Eighty Ate is tucked into residential Crows Nest, surrounded by green tree-lined streets.  There is plenty of space both inside and out but despite this, weekends (especially Saturdays) can prove difficult to find a spot.  Is it worth the wait?…

We found service to be prompt and extremely efficient.  Our waitresses were friendly and quick to deliver water to our table and take coffee orders.

Eighty Ate serves Campos coffee.  Enough said?  If not then: the coffee was fantastic.  Our flat whites ($3.50) were slightly on the slow side but so worth the wait.  Some of the best in the local area.  Piccolo lattes, macchiattos ($4 each), affogatto ($4) and hot chocolate in a mug ($3.80) are also available.

Eighty Ate has their cold beverages down!  As well as milkshakes (chocolate, strawberry, caramel, vanilla or coffee, $4.80), fresh juices (orange, apple, pineapple, watermelon, carrot, celery, beetroot or ginger, $4,80) and frappes, they seem to be smoothie experts too.  Strawberry, banana, mango or mixed berry are the choices.  Our strawberry and banana smoothie ($5.50) was fantastic with fresh fruit used as well as being ice cold.

The frappes ($6.50) seem to be something special as well.  With varieties such as berry surprise (mixed berries, banana, cranberry juice and pineapple sorbet), mamba (mango, banana, orange juice and pineapple sorbet) and blueberry blast (blueberries, strawberries, cranberry juice and raspberry sorbet) one definitely is spoilt for choice.  The tropicana is a mix of strawberries, pineapple, mango, cranberry juice and raspberry sorbet.  Very refreshing with a good amount of fresh fruit, it’s the perfect drink for a hot summer weekend.

While the breakfast menu contains the usual breakfast suspects (and they all looked great on other patrons’ tables), we opted for dishes from the specials menu.  The grilled haloumi ($15.50) arrived with plenty of the promised squeaky grilled cheese as well as herbs and lemon to compliment.  Roasted eggplant beneath as well as zucchini and roasted tomato make this a perfect vegetarian dish.  We were highly impressed and realised we had finally found a café worthy to rival the ones we review on the South side of the bridge!  The Turkish toast was crunchy and light and a worthy substitute for the pita bread promised on the menu.

The other special item we spotted straight away was the corn fritters.  It’s always interesting to see how this very common dish is prepared at different establishments.  The fritters themselves were similar to what we were expecting – plenty of corn, light and fluffy with a crunchy exterior.  Topped with delicious bacon and a slightly spicy guacamole, we found all elements to be extremely well prepared.  Where the kitchen excelled though was the homemade chilli jam.  They would not divulge their recipe but we detected a multitude of ingredients including ginger and capsicum.  It was very spicy and for fans of food with a kick, we can highly recommend these fritters.

While the coffee and food was slightly on the slow side, we otherwise could not fault the service (hence the five stars) and the food and drinks were definitely worth the wait.  The atmosphere goes a long way and we will be back to enjoy some of Eighty Ate’s other dishes.

Eighty Ate’s menus are available online.  They are open for licensed lunch as well so be sure to drop by.

Taste: 
Presentation
Service: 
Atmosphere: 
Value: 

A return visit to a highly-ranking café on the SoS charts!  La Grande Bouffe has proven itself to be a French-based breakfast, lunch and dinner destination but it’s always good to revisit to ensure our reviews are reliable.  See the previous review here.

Service was spot-on from the moment we arrived thanks to the attentive French wait staff – water straight away and coffee fast & with a smile.  Some of the music tracks we found to be slightly loud and repetitive but overall the open and relaxed feel (helped by the massive bifold windows) lull us into a state of café bliss.

The menu boasts that the coffee is roasted onsite and bags can be purchased.  After tasting the flat whites ($3.50) we can highly recommend taking some of these beans home with you.  Flavoursome and bold, round two was soon on its way.  Large bowls ($4.50) of brew may have been a better option!

Freshly seasonal juices are available.  Our orange juice ($5) was large, ice cold and just-squeezed as promised.  Tea (English/Irish breakfast, Earl Grey, orange pekoe, chai, sencha, camomile, lemongrass & ginger and peppermint, $4) and hot chocolate ($3.50) is also available.

With the recent demise of Yellow we have been looking for another challenger to Pitt St Diner’s ’Sydney’s Best Croque Madame’ crown.  LGB’s attempt comes close.  The croque madame ($13) is served pan-fried and topped with a slightly runny duck egg.  Plenty of gooey Gruyère and almost enough ham make it very enjoyable and we would order it again.  But the search goes on…

French toast ($15) with just the right amount of sweetness.  Covered in maple syrup and served with candied pear and walnuts, the presentation and sizing was spot on.  An interesting sprinkle of spices add some flair to a fantastic dish.

Also on the menu to confuse you is ham and cheese croissant ($8), crepes with mixed berry compote and marscapone cream ($14.50), La Bouffe big breakfast (eggs, mushrooms, tomato, bacon, Toulouse sausage and potato rosti, $19.50) and smoked salmon with potato cake, poached eggs and onion jam ($16.50).

The vibe at LGB is chilled and friendly, the food professional (if slightly on the slow side) and the French accents fluttering past add a sense of authenticity.  They deservedly retain their high ranking.

Taste: 
Presentation
Service: 
Atmosphere: 
Value: 

If you want to survive as a café on Crown Street in Surry Hills, you have to excel.  Perhaps that is why we haven’t had a bad breakfast along this strip – there’s no room for mediocre.

It’s hard to miss the always-buzzing café with the giant lemon outside.  Often referred to as ‘Lemon Twist Café’ online, our receipt says Lemon Café so that’s what we’ll use.  Although an overly-friendly dishevelled man asked us if we could see “the big orange” as we were taking shots!

Space is quite limited at Lemon so be sure to arrive early.  The couch with coffee table at the back seems to be one of the most comfortable spots if you can get it. We were offered chilled water (with lemon) straight away and found the waitstaff   to be extremely attentive and helpful.

Most of the dishes on the menu have Italian names and the lunch menu features many varieties of pasta and risotto.

But the reason you’re reading this is to learn about their breakfasts so let’s jump straight into the drinks.  Iced coffee isn’t something that we order often but one of this week’s guests thoroughly enjoyed the frappe coffee ($6).  In fact the entire table enjoyed it.  Milk, ice cream and a powerful caffeine kick.

The decidedly best beverage of the morning was the orange and mango crushie ($6).  Slightly tart, sweet and with a hint of mango, it was very thirst quenching and refreshing.  Lemon’s fresh fruit crushies are also available as pineapple, lemon & mint or watermelon & mixed berries.  Fresh fruit juice ($6) and smoothies (mango, mixed berry or banana, $6) ensure that all cold fruid-based drinks are covered.

Unfortunately the parade of fantastic drinks stopped with the cold ones.  We found the coffees (regular $3.50, large $4) to be quite bitter.  A large variety of tea ($3.50) is also available.

Upon looking at the “breakfast” menu with bacon and egg roll and eggs with sides, we found ourselves thinking “is that it?” (we’re spoilt for choice visiting so many cafés, you see).  Thankfully the “brunch” menu was on the next page which holds many Sydney favourites as well as some unique dishes.

The buffalo eggs ($15.50) is a large but well-presented plate.  We have to touch on the bacon first… crisp, thick and absolutely mouthwatering, it was one of the stars of the table!  Nestled on the green leaves was grilled eggplant, buffalo mozzarella, cherry tomatoes and basil. This was all topped with two poached eggs.  Pre-buttered and pre-cut hot sourdough on the side helped to tick all the boxes.  There was no shortage of any of the promised ingredients and the flavours (which we wouldn’t have thought of combining) were matched well.

The haloumi breakfast ($15) was ordered with a side of hash browns ($3.90).  Once again a very large serving which was well presented.  This was a vegetarian’s delight featuring sautéed mushrooms and grilled haloumi.  The tomatoes were roasted with rosemary and the hashbrowns were fluffy and quite light on the oil/frying.  We certainly didn’t feel too guilty devouring them!

The bacon and egg roll costs $9.50 or $12.50 with a regular coffee or tea (save 50c) and is well worth the price.  The roll was soft & airy and layered with rocket, fried egg, more of the delicious bacon and a tomato relish.  The relish is claimed to be spicy and while it added some great flavours to the roll, we wouldn’t class it as very spicy.

The salsiccia trio ($15) contains as the name suggests, three different sausages.  They were chorizo, chicken and lamb and we are pleased to announce we have found another establishment with some great sausages as we find them quite hard to come by in Sydney.  The chorizo  had a nice snap to it but needed a bit more spice.  The scrambled eggs were sprinkled with chives (as scrambled eggs should be!) and cooked through but still moist – perfect.  The accompanying onion jam was very sweet and worked well to add some more flavour to the eggs.  Again, a filling and tasty serving especially since there was more hot sourdough toast on the side.

The muffin ($8) and croissant varieties change daily.  Other offers on this day were plain, almond or chocolate croissants and pear and pecan muffins.  We shared a raspberry and white chocolate muffin which had plenty of berries and was topped with a chocolate drizzle.  Overall very well presented but we have tasted better muffin bases.

Lemon Café boasts a fun, sunny environment with friendly staff and large, well presented, unique and delicious dishes.  There was enough variety to encourage us to go back including offerings such as ricotta pancakes (topped with fresh strawberries, banana and real maple syrup, $13.50), omelettes (prosciutto, cherry tomatoes, rocket & goats cheese, chorizo, potato, Spanish onion & kalamata olives, mushroom, spinach & ricotta or grilled eggplant, fresh tomato, basil and buffalo mozarella, $13.90 each) or prosciutto breakfast (poached eggs with prosciutto and wilted spinach on an English muffin topped with a light Napoli sauce, $15.50).

Taste: 
Presentation
Service: 
Atmosphere: 
Value: 

Nestled behind Spit Junction and looking onto the lush Allan Border Oval, Fourth  Village Providore is situated on a fantastic piece of real estate.  The establishment has two entrances: the Vista Street side offers the deli, grocer and fine food shop whereas the Myahgah Road entrance leads straight into the café and restaurant with plenty of parking nearby.

Tables outside are limited but there is plenty of seating available within with the ability to join tables along the bench should you have a large group.  All of the waitstaff we encountered were young Italian men and could be part of the reason so many tables consisted of female clientèle!

Management (very politely I must add) requested that images of the inside of Fourth Village Providore not be taken or published yet was more than willing to discuss the restaurant and store.  To see photos of the shop including products produced in-house or on the Fourth Village Estate farm and the temperature controlled cheese room, please visit their website.

Note that the menu changes often depending on available produce (and chef Flavio Tosolini’s ideas) so there is a good chance that you may find different dishes on offer.

The coffee is well priced and tasted great.  Our cappuccinos ($3.50) boasted a rich flavour and were light on the milk which let the beans’ flavour come through.  Affogato (espresso and gelato, $6) will be something we try next time as FVP is locally renowned for their gelato.

Mixed fruit frappes, smoothies (banana, mango or mixed berry) and gelato shakes (using any of the gelato flavours from the cabinet) are each well priced at $6.  With the mango smoothie not available (suggesting a shortage of fresh mangos or the use of purée), I decided to try the mixed berry smoothie which was not as sweet or berry-flavoured as I had hoped.  Freshly squeezed juice (orange, apple, pineapple or carrot) seems like better options next time.

With a lot of the restaurant’s produce coming straight from its very own farm we expected to be impressed… and we were.  The bruschetta ($16.50) relied on the purity of the ingredients including the Fourth Village Estate olive oil.  The Kangaroo Island eggs had been poached perfectly and the parmesan was the reason we decided to venture into the cheese room to make some purchases.  Beneath the bright red fresh tomato was a layer of smooth goats cheese.

The fruit plate ($13.50) is hopefully something that remains on the menu at all times.  A large serving of all the current fresh, well chosen fruits brought together with a thick and delicious vanilla yoghurt.  Served elegantly and well priced, there is nothing to fault.

Benedict with a twist.  The Benedict eggs ($16) was generously covered with a truffle-infused hollandaise.  If you are after some variety in your Benedict expeditions, try this one.  Plenty of ham, tangy sauce and crunchy toast make this a winner but for the sake of trying some of the other dishes available we suggest you share with your guest.

Other current dishes include ricotta pancakes (with orange, honey syrup, yoghurt and almond, $14), mushroom stack (fried mushrooms, potato rosti, caramelised tomatoes, spinach, ricotta and toast, $15.50) and fritters and smoked salmon (veggie and auricchio fritters, Tasmanian salmon, rocket, yoghurt, mint & mustard cream, $17.50).

With such a well-sourced, wide ranging and professionally developed menu, you will find yourself indulging in many return visits to Fourth Village Providore.  Outstanding pizzas are yet another reason.  This is a must-visit for food lovers.

Taste: 
Presentation
Service: 
Atmosphere: 
Value: 

This Wolloomooloo location plays host to a Toby’s Estate Espresso School as well as a café.  Never short of customers in search of a a good cup of coffee we figured this was a must-visit on our Sydney café endeavours.

The seating both inside and out is quite limited but the patrons here don’t seem to dawdle.  We sat and watched as three sets sets of customers came, ate and left.

We found the service to be a mixed bag.  Three different waitstaff, sometimes always around, sometimes always busy, forgetting to bring the menus and forgetting to take them.  We’re not fussy when it comes to service but the inconsistency makes it hard for us to give them any more than half marks.

The filtered coffee ($5) features a “specially light roast single origin coffee” which we found to be quite strong.  Very smooth and rich though, which we enjoyed.  ”Why don’t more cafés offer filtered coffee” we cry!

The skim cappuccino ($3) offered more of the same (very strong) flavours.  Other beverages available include mocha ($3.50), hot, spiced or orange chocolate ($3.50 each), various affogato including vanilla bean gelato, white chocolate gelato or caramel gelato each with double espresso ($6 each).

With a whole counter filled with sandwiches and sweet treats we decided it was our duty to leave room for something else.  The lemon tart was very delicate with the crunchy texture of coconut throughout.  The sweet icing was a delicious touch.  The caramel slice should definitely be shared as it is very rich.  It has a light and airy biscuit base.

Premade sandwiches include fillings such as tuna, tomato, fetta mayonnaise, dill, onion and capers, leg ham, gruyere cheese & Dijon mustard, poached chicken, slivered almonds, chives, salad, mayonnaise & celery and roast beef, Dijon mustard, tomato, Swiss cheese, caramelised onion & rocket ($9 each).

Courses available at the school include barista, espresso, latte art and tasting so be sure to check out the website for more info (and when booking mention seeing “the flyer in the menu” for 25% off your class).

Taste: 
Presentation
Service: 
Atmosphere: 
Value: 

7am to 2:30pm are the very conservative hours that Le Petite Crème operates within (8am on Sundays).  We arrived early at this quiet (but not for long) café and were served immediately by a duo of friendly Italian and French waitresses.

There is limited seating outside but the interior offers plenty of space.  The menu is obviously French featuring items such as omelettes ($12), French toast ($10), salade nicoise (with tuna or chicken, $14 or smoked salmon, $16), French steak sandwich with frites ($14), French onion soup ($9), crepes (jam, maple syrup, lemon sugar, suzette, apple calvados ($6.50 each) or banana and chocolate ($8.50) and pâté plates (homemade with a salad and baguette, $12.50).

We have heard that LPC produces one of the best eggs Benedicts in Sydney but that will have to wait until next time as we’ll take the abundance of reviews and recommendations as proof.  Note that the dish is only available on weekends.  We saw it served and it really is a generous plate with two large pieces of brioche and lots of hollandaise.

Beverages available include orange juice (reg $3.50, large $7.50), tea ($3.50) and milkshakes ($5).  The coffees ($3.50) we tasted were fantastic and gulped down quickly.  Noticing a bowl on its way to another table, we assumed it was the onion soup.  We checked and no, this was the bowl of coffee ($5) and probably the biggest serving we have encountered in a Sydney café!

What better way to start a meal at a French establishment than with a croissant?  They are available plain ($4), with jam & butter ($5.50) or with ham & cheese ($9.50).  We tried the croissant by itself first as well as with the jam and butter.  The jams were actually unnecessary as the flavour of the croissant alone was great and would make a good snack with a coffee for those in a hurry.

Excuse the cut along the rockmelon – this morning’s guest jumped the gun!  The croque monsieur ($8.50) mysteriously came toasted and not fried (as traditional and frankly, as we would have hoped).  The tomato sauce on the side was also a surprise as we would be horrified to see it combined with the generous amount of ham and gruyere cheese layered on the sandwich.  Despite our preconceived notions, this was very enjoyable.  The croqye madame (monsieur plus egg, $11) and boum-boum (monsique plus tomato, $11) are also available.

As with the other dishes, this arrived at our table in a flash!  We ordered the fricassee (fried eggs with bacon, $9.50) and added tomato and sausage ($3.50 each).  What a glorious sight to behold.  All elements were great and plentiful.  The tomato had been cooked with a basil sauce and was one of the highlights (although we would have thought that the basil would be mentioned on the menu in case the orderer was not fond of it).  The merguez sausages had the right amount of spice and snap.  Large amounts of bacon are always appreciated and this plate featured it in spades.

Darlinghurst boasts a number of outstanding cafés and LPC can now be added to that list.  The suburb is also a great place to do some people watching so bring you mirrored shades and enjoy the coffee and sights & sounds on offer.

Taste: 
Presentation
Service: 
Atmosphere: 
Value: 

It’s the new year and most Sydney cafés have closed to take a well-earned rest.  Some remain open, especially those which double as evening restaurants.  Una’s is a café and licensed restaurant with dishes influenced by various European countries  – Germany, Austria and Hungary amongst them.

While the breakfasts contain very little European influence, the dinner menu contains items such as Vienna or chicken schnitzel ($18.50 each), Jager (mushroom sauce) or gypsy (spicy Hungarian capsicum sauce I was told) schnitzel ($20.50 each), Kassler ($18.50) and various strudels and cakes.

Imported and local beers ($7 each) as well as wine by the glass or bottle are also available.

Being a weekday, things were relatively quiet when we arrived yet the lone waitress was being kept busy.  She was friendly and quick though as she cleaned our table and brought the menus.

We delved into a flat white and skim cappuccino ($3).  We enjoyed both of the Toby’s Estate cups although they were slightly bitter.

The breakfast menu is not vast: eggs are available with bacon, ham or sausage ($10.20 each), big breakfast ($12.30), vegetarian breakfast ($12.30), omelette ($14.20) as well as porridge ($7.70) and muesli ($7.90).

The bacon and eggs as well as other hot dishes are served with potato rosti, tomato and buttered toast.  Our portions were large for the price with plenty of bacon an oversized rosti both of which unfortunately contributed a large amount of oil to the dish.  We’re all for homestyle cooking with butter and oils however in this case there was too much.

We’ll try anything once though so if we’re in the area, and feel like a Kassler, we will try Una’s for dinner.  There are better options in the area for breakfast though.

Taste: 
Presentation
Service: 
Atmosphere: 
Value: