Cafe 3A
3A Edward St
Brunswick 3056
03-9380 4996
Public Transport: By train, get off at Jewell Station on the Upfield line. By tram, No. 19 get off at stop 25. A short walk from either.
At most this cosy place would accommodate about thirteen inside. Five square, solid wooden tables with two seats at each. Stool seating in the front window. Artistic photos spaced along the white walls. A blackboard with small neat handwriting in white chalk lays out the menu.
Meals are exquisite. I invariably order “Eggs Olivada”: Two poached free range eggs atop two slabs of quality sour dough, sprinkled with feta, an olive paste and capers. Small fresh cakes available, today among others are orange poppy seed cakes with thick icing.
The long black, when first placed on the table, had a crema of about 25mm. Organic, fair trade coffee is used — Ethiopia Gold. FaemaStar coffee machine. Music at a good volume, cool jazz. A couple sit next to our table, about four people at the tables along the wall, and a young woman reads at a stool in the front window. People come in for a take away coffee. Wicker stools out on the front pavement (but too cold today!)
Considering just how flavoursome and high quality the meals are, they’re very cheap. $7.50 for my Eggs Olivada. Almost no cafe will give you an egg inclusive breakfast for this amount. The waiter is efficient and has a sense of humour.