Foxtrot Charlie

Overview

When a cafe serves up a perfect baked eggs for under $20, you can't really be blamed for using a little aggression to get through its doors. Fortunately, to get a seat at Foxtrot Charlie all you have to do is stand and smile, but you can bet your bottom dollar this won't be the case for long. If its impending talk of the town status is anything to go by, the crowds will come — and the baked egg-lovers will be ruthless.

It isn't super tricky to find this Sydney Road cafe,  just jump off the 96 tram on Albert Street, and take a few paces back. Its shopfront is deceptive — only a few scattered tables lay out front — and from the outside it looks a little too cosy, but this space is about as wide and open as cafes get, with noise never exceeding a bother.

From food, to architecture, to drinks, there's a fantastic balance of the familiar and obscure at Foxtrot Charlie. The walls are a grey, rendered cement; every wall is a feature with doses of brick, columns and textured wood panelling. A plane hangs strung from the ceiling and a large bouquet of lilies play centrepiece on their large, wooden communal table. The cafe's design combines futuristically foreign with the cosy and traditional — some of it could be plucked from The Matrix, the rest from your nanna's house.

Food wise, the baked eggs in tomato sugo ($15.50) is the star dish of the menu. There are few surprises in the egg, tomato and cheese combo, and even less components, but it's simple, rich and tummy hugging, at a portion size that's hardly stingy. The eggs are bio-dynamic and the bread is organic, so eat away guilt-free. The sesame cod toast ($17) and sticky gingerbread brioche ($15.50) may not sound appealing on paper, but are just as beautiful to look at as they are to eat. And the baked goods will have you thinking there's a show off in the room — but, really, when it comes to sweets, a show off is never a bad thing. If you've got a full wallet, convert your breakfast into a three course feast: a pastry, a main and a treat to take home. And maybe some blood thinners to safeguard your cholesterol.

You'd be brave not booking a table at Foxtrot Charlie now this not-so-secret addition is on just about foodie's to-do list. And you'd be even braver to come here for just a coffee — as far as indulging goes, gluttony is something you'd best befriend if you want to take full advantage of this star-laden menu.