Paddington Social

Just found out this place served Thai for dinner. The atmosphere was lovely-more like a cafe though. Staff was welcoming, and the service was pretty fast. Our meals were great but not the best. Keen to come back to try breakfast items.

This cafe in Paddington is definitely worth taking a look. I ordered the sweet corn, zucchini and ricotta fritters with a dusted & spiced soft shell crab. This was a high level, flavourful meal. If you go to this cafe, this is the item you must try.

The coffees were solid and the workers were friendly.

TL;DR: It is always a nice thing to see a restaurant that is set up as a passion project by a talented chef, especially one that has gone through a whole lot of training throughout many years. Just to supplant themselves quietly enough in a suburban street, and allow merely the food and service to do the talking for them. What is even better is if it is a collaboration, where something different is brought to the table by each contributor. This is the story of the Paddington Social, which knowing it makes the unusual combination of a Thai restaurant, an in-house bakery, and a back-to-basics cafe make all the more sense. How they intermingle, and create what should soon become a hotspot is even more fascinating.

My house mate has been quite on it for the past few months, searching all the websites and getting into the know how. Leading up to Sunday, he makes sure to put in the effort into finding a really good place for each weekend. It has been a fairly good run at the moment, with each entry having something about them that attracted his attention and his eyes - plus specifically targeting particular areas of town helps, which leads us to Paddington. More so, the Paddington Social which definitely knows well to branch out - it only goes from here to talk about them.

During the day time operations, they combine the best aspects of a country-style bakery and a cafe with everything freshly made in their very big kitchen. All-day breakfasts are certainly the go, and that is a big operation during those times. When it comes to night time, a transformation takes place and it turns into a pop-up Thai restaurant. That is not a bad idea in any way, and it will have many residents from Paddington rocking up at any time of day.

Like many businesses in general around the Paddington area, they have utilised an old Queenslander as the exterior for the setting. After a long time living in them, and visiting them, they have a distinct and unique architectural design and it suits the cafe environment very well. One plus is how spacious they are, which right here had it in droves. Most of that space was taken up by the kitchen - more space to create more intrinsic delights. The structural set-up also deserves a mention, and streamlines the ordering process really well. Looking in from the street, patrons can see in full view the front counter with the bench seats watching over the street - at the right time with their lighting, it is akin to a Yuletide display in Europe. The entrance way is on the side as opposed to right out front, with the counter to order right there. As for the seating, it is a more intimate affair than some previous entries. They have just a few tables, each which is set out well with the cups and cutlery awaiting patrons.

Ordering is done the usual way around here, which is by going up to the counter to place the orders, then pay. They do take their time, a little more than most places. If this were a weekday, or in the middle of a more busy schedule it might start to be a problem. For a more relaxed weekend morning, this is perfectly fine and actually adds to the atmosphere and ambiance of the place. Once the ordering is done, they soon come to bring the waters, and everything is pipping hot and fresh from the kitchen when it arrives - being a stone's throw away from the kitchen truly helps.

By the looks of their menu, the focus is certainly more on making sure that the fare is the best quality that it can be with it being freshly made from scratch in the kitchen. The range that they got on the all-day breakfast is a selection of old favourites for the all-day breakfast, most of them simple as can be. Getting into brunch time, they reduce the size of the selection and essentially offer a few kinds of burgers, some bar snacks, salads and a token big meaty meal. That is during the day time with the set menu.

If there was a real reason for anyone in town to make their trip over all those suburbs, even from all the way over the other side of town and perhaps further afield, it would definitely be the in-store bakery. The selection in this bakery is due to change by the day, and each time it is a guarantee that the selected treat was not even alive before the same dawn. Much of it is the sweet treats, with classics and innovations alike, plus sausage rolls and other savoury pastries making their presence known.

What really would set it apart in being a unique individual though would be what happens when it hits the dinner time mark. That is when it becomes a Thai restaurant. All the usual fare for a Thai restaurant is present - all the street food entrees, the salads, the curries and wok-fried dishes (complete with the choice of meat). Adding onto that, the one plate wonders are where the streets of Bangkok will come alive using more esoteric meals, and they give vegans a go with their own big section. It might look like Thai goes from the favourite cuisine, to the one that starts to innovate. I can't wait if that is the case.

Starting off the meal as per usual was the business of getting some coffee. Business as per usual, meant it was the trusty old doppio for breakfast. It was our good old friend Campos that was responsible for the brew this time, one blend that still manages to do well wherever it is used. The beans usually make a fairly strong blend, at least one that will perk up those not yet experienced with some of the more intense blends. A plus to Campos in addition to its strength is the flavours and notes in the beans - they are often pronounced, and gentle on the palate.

As for what I got to eat, that was something I knew before I even stepped in the door. None other than a scotch egg, which I have tried once cold and thought to give it a second go to gather a better idea about it. For any uninitiated, the classic British snack takes an egg, wraps it in mince, and fries it. Right here, the egg was soft (yes, please!), and they used a chorizo mince to coat it. After that, it was served with some avocado, and hashbrowns, with a finish of hollandaise sauce. I can rest assure, that the appeal of the scotch egg is definitely apparent. Making it seems easy enough, but there would be such a process that has to be done like so to make it how it is - especially soft poached, to allow that yolk to bleed like a sauce. It was a robust sucker as well, with the chorizo mince being appropriately spicy along with its characteristic flavour. The hashbrowns were a cut above, being freshly made and the avocado proved well as a bit of freshness. When they got a meal like this as a centerpiece, I would highly recommend selling it strongly.

My house mate in for a second round, since those pastries looked just too good in the cabinet not to. This also meant getting a second coffee - another one of the same for me. I can't quite remember the pastry that he ordered, can't even remember taking a picture of it. However, it was possibly one with chocolate but whatever filling they put in it, a certainty is that the pastry was rich and buttery. There is something that can't replace pastry that is barley an hour old and it was like that right here.

At least when it comes to breakfast time, Paddington Social is a lot like many of the options around this part of town - they are good quality, have both a decent price and a decent portion, and aren't too trendy more opting for keeping on top of things for the long run. Occasionally, one place will happen to be a little more innovative with what they serve, giving something even just a little bit different to its competitors. That is the real advantage that the Paddington Social has - where it changes its trade according to the time of day. No matter what hour it may be, the guarantee will be put out here that it is all fresh from that day, and all the more tasty as a result.

Great new spot for perhaps brunch, dinner, coffee or a naughty treat. I have tried the breakfast, Thai, coffee and a treat and all has been amazing and delicious

Close to bus stops and right near Suncorp Stadium, it's in an easily accessible location. Street parking is also an option, but you may potentially need to walk up some hills. Inside you have two sections, the main cafe style area and then a more formal dining towards the back. There is a cabinet of goodies to take on the go, but I ordered the Sweet Corn, Zucchini and Ricotta Fritters. The Pumpkin Puree on the bottom was just a smear of decadence, the Chipotle Aioli sandwiching the fritters is a surefire kick, whilst the Soft Shell Crab is crunchy and salty enough to cut through the softness of the dish.

So, so delicious! Fantastic flavours and somehow not too heavy even though it has fried chicken in it. Can't wait to come back and try something different.

Absolutely delicious pastries and cakes. Super friendly service and great coffee. Couldn’t speak more highly of the place. Been there three times and it’s always delicious and packed.

Such a nice place in heart of Paddington! The staff is super friendly. The food is tasty and fresh, we really enjoyed it!

Incredible food and lovely atmosphere. The beef massaman curry puffs were to die for! The padt kee mao managed to impress my friend who’s a seasoned lover of the dish. The pork belly was perfect and the siracha fried rice was generously proportioned. If I could justify it I’d eat here every night!