Sonoma Bakery Café, Glebe – Rating: 17/25

Sonoma Bakery Café

Sonoma Bakery Café in Glebe is one of three Sonoma locations. Baking and supplying fresh bread daily they have each become a hub for locals to enjoy a bite to eat when they go to purchase their baked goods. It is essentially a do-it-yourself affair with bottles of water, glasses and cutlery available near the door. Bread, food and drinks are ordered at the counter and then brought to your table. The interior is simple with a handful of tables. The focus here is on food, in particular the range of breads. Mostly priced at $6 or $7 the range is huge including wholemeal smelt sourdough, Jamut sourdough, seeded rye sourdough, fruit spelt, walnut & raisin, country white, soy & linseed, olive, wholemeal polenta and more!

Hot chocolate

The hot chocolate ($3 for regular) was smaller than we expected so we should have ordered the large for an extra 50 cents. It tasted good but it was warm rather than piping hot and wasn’t particular creamy. It’s always nice to visit a café and be surprised by something new but there was nothing extraordinary about this drink.

Soy latte

The soy latte ($3) had been brewed very well. Tasty breads and coffee… things were starting to look good!

Ham breakfast roll

The above shot is a bit misleading as there was more to the ham breakfast roll (approx $8?) than it looks. Beneath the slightly melted Gruyère, ham and rocket was a sweetened tomato and onion relish with a slightly flattened poached egg. The roll was premade but this didn’t detract from the flavour. The bread as to be expected was of phenomenal quality. Soft and thick but quite fluffy, it provided flavour rather than simply serving as something to hold the fillings.

Avocado, lemon, sea salt and olive oil on toast

The avocado, lemon, sea salt and olive oil on toast ($7) kept the fantastic quality going of not only the bread itself but the toppings and other ingredients that compliment it. Everything was fresh and well presented too which made up for the silent, morose waiter who seemed eager to drop our plates and escape.

Pain au chocolat

The pain au chocalat shows that Sonoma knows more than just bread. This item had more than the usual paltry amount of chocolate and the pastry itself literally melted in our mouths.

Almond pastry

This pastry contained a sweet almond cream inside which may be too rich for one person but is perfect to share.

Glebe Park

As you can tell, bread is the obvious star at Sonoma. Other than the surly waiter, we found it hard to fault as it delivers what is expected. The dishes are simple and in some cases premade but of such good quality that you’ll find yourself one of the many returning customers. If you visit the Glebe café, ask for takeaway and enjoy your coffees, bread and pastries on the grass of Glebe Park just across the road.

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