In the heart of Richmond, amongst the various eateries on Bridge Rd, sits a café with a bit of a twist. The menu at St James is completely paleo-inspired, and consists of all of the Melbourne favourites we’ve come to know and love (smashed avo, pancakes and pulled pork benedict, etc), with the point of difference being the use of unprocessed, pesticide-free, free-range and wild-caught ingredients designed to emphasise the ‘healing power of food’.
We were warmly welcomed by our host, Sebastian, when we arrived and we couldn’t wait to check out the menu!
For the drinks, we decided to try out a couple of the smoothies rather than our usual juices, and we weren’t disappointed.
The ‘Cheeky Choc’ consisted of 100% raw cacao, banana, coconut milk and choc protein, and the ‘Berry Bliss’ had blueberries, almond milk, maple syrup, chia seeds and almonds. Yuuuuuum! Both smoothies were creamy and decadent, and offered two completely contrasting flavours. The cheeky choc was more on the bitter side due to the use of raw cacao, whereas the berry bliss had that delicious fruity sweetness without sending us into a sugar overload. Both were delicious and catered to different tastes.
We decided to be a bit more experimental on our visit to St James and chose a couple of dishes we would usually bypass in favour of more common menu items. One of those dishes was the veggie omelette with oven-baked roasted balsamic zucchini, capsicum, red onion and asparagus served on avocado puree with roasted tomatoes, crisp kale and crumbled feta. The omelette itself was light and fluffy, and the roast vegetables were so delicious and full of flavour! The addition of avocado puree with the fetta and roasted tomatoes created a creamy texture which was juxtaposed by the crispy kale chips. Overall, we were so glad we decided to try the omelette out- it was healthy, fresh, flavoursome and more-ish!
The next dish we tried was the aesthetically stunning Acai Power Bowl, with coconut protein Acai berry sorbet, almond milk, mixed berries, banana, kiwi, toasted coconut flakes and crunchy granola. The acai sorbet itself was a good consistency- not too runny and not frozen solid. The bowl could have been a bit sweeter (clearly one of us is a huge sweet-tooth), but the addition of the overflowing and vibrant fresh fruits created a nice balance of flavours. The granola had the perfect level of crunch and overall, it was a lovely dish.
The final dish we tried at St James was one that we’ve always wanted to try but have just never made the time for. The terracotta eggs, which were baked in a Napoli sauce with chorizo, garden vegetables and organic goats feta alongside some paleo bread, is one of the best dishes we’ve ever had (and we’ve had a few in our time). It was just perfect! Hearty, healthy, full of flavour and absolutely incredible, the eggs were baked to perfection. The mixture of chorizo and vegetables with the rich Napoli sauce and creamy fetta added a great level of spice and texture to the eggs. A special mention needs to go out to the coconut-based paleo bread, which was thick, crispy and the perfect spoon to scoop up our eggs with. We were unbelievably sad when the plate was cleared, but it just means that we’ll be back for more!
St James is a lovely and welcoming café with a passion for creating delicious and healthy dining experiences for their customers. Each dish is meticulously crafted to display the best that Melbourne has to offer in regards to unprocessed wholefoods and fresh produce and meats. Sebastian and his team have worked hard over the year St James has been open to create something truly unique and to ensure that they cater to all different tastes and dietary requirements.
Overall, the food was delicious, the service was excellent and we can’t wait to go back and try more on the menu!
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