“We believe in wholesome, unique and yummy food. Vegetarian, vegan and meaty food that is good to eat and good for you. We serve only organic, fair trade coffee and source good quality organic and free range produce where we can. We believe you should eat something green with every meal and you should never compromise on the quality of raw ingredients. We believe if you prefer rye or gluten-free bread when you eat out, you should be able to order it. We believe Chai tea should always be made from leaves and that high quality dark chocolate should always be at the bottom of any mocha or hot chocolate that you order.” – Sassafras
I loved Sassafras’s food philosophy so much that I thought it should be the first thing you read. Situated in hilly Paddington this weatherboard cottage turned cafe has been a popular spot amongst breakfast lovers for years. Although I enjoyed my breakfast, I don’t have anything really to rave about, so I’ll make this short and sweet.
Space & Interior: 3
Cute and cosy with a little bit of odd thrown in there for good measure. Walking into the cafe you are greeted with the huge, raised deli counter harboring all their sweet treats, salads and other goodies. To the right is the seating and then you walk through to another room of seating, then another, then outside to a lovely, leafy and rather airy courtyard. The space is literally crammed with a quirky mix of antique furniture, and a strange assortment of paraphernalia is littered throughout the cafe – the vintage mix masters on top of the bookshelf were my favourite!
Staff & Service: 2
You have to order from the deli counter – so do not go sitting down and expect to be attended to! The staff were sweet although they seemed a little bored (or maybe she was just boring). Our meals arrived on our table without a smile and we weren’t attended to during breakfast.
The Menu: 3
It was a classic breakfast menu with a large list of things to choose from. I will add that it is slightly on the expensive side for breakfast – however bare in mind that the meals are huge, so I guess you are getting value for money. Catering for dairy free, vegetarian and gluten free makes it a great place to go with a large group.
Our Meals: 3
They were huge! I ordered the chilli corn cakes w hommus, spinach, crispy bacon and tomato relish ($17), while A ordered the canadian hotcakes w maple syrup, bacon and grilled banana ($17). It was the first time A had ever had bacon with maple syrup, so she was in heaven. Although my corn cakes were yummy, there wasn’t corn all the way through, nor was there enough relish or hommus for the amount of doughey corn cakes.
Coffee: 3
I can’t remember it being bad or excellent so I will say that it was just good – as coffee generally is!
Overall 3
Although a the experience was satisfying I was slightly disappointed with Sassafras. It may possibly be one of those things where I had heard too many good things and gone in with overly high expectations – Shakespeare was right when he said “Expectation is the root of all heartache.” Having said that I will probably go back and see if going in with lower expectations makes the experience more enjoyable.
See our ratings explained here
Sassafras
88 Latrobe Terrace, Paddington
http://sassafrasfoods.com.au/
Opening hours: 7am – 3pm 7 days a week
Check the menu out here
Follow them on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter – seriously do they post amazingly delicious photos
Notes: Eftpos is available, plenty of onstreet parking (with a short walk), noise high, caters for Gluten free, Dairy free & Vegetarian, also offers catering and function hire
Breakfast in Brisbane 