Penny Farthing Expresso – Great Great Coffee!

Penny Farthing Expresso is located in the subrub of Northcote and is a cosy cafe and restaurant, and true to its name, has its very own Penny Farthing bicycle in the front window. Penny Farthing Expresso is from the same team that brought you Industry Beans – Trevor and Steve Simmons.

There is an all-day breakfast (http://pennyfarthingespresso.com/menu/breakfast/) , lunch (http://pennyfarthingespresso.com/menu/lunch/) and dinner menu available. There is also an impressive coffee menu from single-origin coffee blends, where they roast their beans on-site. Lunch menu consists of a variety of things like sandwiches, rostis and bruschetta to a whole lot more. The dinner menu is more of a sharing experience. There is a 7 seven course “Feed Me” menu. The dinner menu is split into Penny (larger dishes) and Farthing (smaller entree like size dishes). Check out the menu and prices here – http://pennyfarthingespresso.com/menu/dinner/

I ordered the Smash which is house marinated feta & avocado smashed together with fresh basil & mint, served on organic sourdough with a side of chilli oil. The chilli oil was a welcome addition as I like my dishes with that little bit of heat. I also loved the addition of the fresh basil and mint through the avocado – this is one of the first places that I have had my avocado this way and the flavours really mesh beautifully together. N ordered Two free range fried eggs (You can get the eggs cooked in the manner you prefer) served on sourdough toast with a side of housemade sweet harissa. The housemade harissa was delicious and had the right balance of flavours (I sneaked a taste of some off N’s breakkie =p).

What I also love about the menus here at Penny Farthing Expresso is the range of vegetarian options available. Not only do they sound amazing but to have that variety is fantastic. The staff here are friendly and always happy to answer any questions. They answered questions about the coffees that were available and which ones should be tried. Love having staff that know what they are talking about coffee-wise =)

Having tried out breakkie here I definitely want to go back and try out their dinner menu and see what their “Feed Me” menu is like. This place is a more than just once a visit kinda place!

Rating : 4 Pandas
Price: $$
Menu – Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Menu – http://pennyfarthingespresso.com/menu/
Dinner is from Tuesday to Sunday – You can do the 7 course chef selection called the “Feed Me” menu which costs $40 for the vegetarian option and $45 for the non-vegetarian option. Such value for money!
Fullness: 100%
Atmosphere / Ambience: Comfortable and Casual
Service: Friendly and Helpful
Online Booking: Yes via website – http://pennyfarthingespresso.com/contact/
Restaurant Details and Location:
http://pennyfarthingespresso.com/
206 High St
Northcote
Tel No: 9482 2246

Opening Hours:
Monday – 7.30am to 5.00pm
Tuesday – Friday – 7.30am to Late
Saturday & Sunday – 8.30am to Late

Advertisement

Industry Beans – Great Coffee, Great Looking Dishes & A Great Place!

Cappuccino at Industry Beans


Poached Eggs crumbed in Panko, served with Charred Asparagus, Raisins, Capsicum Curls & a Parsnip & Jeruselum Artichoke Puree

Brioche French Toast – Served with Cold-Drip Coffee Maple Pearls, Pure Maple Syrup, Blueberry Molasses & Double Whipped Cream

Industry Beans is a new coffee roaster / cafe opened up by the owners of Penny Farthing Expresso – Trevor and Steve Simmons. The most talked about aspect – aside from the delicious and variety filled coffee and great tasting food of course – is the location and the space of this place. The brothers have transformed a former warehouse space into a bright, chic, high ceiling-ed, lively and enjoyable cafe. Industry Beans has a funky, friendly and energetic vibe as soon as you set foot into the place.

C and I arrive at around 10am on a Sunday morning for breakfast and are seated immediately and are given the menus. One of the menus is a coffee bible – a 15 page coffee menu!!! – which features single origins from literally all over the world – places like El Salvador, Honduras, the Sumatran Hills and the plantations of Panama. You can select from various techniques such as Expresso, Blends, Pour-Over, AeroPress and Cold Drip. C needed to have decaf coffee and the waitress was very informative and telling her that here they prepare decaf by running it through water, whereas most other coffee places use harsh chemicals. She also gave her some other advice about decaf coffee too – so informative!

The food menu, from the Penny Farthing chef Shaun Landman, is just as good as the coffee menu – one side is the lunch menu and the other side is the breakfast menu. There are the normal dishes such as Bircher Muesli and Smashed Avocado Eggs, but there are some creative dishes. There were many dishes on the list that I wanted to try but I just had to select one (I chose the Poached Crumbed Eggs in Panko). C and I then shared the Brioche French Toast as well. There are dishes like Beetroot Rosti topped with Smoked Eel to Cold Drip Cured Salmon and Cornbread (yes, the Salmon is actually cooked with their quality coffee!).

When my dish – Poached Eggs crumbed in Panko, served with Charred Asparagus, Raisins, Capsicum Curls & a Parsnip & Jeruselum Artichoke Puree – came out I was super impressed! The dish was colorful and presented beautifully. If you have seen my previous posts I have a little obsession with crumbed poached eggs so was really keen on trying what the ones here were like. These poached eggs – which were perfectly poached and just had the right amount of gooey-ness – were crumbed with Panko and tasted fantastic! The combination of the asparagus and the sweetness of the raisins together with the crunch of the almonds was delicious! A definite must try dish! The Brioche French Toast was another hit of a dish! However I would have liked a bit more cream and more strawberries. The Cold-Drip Coffee Maple Pearls were ingenious and the additional coffee flavour mixed with other elements really made the dish! I want to go back and try out items from the Coffee Chemistry list.

Industry Beans has a strong philosophy of keeping everything in-house and serve homemade bread, butter and even chocolate! They aren’t just specialists in coffee but with food as well. There is a Coffee Chemistry list as well where you can sample things from their “Coffee-Lab” – such as Cold Drop Caviar, Latte Pearls, Aeropress Jelly and Coffee Toffee!

There is also a viewing platform at the back where you watch the baristas loading the beans in and out of the roaster. There is also a coffee cupping area upstairs. There are muffins and other sweet selections at the front counter – all of which are made in house as well.

Industry Beans is just one of those places that everyone has to visit at least once, and once they do they will keep coming back. This place is a definite must try for all the coffee lovers out there – you WILL NOT be disappointed. The staff are friendly without being over the top, the venue is fresh and refreshing and makes you feel really comfortable. All I have to say is CHECK OUT THIS PLACE! GO GO GO! =p

Rating : 5 Pandas
Price: $$
Menu – Breakfast and Lunch Menu with a twist! Check on the menu at http://industrybeans.com/cafe/menu/
Fullness: 100%
Atmosphere / Ambience: Casual, Relaxed and Friendly – great for a weekend catch up!
Standout Dish: Brioche French Toast
Service: Super Friendly and attentive! Happy to give out suggestions and always have a smile on their face =)
Online Booking: No
Restaurant Details and Location:
http://industrybeans.com/
Warehouse 3
Cnr Fitzroy & Rose St
Fitzroy
Tel No: 9417 1037

Opening Hours:
Monday to Friday: 7am to 5pm
Saturday & Sunday: 8am to 5pm