Type of Venue: Cafe
Cuisine: Modern Australian brunch food
Highly Recommended: Mango Smoothie, Smashed Avocado, Golden Gaytime Panna Cotta, Braised Spiced Lamb
You know those uniquely identifiable wooden chairs often seen in cafe’s and restaurants, with the curve-shaped backs? Well, I just recently learned that they are called Bentwood chairs. I know… I’m a bit behind. But, I bet that you didn’t know there was a factory making Bentwood furniture in Fitzroy, which has now been converted into a vibrant cafe.
Bentwood cafe has been open for less than a week, yet it already looks to be making waves amongst Melbourne’s brunch scene. Seemingly a tribute to the previously occupied Bentwood factory, the cafe’s rustic brick exterior and wooden-furnished interior emanate an industrial feel. Throw into the mix various maroon-coloured surfaces, a uniformly captivating ceiling and brick flooring interspersed with gold-plated odes to Bentwood designs, and you have yourself a warmly welcoming venue that blends in extremely well with the bohemian surrounds of Fitzroy.
Following on from the success of their other owned cafe’s, including Penta, Tinker and MOB, to name a few, the owners of Bentwood cafe appear to have perfected the elements that contribute towards a venue that appeals to everyone. Reading similarly to the menus of their other cafe’s, Bentwood’s menu offers some exciting tweaks to the standard granola, scrambled egg and panna cotta options, with a separate ‘Lunch’ section to satisfy those seeking more hearty meals.
Their smoothies are a signature mainstay of all of the cafe’s owned by this group, with my choice of the Mango Smoothie ticking all the right boxes with a blend of mango, coconut milk, yoghurt and honey.
A classic Melbourne breakfast, the Smashed Avocado is well executed, complemented by fresh chilli, black dukkah, feta, pomegranates and dark rye bread. Generous in portion size and flavour, the combination of both smashed and bite-sized pieces of avocado produce a texturally exciting and refreshing hero, enhanced by the kick of fresh chilli and bursting juice of pomegranate seeds dispersed throughout. A small but noticeable element is the provision of one-and-a-half pieces of toasted rye bread. This cleverly avoids the often-seen meagre serving of one piece of toast, whilst simultaneously eliminating the wastage of bread when two large pieces are toast are offered. A thoughtfully appreciate gesture by the creators of this menu.
Smashed Avocado ($18.00)
+ added Egg ($2.00), Bacon ($3.50), Haloumi ($5.00)
A truly substantial dish, Braised Spiced Lamb is pulled and mixed in with a grain herb salad, feta, pomegranate, sumac and pickled red cabbage, sitting atop baked eggplant, and surrounded by a smearing of labneh. Deliciously wholesome and hearty, the various textures elicit a good amount of crunch to contrast the soft-baked eggplant and smooth smear of labneh, all whilst delivering a well-balanced array of Mediterranean flavours and spices.
Braised Spiced Lamb ($22.50)
A must-order for any dessert- or panna cotta-lovers, the Golden Gaytime Panna Cotta is well worth the calories. A decadently smooth and sinfully tasty chocolate panna cotta sits in the centre of the plate, sprinkled with honeycomb biscuit crumbs, and surrounded by salted caramel, roasted peanuts, banana and raspberries. Plated in a neatly contemporary style, the addiction of the chocolate panna cotta is just the beginning, complimented by the freshness of the fruits and crunchy textures of the peanuts and crumbs. One of the best panna cotta’s I have had the pleasure of eating.
Golden Gaytime Panna Cotta ($20.00)
Living up to the hype, Bentwood cafe is a worthy adversary to cafe’s in the surrounding area… maybe even to most other cafe’s in Melbourne. Although originality can feel a bit minimal at times with the abundance of places offering all-day breakfast and lunch in Melbourne, Bentwood cafe’s unique venue design, historical location and perfectly-executed food steps up their dining experience to another level.
Note: I dined as a guest of Bentwood. Thank you to the management and staff for their generous hospitality throughout our experience.
Bentwood
237 Napier Street
Fitzroy, VIC 3065
Ph: (03) 9419 1614
Email: [email protected]
Hours: Mon-Fri 7am-4pm, Sat 7:30am-5pm, Sun 8am-5pm.
New kid on the block: Bentwood, Fitzroy. Type of Venue: Cafe Cuisine: Modern Australian brunch food Highly Recommended: Mango Smoothie, Smashed Avocado, Golden Gaytime Panna Cotta, Braised Spiced Lamb
