raising the bar

Situated at the bottom of Birkenhead Point Outlet Centre, Jean Louis Joseph is the perfect breakfast or lunch spot, especially if you need a 'pick me up' after a day of shopping. The interiors are vast and open, fashionably simple with a stunning vertical garden. Orders are made at the till, and the staff are warm, fast and flawless with their service. The atmosphere is casual and relaxed (this is however, dependent on whether you have screaming kids seated near you!) - they even have a live jazz singer selling his CD's for $10 a pop.

 

Chef/owner Nick Whitehouse (whom also featured in MasterChef) focuses on combining rustic, simple dishes with classic, modern techniques. Completely raising the bar for its competitors, this is a grocer come cafe come deli, and has everything you ever need and more.

We ordered the poached eggs cooked at 65 degrees with smashed avo, and corn fritters. I've never had eggs cooked in this way before - they almost tasted too perfect. It was like it was a soft boiled egg with the texture of jelly. Incredible! The corn fritters are the best we've had to date.

So apart from the screaming kids... this is pretty much a 10 out of 10!

Cafe: Jean Louis Joseph
Total price: Approx. $40 (for 2ppl)
Hours: 7am-7pm
Must order: Poached eggs cooked at 65 degrees
Coffee: Allpress Carmelo

a local favourite

A small cafe, hidden in the back streets of St Leonards, Wooden Whisk is a short walk from the crowds on Crows Nests' Willoghby Road. With it's top five tips on the latest health crazes, the ever-changing specials board, or their on-the-ball, accommodating and smiley staff; it's no wonder Wooden Whisk is a crowd (and our local) favourite.

The interiors are the ultimate in industrial chic - featuring exposed brick and Herringbone wall tiles. There's plenty of seating both outdoor and indoor, with bench seating around the walls and a large share-table in the centre.

We've been there on numerous occasions, and with their focus on the heartier meals unfortunately the Bircher Muesli is not worthy of writing home about - or ordering again. The stand-out brekkie though, is by far the The Breakfast Grazing Board, which features goats cheese, avocado, double smoked bacon, poached egg, tomato chutney, cherry tomato, basil with boulot white sourdough. Large serving, hearty and full of flavours.

The lunch menu centres around sandwiches - hand on heart the Asian Pulled Pork is the best I've tried. It's packed with pulled pork, cucumber, spring onion, aioli, cabbage & mint slaw, and a side of fries. It's a very large meal (the image is shown is only half), so if you're like me and tend to have smaller lunches, order this for two!

Cafe: Wooden Whisk
Total price: Approx $40 (for 2pp)
Hours: Mon-Fri 7am-4pm; Sat 7.30am-3pm
Must order: Asian pulled pork sandwich
Coffee: Specially selected from Single Origin Coffee

the best french toast... ever!

Such a quaint cafe, ideally situated in the backstreets of The Rocks in Sydney. The Fine Food Store offers organic food, cheeses and nic-nacks to takeaway, and also has a sit-down menu with locally sourced coffee from QLD.

I've been here a few times now, each time is as much the same as the other. The coffee is amazing, presentation great and atmosphere laid back and relaxed.

I'm a HUGE bircher muesli fan, so of course I had to try it. Although the presentation is there, it's very difficult to eat and the Bircher a little too sweet for me - it had been soaked in incredibly sweet apple juice. And there is one thing I absolutely cannot stand... It frustrates me more than anything that a gorgeous little cafe uses frozen berries in its meals. Needless to say, I'll never be ordering the Bircher from here again.

If you order the roasted muesli (which is really yummy), ask for milk. All other meals were great. No complaints on the poached egg front - they were cooked perfectly. The absolute standout meal? The brioche French toast. Absolutely insane!! The textures, flavours and the presentation are absolutely to die for. It's definitely worth coming just to experience this.

  

Cafe: Fine Food Store

Total price: Approx $100 (for 5ppl)

Hours: Mon-Fri 7am-5pm; Sat-Sun 7.30am-4.30pm

Must order: Brioche French toast

Coffee: Specialty coffee, special blend

hidden gem

Tucked away in the backstreets of Kirribilli and offering uninterrupted views of Sydney Harbour, Anvil Coffee Co encapsulates shabby-chic with extraordinary quality.

Launching late 2013, the cafe literally sits alongside Kirribilli wharf and is small, but oh-so cosy. Sourcing reclaimed materials - anything from wooden planks to old school chairs - cafe owners Paul Makomaski, Alex Williams and Rani Reddy built the cafe from the ground up.

The atmosphere is laid-back and friendly, allowing their key focus of seasonal produce and Fat Poppy (their unique blend of Single Origin coffee) to really stand out.

We ordered coffee, The Antonio and Bircher Museli. Beyond expectations.

Cafe: Anvil Coffee Co
Coffee: Single Origin
Total bill: Approx. $40
Hours: Mon-Fri 6.30am-2pm; Sat-Sun 7am-3pm
Must order: The Antonio