Meet Potts Point's New Laneway Cafe Joseph Hyde

The times they are a-changin' down in Potts Points' Lankelly Place, where Waterman's Lobster Co. has just revamped as Dear Sainte Eloise and Joseph Hyde has taken up residence in the old Wilbur Place digs. Named for Joseph Hyde Potts, who founded Potts Point in 1830, the community-minded cafe boasts some serious coffees and a menu for any dietary need.

The space is owned and operated by Louise Hunt (previous owner of Surry Hill's Orto Trading Co and Redfern's Baffi & Mo), who just returned from sabbatical and snatched up this epic laneway space once the Wilmer pop-up ceased to be.

"I love this laneway, it screams Melbourne for me and I like the fact that it's a bit of a hidden gem," says Hunt. "There are a lot of other little food outlets here, and I loved the fitout of Wilbur Place and used to have drinks down at the old Waterman's, so it's exciting to now be a part of this little laneway community."

Joseph Hyde is the fourth business for Hunt and the locally sourced, weekly menu is an evolution from her previous operations with some twists on old favourites — think the Croque and Jack, a twist on the croque madame which uses free range, double smoked ham, topped with Monterrey jack cheese and a duck egg, all atop Sonoma sourdough ($15). The succinct menu also includes cheekily named dishes like the Get Laid, a.k.a organic eggs on toast ($11), and the Honey Dijon, which is named after the New York house DJ and is a combination of fried free range chicken, slaw and served with chipotle mayo ($18).

"The most important thing for me was to make sure we could feed everyone so we've taken a lot of time and effort to make sure our menu can accommodate any dietary requirement," says Hunt. To this end, they'll happily accommodate special orders or swapping of ingredients, having already worked multiple protein options into a few dishes — including The Stack, which can come vegetarian with avocado and asparagus ($14), ham and mushroom ($18), or cured trout ($20.5).

Joseph Hyde is now open at 36 Llankelly Place, Potts Point. Open Monday through Friday from 7am to 3pm and Saturday through Sunday from 8am to 3pm, and for private hire. Dinner hours will start in the next few weeks from Thursday through Sunday. Keep an eye on this space for the official dinner launch.