TL;DR: Getting many elements right across the board, in the busy hub that is Stone's Corner, here is a good little oasis to head to in order to grab a cup of good quality coffee. It is not just the coffee that does well, but the whole atmosphere, the aesthetics and a decent food menu that experiments on the odd occasion with the price perpetually being right. Good luck should be to this place, since everything is right there for it to succeed and the only way to know is to wait and see.
Every now and then, something that is wonderful pops up all of a sudden in Stone's Corner, with them possibly being in the biggest golden era that they had for such a long time. So many quality places in a high-density area, and the best thing about it is how wide ranging the eateries are. Everybody knows that the lore/law of the land means a coffee shop or two is on order, and they have to go steps further than simply providing good coffee to go; they also have to make a good atmosphere that people would stay for any kind of reason including job interviews as an example. Someone has listened, and where Belaroma used to be is now a coffee shop cum cafe. It was only a matter of time that the two of us were getting to this place, convenience being a helpful factor there.
There were a range of reasons that helped decide this be the place for one weekend. First up was the house mate and I taking turns in deciding where to go on the Sunday, and it was my turn this time around. Also, time was of the essence again as it there was a wrestling event live steaming during mid-morning. Factoring that in, it was a case of timing it all correctly - with Stone's Throw being fairly local it was a prime choice, and especially so with the grocery shopping having to be in order. Opportunity was right here to strike, and it did it pretty well.
The decor of the old place was certainly nice, and most of it is still present right here. About the biggest difference that I saw was the court yard was opened up to patrons with a few tables outside plus a toilet block for patrons to use. Adding in the shrubbery, an umbrella plus the wall adorned with plants gets this area its own distinct character. With all this here, it has definitely kept the vibe and even upgraded itself a fair bit. They still have a bit of the comfortable furniture, and some of the idiosyncratic graffiti from the previous establishment, which all gives it a calming aesthetic. Good work has been done here, and walking into the back is akin to unwrapping a parcel: see inside for the real treat.
It is another place that I am giving the benefit of the doubt for it being fairly new. Service here did lean on the quick side and that is pretty much a plus in my books. On the aspect about it being organised, there is some training that is necessary. Even getting the customer service down pact can definitely be harvested a bit more, and this would be beneficial. This kind of service does not come across as that they are apathetic or complaisant, since they did not come across short or impatient during the meantime. More so, it is at the learning phase hence they can be given time to iron out the chinks.
The menu is a simple one that changes from time to time. That is being said, because if the chimichanga was on the menu during my visit - that would have been it, no questions asked. Back on point, even with the simplicity of the menu it still manages to sneak in inventive ways to get the meals sounding and appearing more substantial; these methods can easily remind some folks of experiments - sometimes successful - that they have done in the kitchen. So there is that earnest touch there. Lunch is also present, though a smaller variety there. It more or less is a tick off the list of each basic dish done at most modern Australian restaurants.
Where it really comes to life is with the drinks, specifically the coffee. Opinions will possibly differ, but if you ask me I reckon part of the appeal with a coffee shop is them trying out all kinds of different preparation methods from around the world - such as drip filters, certain methods done around the world like Turkish, plus a range of different blends doesn't hurt either. All of this is said because elements of that are present on the menu. For something hot, there is the usual round of espresso-based beverages along with loose leaf teas and various drinks lumped into most coffee places. There is also some of the hipster kind of drinks, then several types of cold beverages which also includes smoothies and possibly milkshakes. Add all those, and there is the range of treats to be found on the cabinet and on the counter top.
Starting it all off, along with the coffee orders and breakfasts, my dining buddy went for one of the sweets on the counter. I don't blame him either, since they were fairly cheap and even at just a bite size, these suckers are good enough to go with some coffee. It was a macadamia slice, and in getting to nick a small bit off him, this was nice. There was the creamy texture, the notes of vanilla in the mixture, and a good nutty finish.
Now it gets to the coffee, and that ties any coffee shop worth its salt together. The good news is that it passes. What beans they us escapes my mind at the moment, however it appears not to be a local one or if it is a local one, it is certainly one of the smaller roasters. The flavour was a little chocolatey, and it had a smooth texture to it. Espressos normally do well, but it is hard not to get something different when the option is there (at least in my opinion). The Vietnamese style coffee was here, the one with a base of condensed milk alongside brewed coffee. It was delicious, hot, and went down a treat. The condensed milk sweetened it a lot, and contrasted well with the the strength of the coffee.
Coming up to the main meals, there was the usual swapping between the plates of the orders. For my dining buddy, he is often pretty good when an option on the menu is a breakfast burger. Pretty hard to argue with that, and with a touch or two they have here it really worked. The usual egg and bacon were on there, both pretty good with the bacon maybe needing a bit more crisping up (but definitely better than some others recently). However, what really elevated this burger above the stock standard variety was the use of a macaroni cheese patty. The pasta there was tender and soft, the cheese was plentiful and melted pretty well, and boy did the red cheddar added on make it even better. Put the chilli chutney making it slightly spicy, and it rounds it off well with the soft milk bun sandwiching everything.
It was called "bacon and eggs your way", yet the meal I had was somewhere between there and the much-loved big breakfast. The two titular items were ordered as soft poached and crispy, with additions of a house-made hashbrown, some basil pesto and relish with a side of sourdough toast. One of the possible extras was haloumi, which was requested on the side. Each of these items was good as they should be - plump, runny and tender eggs, bacon that was good and salty, crispy as it was requested, the potato hash was really something else (that potato went down a treat), that sourdough toast was thick, chewy and absorbed both of the condiments on the side, and the haloumi was good as per normal.
There is definitely something here with the Stone's Throw - it is a combination of all the noted aspects with its aesthetics, the coffee house vibe that it seems to be going for, and the value for money that is hard to find around here these days. When talking about the vibe and what comes to mind with the term "coffee shop" this is one that would come pretty damn close. It is in a good area for business, there are definitely some potential avenues to go down if success is accumulated, it has a definite advantage with choosing a less local blend for their coffee, and matching up the coffees to some decent treats just finishes off the total package even more.
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