Florence Cafe

Consistently delicious, and a consistently lovely team of people. I think I’ve just about worked my way through the menu for the last two seasons and there are plenty of dishes to love. The Sunday afternoon lunches are great value and heaps of fun too. And I appreciate the pantry with take home goods.

I can’t recommend this place enough. I hope the business goes from strength to strength for all of the team, can’t think of a group that deserve it more.

Had a great experience here. This cafe has a really cool atmosphere and is decorated modern and funky. The inside just feels welcoming and light.
The staff were really friendly and the coffee was really delicious.
I ordered the vegan croquettes and the dish was very tasty. A simple dish that had lots of flavour yet little ingredients which is why I enjoyed it.
Would love to go back here so I can try their lunch meals specifically the Dosa.

Visited this cafe sometimes Oct last year but I deleted the photographs that I took on that day accidentally so went back to re-visit for this review. I have to admit that the ambience of this management is more cosy than the last one - Cafe Grenadine. Very much appreciated that they serve free bottle of sparkling water. Food and beverage are both good; particularly my almond croissant was carefully warmed up so I can enjoy the crispy feeling from the pastries. If and only if the wait-staff (well, maybe the owner) can have her smiling to customers, then I think the review mark will be much higher. :(
Rating 3.5/5

TL;DR: It is a little trickier to explain this one in such a short amount of words, but the best will be done. This reminds me of many little cottages out in the nether-regions of country New South Wales/Queensland which showcase their own produce. Thinking that about here gives it an extra charm that wasn't there until the words were typed. Everything here is a bit like an experiment in the kitchen, in which the cook wanted to show off some of their products. All of this has worked out well, and it is deserved. Just a few tweaks with the customer service, and we will have ourselves a bona fide winner - the busy hours prove it enough.

There are some places you just know you have walked into something way different upon the first glance around the premises. This is further affirmed with all the food that they serve, and in the atmosphere and everything. You aren't able to put your finger on it initially, which was the case right with Florence. The exact premises had some big shoes to fill with the residents loving Cafe Grenadine so much, time is going to tell whether it has worked or not. Whether this place is up to my liking or not, at the very least there are several fine aspects to show appreciation towards it.

It is no secret that there is no shortage of places to be around town these days, especially when it comes to the breakfast/brunch scene. Most of the time, you can be rest assured getting a table is not too much of a challenge - we take it pretty slow in this part of the world. However, that odd exception will need you to be on the ball in order to get in and that was the case right here. Two attempts spaced weeks apart, the first one had us rocking up to find it packed to the rafters - that meant having to get up and out earlier than normal. Second time around, my house mate had the usual plan. With me snoozing in, semi-dead to the world, his next move is to walk in with the airhorn app, blast it in my ear, and then it is time to hit the road. It was one time getting here before the place opened, and not a moment too soon; during the meal, the place slowly but surely seeped heaps of hungry clientele in.

Such a wonderful looking piece of architecture this white cottage is, which back in the day must have been one of the grandest places to head to in town. Among all of the suburban houses, this piece of pre-World War II era beauty can definitely be spotted from down the street. It is not only about the look and aesthetics of the architecture, but also the location which can do wonders with a place. That is exactly what has been done with Florence, formerly Cafe Grenadine. For the folks, something special has fallen right into their laps.

As a result of that, they have not been the least bit complaisant getting to work with it. With several renovations having gone underway, the final product does look anew and at the same time has a classic aesthetic going for it. All of this was planned, and the artist behind the project has gone a fantastic job. The touch that I liked the most was having the coffee machine be open to the sidewalk. As common as this can be anywhere in the world, it is still a winning touch that attracts customers and streamlines the service for anyone just wanting a coffee on the go. It will always be something that I point out, and an aspect that gets credit.

Plus, all of the planning in making the place look presentable they have the service and the staff. The median age here is probably fairly young, mid-20s if that, and is run semi-professionally. That is being said, since it is a little inconsistent. They don't just have one or two young lasses here to hold the fort, but at least a handful of them. There might have been over a dozen of them. For having such a big amount of waitresses - especially for a cafe that is not that big - it was fairly quiet and not all that active.

That is not to say it was all awful. They did get the waters at the beginning, always a good touch to service - under-rated and small as it may be, and a fair few of them were pleasant. But in saying that, this was at a time where only a few clientele were in store and it may well be much more active when it is packed to the rafters. Still, something like asking if the meal is any good during the midst of us eating, or offering another coffee, or something token like that will go a long way in the end.

What is really nice about this place is that they are not afraid to really get experimental in the kitchen. A big European influence is apparent throughout the menu, having their offerings a bit more towards continental than  a slap-up meal. This is one of these menus where the meals have each of their components spelt out plainly. Just looking at what is offered, I can definitely say not many places around town have something remotely close to this on display - which is always a strength to a place in my book.

This time, they keep it relatively low-key with the beverage options. What they give the clientele is tea and coffee with a few of the associated drinks in tow, then several kinds of smoothies and some cold pressed juices.

Now, it would not be a breakfast out without getting the first and most essential item. That is a good cup of coffee. Getting right into that, my eyes did not go past a "batch brew". Plus, I say it to them again - Parallel Roasters, we are becoming quite accustomed recently. Hey, I like you guys! The crew at Parallel Roasters are really on the ball in making a balanced brew that translates across all the preparation methods of coffee. As per usual, the batch brew had the combination of being smooth and subtle, while the strength of the coffee was one that slowly crept up over the course of the meal. They serve it at the right temperature to ensure it is able to last.

More often than not, at least with me, the case is often finding something very much different on the menu to have for breakfast. This was one place which granted just that, coming to know it right now. And putting it all like that with only one page of options is always worth commending.

First starting off with my house mate's order, it was some cauliflower fritters which took the form of bhajis, and with it taking an Indian-esque influence, there is a millet dosa on the side, as well as a house-made pineapple and tamarind chutney, plus plenty of herbs and a green sauce to garnish it off. On the side, he asked for some bacon. From his plate, I got a bit of the bhaji and the bacon - both pretty delicious. Bhajis are always nice, especially with a bit of heavy spice, and the bacon was pretty crispy as well.

Come to think about it, this is an order that is out of left-field for me. I do like to surprise sometimes. It was a corn polenta mix, that put roasted fennel, and heirloom tomatoes into the mix, then with a seasoning each of black olive crumb, basil, and fried capers. As an additional side, I opted for some beef ragu to go with it.

This was pretty good in and of itself. The polenta mix was really smooth, and would have been a little boring had it not been for some of the garnishes on the side. These were well chosen, giving an occasional sharp bite from the capers, or the basil, but what was really the best of them all was the black olive crumb - that could barley be ignored if you were blind-folded. The addition of beef ragu was also nice, with it being tender and well done infusing a few herbs into the mix.

Put it this way. One reason many places fall short of that perfection score comes down to just that ... little aspect to two that you could put your finger on or not, in spite of the obvious care gone into the finer details of the place. From the last outlet that is here, the renovations have done wonders in improving the aesthetics, what they have on the menu is stuff that you don't see many places - and that is always helped with the stalls in the back (indication of it being homemade), plus the locations and everything is right to truly capture lightning in a bottle.

All this place is lacking is some service, and not just to do what is needed. With the observations noted, what would really put this place over is that the customer service is fine-tuned to clue in on all the small aspects - you know them when you see them - and this is one of those places that would truly need all those small aspects to really get it up and running. Possible perfection is right in their grasp, and with just a bit of fine-tuning here, a bit more fine-tuning there, and being constantly on the ball during the entire process, this could well turn into the place to go not just in the suburb, but within a very good radius.

This cafe is in a gorgeous old cottage, with seating inside and outside. There is a lovely community feeling about this cafe and it seems to draw people in. I came across it by chance when looking for takeaway coffee while in the area. I instantly realised that I was onto a good thing as there were plenty of people there and they appeared to be locals. While many people were seated, there was a steady flow of people getting takeaway breakfasts packaged up to carry on the walk home. They were very busy but the service was very good and they didn't rush me as I figured out my order. I saw meals being delivered that looked very fresh and appealing, with generous servings. These were inspired dishes, beautifully presented using seasonal produce, not the usual bacon and eggs, avo toast etc. I was regretting having already eaten breakfast, but I think I would have had to wait for a table, so I recommend booking. The coffee was well made, it had good body, it was strong and was nice and hot. I plan to return very soon to try breakfast or lunch.

A pretty darling cafe situated in suburbia with a robust menu, clear idea of who they want to be and what they want to serve, and fresh meals / ingredients. Staff here is elegant and friendly. I got the monthly special of a Florence bowl, which was quite hearty and maybe a bit too heavy on the acidic dressing or oil, the potato hash was lovely tho! And I also grabbed a mango weiss smoothie which was really nice. My mate had some lentils and the dragon fruit soda which wasnt too bad. Only thing keeping from a five star is the pricing, it is a bit expensive for what it is, and the ambiance is a bit hectic (with flies and crowds) to warrant the idea “you’re paying for the vibes”. What’s more there’s a 10% surcharge on all weekends which seems a bit crazy to me, maybe just print your own “weekend menus” so we don’t get such a shock at the counter (it is noted in the menu, albeit is in tiny font)

Really great quality food and coffee here. It has a nifty little vibe to the shop and the maple latte is one worth trying.