Overview
When Little Lord opened in late 2015, it wooed patrons with its simple approach and comfy vibes. Two years on, owners Graham and Jax Alexander are shaking things up a little, migrating to a full vegetarian menu. The motivation for the switch is the eatery's cooking facilities, confined to the bench space surrounding the coffee machine.
"We kind of got stuck in a rut... we were limited in what meat we could use anyway," Graham says. "Besides, it's way more exciting to cook with vegetables. The flavours are so different."
Graham sees this shift as a positive challenge, allowing seasonal produce to dictate the cafe's offering. In this vein, Little Lord has also done away with paper menus, instead opting to display the ever-changing menu on a set of old-school chalkboards — supplied courtesy of good mates Two Chaps — behind the front counter.
Their menu might've had a refresh, but Little Lord's approach to food remains, serving up high-quality produce with personal flair — such as their homemade pickles, preserves and hot sauces, which are also available to purchase. Smoked olive oil, from a 4-litre barrel in the backyard, injects an earthy flavour into several new dishes. At the moment, the selection includes two rolls, one boasting poached egg, kale, homemade zucchini pickles, cheddar and homemade salsa verde; the other with roasted broccoli, melted cheddar and fermented chilli aioli. There's also a bruschetta featuring white beetroot, smoked berlotti beans, and fermented chilli and lemon dressing.
Admirers of Little Lord's three-cheese toastie, never fear. It's still around, albeit with a slight twist. Grana padano will be replaced with pecorino — "for more funk," Graham says. If your tastebuds crave something sweeter, there's homemade granola with lavender yoghurt and poached plums. Or, perhaps sample one of the homemade cakes, from a range that'll also change regularly based on fruit seasonality. Throw in a couple of creative salads, such as sugar snap peas with miso butter and white sesame, and you have a lineup that even the most vehement carnivores might just salivate over.
Aside from the re-jigged food, the cafe is still a welcoming haven that'll remind you of your nanna's house: retro furniture, knick-knacks and china all included. Coffee comes courtesy of local roaster Sample and bread is by Two Chaps. In short: it's the cosy Camperdown cafe that inner-west locals already know and love, just with an ethical twist.
Find Little Lord at 102 Salisbury Road, Camperdown, or head to their Facebook page for further details.