Indigo, Double Bay – Rating: 18/25

This week we venture east to Indigo in Double Bay.  We are surrounded by luxury cars, couples in designer sports wear and delicious looking food.  We’ve heard rumours that it’s the café of choice for the paparazzi.  They hide surrounded by latte drinkers to take snaps of unsuspecting celebrities emerging from the liposuction clinic across the road.  Perhaps celebrities eat and drink at Indigo before having the pounds wiped off!  Either way, it’s a popular place and we wait around ten minutes for a table.  The menu is extremely long and our stomachs are growling with hunger.  Should we go for a breakfast martini ($13) to start the day?  We opt for the regular coffees and frappes.

We were impressed by the coffees but not by the prices.  A regular was $4 and a large $5.  It explains why the area goes go by the nickname of Double Pay!

Indigo has their cold drinks down!  From Voss artesian water (375ml $6, 800ml $10.90) to orange juice ($5.50) and freshly squeezed juice (carrot, apple, pineapple, celery, watermelon, ginger, mint, $6.50) to milkshakes (chocolate, vanilla, caramel or strawberry, $6) there is no shortage of thirst quenching delights.

Two smoothies are available: banana, pecan nuts and maple syrup ($7.50) and the hugely complicated Acai Amazonia berry, banana, apple and honey fruit smoothie ($7.90).  We try the latter and while the brownish colour puts someone at the table off, it was a huge success to those who taste.  It is dairy free and tastes pure & fresh.  Some of the ingredients get lost as berry is the overriding flavour but we can definitely recommend it.

Frappes ($6.50) are also available and include very berry, mango tropic, guava & passion fruit or pineapple.  We try the very berry and it was quite flavoursome.  Perfect for a warm day.

The seasonal tropical fruit plate ($15) is fantastic!  We ask for it first so we can satisfy some of our hunger, but either the waitress or kitchen forget and  it arrives last.  It’s a shame because we’re quite full however we still manage to clean up all of the ripe and sweet fruit.  The bounty includes pear, honey dew melon, rock melon, watermelon, pineapple, grapes, passionfruit, orange, grapefruit, strawberries, kiwi and a cherry.  The presentation is superb and we appreciate the small cubes that the watermelon has been painstakingly cut in to!  Not much to fault here.

We order the honey roasted leg ham Benedict with poached eggs, hollandaise and micro herbs ($17) plus an additional handmade beef sausage ($4).  It costs a staggering $21!  This is more than we pay elsewhere in Sydney.  We suck it up and pretend we are rich and famous for a morning.

The herbed three mushroom omelette with parmesan, rocket and roasted tomato ($18.90) is also over priced but at least a decent sized portion.  The presentation is excellent and we can’t wait to devour it.  It tastes a bit bland and could do with some more tomatoes inside.  However we do appreciate that the omelette is dairy and gluten free.

There is a range of other omelettes available including a heart smart egg white omelette with mushrooms, spinach, truss tomato, served with garden fresh beetroot, celery, carrot and ginger juice ($22.90).  Something for the health conscious!

Dane is disappointed to find out that the poached eggs with flaked Atlantic salmon, preserved lemon, chive rosti, ricotta and macadamia dressing ($19.90) has sold out!  A quick scan of the menu results in the delectable-sounding breakfast bruschetta with bacon, poached eggs, avocado, tomato, tomato salsa and balsamic reduction ($19.90).

Well it tastes as good as it sounds!  The balsamic reductions forms a lot of the flavour but all mixed together and with a good measure of basil hidden within, this is a superb dish.  The eggs are perfectly poached; the yolk adding some substance and binding the ingredients.

This spot seems like a regular hangout of locals.  There are large groups of friends meeting up to chat and have breakfast or lunch.  With such a diverse menu, it caters to a range of dietary needs and levels of hunger.  It doesn’t cater well for those on a budget so save up before you come.  Out total bill was almost $100 for 3 people for breakfast.  <heart attack> If you do stop by, don’t forget your designer sunglasses or you’ll feel left out.

Just up the hill is Redleaf Pool, a delightful harbour beach enclosed with a shark net.  There are also a range of cute shops close by but it’s probably best to window shop unless you wish to pay premium.

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