The Incinerator Café

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Posted 2015-06-23 by GiGi GMV ⇒ follow

Nestled on quite Small Street, the old Incinerator Art Space in Willoughby has been transformed into a trendy child-friendly cafe and is serving some of the best coffee and gourmet lunches on the North Shore.

Like all good cafes, The Incinerator cafe gets busy on weekends and it is always buzzing with people, especially during breakfast and lunch times. However, the vibe of this cafe is relaxed and friendly with easy pram access and quality food.

It was a cold winter morning so we decided to sit inside. We were greeted with a big open kitchen with excited chefs pumping out delicious dishes when we walked in.

The interior of the cafe has a warm but trendy industrial fit-out feel, and we were served by a friendly and attentive waiter after a 30 minute wait.

My friend definitely needed a good strong coffee to come out this early on a Sunday morning so she ordered a regular Espresso Ristretto Shot ($3.80) for that intense coffee experience that most Europeans prefer. It was a strong wake-up call.

On the other hand, I still feel like a kid and opted for the Chocolate Tim Tam & Vanilla Malt Shake ($8.00). This is one of the best drink delicacies in Sydney.

How could you not get a winner when you combine forever-loved Tim Tam biscuits with creamy vanilla malt? The chocolate shake was indeed smooth and delicious and perfect for a pick-me-up moment.

While we browsed through the menu, my friend and I were torn between a number of the delectable dishes in their modern European breakfast selection.

My friend got the Avocado Smash on Toast ($9.50). She also ordered additional sides to go with the toast. The Avocado Smash was infused with salty feta and refreshing lemon juice. It was bursting with flavor.

The Honey & Thyme mushrooms ($5.00) were pleasantly grilled and full of flavour. The flaky home-made style mini pork and fennel sausage rolls ($5) were wholesome and hearty.

The mushrooms and the sausage rolls were great choices to add some 'meatier' texture to the otherwise healthy avocado toast.

Although I knew I should order something light for breakfast, there was no reason for me not to order their Harissa smoked salmon served with poached eggs, minted yoghurt, dill and pickled cucumber ($18.50), especially when I heard it was one of their specialties. It was favourably recommended by the staff and it sounded too good to resist!

This dish was beautifully presented and it was wonderful to see that the kitchen prepared the dish with care and attention to detail. I was pleasantly surprised when it included a perfectly grilled house-cured salmon portion when I assumed I would just get some smoked salmon ribbons.

The smoked salmon was perfectly cooked and well-seasoned.There was a lot going on with this plate, but every single element came together wonderfully, with each ingredient being fresh and flavourful of its own accord.

The dish tasted fresh, light and definitely not too heavy for breakfast - different from your typical big breakfast!

This is a lovely cafe where the staff are super friendly, helpful and will go out of their way to accommodate families and their children. On a sunny day, you can sit outside to soak up some sun while watching your kids run around the lawn. Isn't that just a blissful moment?