Scout

Overview

On an unsuspecting corner in Torbay sitting pretty is the new café, Scout. Yet another well thought out café by owner of the Epsom favourite, Hello Friends + Allies, Roger Lui. The pops of pink on the wall translate to the food, each meal prepared and served with a kind of fairy-tale delight. As we arrived, Scout was jam-packed, though with all the outdoor seating there's space for every man and his dog.

Licks of pastels and sleek Scandinavian furniture set the scene for a brunch we all decided was the kind you'd walk away from feeling better about your day. The menu is one of a kind, you'd have to read it twice to make sure you weren't seeing things. Ex-Odettes chef, Reginaldo Richard brings even your classic granola to life. With a yoghurt panna cotta, caramelised white chocolate feuilletine and an abundance of decorative flowers, it really is a sweet delight. Then there's the French toast sprinkled in matcha powder with a bounty of fresh fruit, even the decadent passionfruit, to bring to life, what otherwise feels like a guilty pleasure. Rest assured, the menu has the old faves: avo on toast with poached eggs and a whole lot of perfectly cooked bacon.

The coffee culture is strong at Scout. No messing around with your early morning brew here. There's iced coffees, matcha and tumeric lattes and the nitro cold brew, as velvety smooth as you've only dreamt of. Not a coffee fan? I highly recommend the cacao delight, doused with goji berries. Scout isn't your typical hungover Sunday brunch stop, instead it's littered with modern takes on international foods, décor evidently curated with care and sun that beams onto the outdoor tables just right. With a neon S radiating from the front door, it only seems appropriate that you're drawn like a fisherman to a siren as you enter the doors of what we think is the coolest new kid around the North Shore town.