ★★★★
Good service, fast and pleasant.
Pricing and Value for Money
Rating: ★★★
Quite pricey, small portion sizes, but the overall taste is good.
The Details
Where: 17-18/110 Ramsgate Ave, North Bondi NSW 2026
Renovated and refurbished, The Pool Cafe is back with a stunning new look, feel and menu. Opened May 2015 – that’s right so if you see bad reviews online that is pre ‘awesome reopen,’ – the pool cafe serves it’s guests an all day breakfast! Need I say more?
If that isn’t enough they also have an extensive lunch menu, serve quality and healthy food and drinks (without compromising on the taste might I add), all the while providing guests the ultimate ‘breakkie by the beach’ experience, with stunning views of the Maroubra rock pools.
Setting and Atmosphere
Rating: ★★★★★
I have to say that this cafe has been one of my favourite cafes to shoot and eat at – it is beautiful inside and out. The interiors are reminiscent of a ‘beach shabby shack’ vibe with modern finishings that are accented with a brilliant baby blue. Add this to the beautiful blue water view and you can’t help but want to sit and eat here all day. The view is gorgeous, the food is gorgeous and it’s not too noisy or crowded. A perfect cafe to go to if you’re looking for a quiet, relaxing, summers day.
The food here I guess best reflects a modern Aussie breakfast, with bits from around the world thrown in. Naturally it all together equals tasty so that’s all that matters. My dukkah toast was delicious with my baked eggs and gave the dish that extra oomph needed to class this baked eggs dish over others I’ve tasted. The avocado stack with poached egg, seems to be a well-earned crowd favourite, and it’s no wonder with all elements combining delightfully on the palate.
The only disappointment of the meal was the berry smoothie (the mango one was delicious!) it was just a bit on the bitter side – possibly because frozen berries were used – but a dollap of honey should fix that right up – so make sure to request it!
Service
Rating: ★★★★★
Although the place was busy, service was fast and pleasant! No complaints.
Pricing and Value for Money
Rating: ★★★★.5
Great value for money. Not too expensive. Delicious meals with good portion sizes.
Brunch. This trendy meal of the day has Sydney-siders constantly talking about the most vogue places to get your weekly dose. And well, they may be right, Foodcraft Espresso, Three Williams and Brewtown Newtown are brilliant! But I may have found a hidden gem in my neighbourhood that could trump the competition!
Welcome to the little corner cafe that is Gertrude & Petunias.
Setting and Atmosphere
Rating: ★★★★
Let your inner Marie Antoinette run free in this Rococo Haute Couture x Victorian Tea House cafe. Think intricate detail, elegance and glamour. Every aspect of this cafe adheres to the theme and you can’t help but feel a little upper class when you step inside.
Don’t be fooled by appearances though, the food is classic with a modern influence and the crowd a mixed bag of delightful elderly couples (sure to cheer up any day ;) ) to modern day hipsters (yes this also includes groups of skinny jeaned guys – you never would have guessed!)
Overall the cafe is small, cosy but not too overcrowded and most importantly, filled with a good bunch of people – the kind that aren’t too loud to ruin the experience.
Food
Rating: ★★★★★
I can’t fault the food I’ve had here. I’ve been on numerous occasions and every time, everything I have is absolutely delicious. Basically it’s good food with great flavour combinations. Browsing the menu, you’ll fall in love. Everything sounds divine.
My Recommended Dish To Try: Corn Cake Stack
Corn Cake Stack: Bacon, Avocado and Tomato Salad, Poached Egg and Maple Syrup || $16
I can’t even begin to describe how perfect this dish is with its winner ingredient tying everything so perfectly together – maple syrup. Yes, avocado, bacon, tomato and corn stack explode with flavour once maple syrup is added. Don’t knock it til you try it. Think chicken waffles vibe, but healthy…er.
Strawberry French Toast with Ricotta and Honey || $14Egg Breakfast: Poached Egg, Avocado, Tomato and Ricotta served with Toast || $12
A standard breakfast. Great price.
Pulled Beef Pie: House made || $8
Flakey Pastry, home made and well-seasoned filling. What more could you want from a pie?
Mocha: $4.20
Served in a gigantic tea cup, this mocha will satisfy your cravings. Not being a coffee fan myself, Gertrude and Petunia’s mocha has the perfect balance of chocolate and coffee. Rich and decadent.
Service
Rating: ★★★★
Fast, easy service. Gertrude and Petunia’s it was a pleasure!
Pricing and Value for Money
Rating: ★★★★
Compared to most brunch menus, Gertrude and Petunia’s is really reasonable with most dishes setting you back around $12. The portion size fills you up and the food is excellent quality.
Run by two travel and lifestyle bloggers, The Hidden Thimble focus’ on creating truthful and in-depth travel guides, food & beauty reviews. Enjoy drool-worthy photography from around the world!
