Bliss Organic Cafe

The bestie and I have wanted to visit Bliss for a few months now. We've always popped in to get one of their choc fudge brownies to share, which are delicious, but never actually dined in. We couldn't decide where to have lunch one day so decided it would be the perfect time to try out Bliss!

We sat in the front dining area, right by the entrance. There is also a dining space through that archway to the left, as well as an area outside towards the back past the counter and kitchen.

 Bliss Wrap $13

Bliss burger patty wrapped in mountain bread wrap with mixed fresh garden salad, soyannaise, chutney and tomato sauce

Tofu Scramble $15
Pan-fried organic tofu scrambled, hand-grated carrots, mushrooms, hand-washed cooked potato, fresh or sundried tomatoes, sultanas, sunflower seeds, pepitas, wilted greens, gomasio (toasted sesame seeds) & linseed

Both dishes contained wonderful, wholesome ingredients which made us feel very healthy! Unfortunately, we found both dishes rather bland, particularly the scramble. A little disappointing considering it's one of their signature dishes. We didn't enjoy our meal as much as we would've hoped and I can't say I'll be rushing back any time soon unless it's for one of their brownies!

Sad Cafe

My favourite time of the week - Friday lunch date with the bestie! A while ago, our destination was Sad Cafe in the East End, a place I've walked past countless times but never actually tried. Angela was super keen to try out the veggie burger since it contained her favourite, haloumi! 

Back: Veggie Burger $10

Sweet potato veggie patty with grilled haloumi, avocado, sweet capsicum, lettuce and aioli on a kaiser roll 

Front: Grilled mushroom pocket pita $10

Served with rocket, tomato chutney, feta and sweet capsicum, dressed in spicy aioli

Angela had only good things to say about the veggie burger. So many positives in fact that on the next visit, it's what I'll be ordering! I've also heard only positives from other friends who have visited and ordered the veggie burger.

I found my meal rather average. I did enjoy the combination of flavours together but there wasn't anything spectacular about it. If someone talked about a healthier, fresher version of a pizza, this is probably what I would picture. My favourite element was probably the spicy aioli which tasted great with the tomato chutney and mushroom elements.

A pretty decent first impression, with the only let down being that we were forced to sit outside on a super windy day because seating inside is quite limited. The service was quite average and at the minimum standard you would expect at any good cafe - not bad but not amazing either. I'll be back for that veggie burger!

East End Providore

East End Providore has really become one of my favourite places in the East End this year and is somewhere I visit when I don't really feel like trying somewhere new. This post will contain 2 visits, both of which were superb (spoiler alert!)

First visit

Mork hot chocolate with coconut sugar $5

Salted caramel brownie $4

Ohhh those salted caramel brownies. Absolute bliss! A perfect afternoon treat. 

I think we should've ordered tea or coffee to have with these rather than the hot chocolates because they were so overwhelmingly rich. If you enjoy sickly sweet and creamy hot chocolates, then I think you would probably enjoy it but I definitely won't be ordering it again. I wasn't too sure why there was an emphasis on the coconut sugar because I couldn't really taste anything different about it. I also really love how the hot chocolates were presented; on a wooden board along with the glass of water and a small piece of biscotti. It's really the little details that really make a place special!

Second visit

Mushroom bagel $12
with goats cheese, pesto and beetroot relish

Latte $4

If you love mushrooms, you will love this bagel. Everything about this just worked perfectly together and I particularly enjoyed that beetroot relish to balance out the slightly salty mushrooms and pesto. I'd probably say it was one of my favourites lunches this year, just because it's so simple but very satisfying. I don't know what else to say, except try it out if you ever visit!

In the background to the left, you can see that one of my friends ordered the Australian buffalo mozzarella, sundried tomatoes, baby spinach & house pesto sourdough sandwich for $13. She said she really enjoyed it and even though I didn't try any of it, I can definitely say that it looked delicious and fresh!

The food has been great every time I have visited and the presentation is consistently fantastic. You can tell just by scrolling through their tag on Instagram! The service is fantastic and I always feel really welcome here. That sounds a little weird, but you'll know what I mean - just think of those cafes or restaurants where the floor staff will speak to you off-handedly and do nothing more than take your order and plonk your meal down before disappearing for the rest of your visit. The staff here are so friendly and check up on you throughout your meal, but not too frequently that it's annoying. Fresh produce and other goods are also sold here, which are definitely worth checking out. 

Great stuff, East End Providore!

Bambi's Kitchen

The usual Friday lunch date with the bestie this particular week was at Bambi's Kitchen, formerly known as Horner & Pratt, a place we'd seen photos of all over Instagram!

Haloumi wrap (can't remember the price, but probably around $14 too!)

Sweet potato fritters $14
Both served with house salads

What colourful, picturesque meals!

I ordered the sweet potato fritters and I thought they were great. They had a great flavour and I could clearly identify the different ingredients in them. I think the fritters could be improved if they were cooked in a way that made them a little crispy on the outside. The contrast between a crisp outer crust and soft innards would make them even more satisfying to eat! I also enjoyed how fresh the house salads were, although I do think some of them could do with a bit of dressing.

Angela ordered the haloumi wrap which contains her favourite cheese of the moment. I tried a bit and it was delicious! Definitely something we would both recommend to those who love haloumi.

I thoroughly enjoyed my first time dining at Bambi's Kitchen and can definitely say that I will be back. I loved the home-y feel of the meals, especially how they were presented, and how cosy the dining space is. Although there are only a few tables upstairs, there is a lovely view of Rundle and Rymill Parks as well as East Tce through the large window which lets in a lot of natural light. The service is wonderful, with the staff being very friendly and accommodating. From what I remember, the menu isn't very extensive but what is on there sounds delicious. There were also some baked goods on the counter, like brownies and cakes, which we were eyeing but told ourselves we would have to come back for, as well as the fresh juices and coffee.

See you again soon, Bambi!