Devon Cafe - CLOSED

Overview

When it comes to Australian cafe culture, on the whole those crafty so-and-sos in Melbourne have the one-up on us 'siders with their laneway-cool, effortlessly chic ability to serve up a dynamite meal come breakfast, brunch or lunch. It's no wonder then that Devon Cafe in Surry Hills has looked to our southern neighbours for a little inspiration, and inspired it has become.

This three-month old addition to the not-so-hot area of Devonshire Street, just moments from Central Station, is somewhat of a ray of light shining over its dull neighbours. Literally. From golden-fringed typography to a Beechwood-heavy interior, this place offers a warm, welcoming environment with a graffiti-clad, herb-walled courtyard out back to transport you to your own mini Melbs.

The food is bloody decent too, which is a little unsurprising seeing as they've got ex-Bistro Guillaume sous chef, Zacharay Tan, and Guillaume at Bennelong graduate, Jacqui Ektoros, crafting a menu laden with housemade goodies and fresh belly-fillers. We happily tucked into a miso-grilled king salmon fillet with 62-degree egg (warning: stay away if not a fan of runniness), smoked eel croquet and kewpie mayonnaise. The king salmon tartare with radish, cucumber, thin toasted brioche and homemade labna, drizzled with lemon juice, is also a fine choice if you want something a little lighter.

Not a fan of fish? Don't fret: you're covered. There's a whole range of brekkie and lunch favourites, and any sweet teeth amongst you will fall gob over heels with the Malaysian pancakes flanked by banana fritters and homemade ice-cream on a bed of palm sugar. Coffee-lovers won't be disappointed with the house blend from Coffee Alchemy in Marrickville, and it's also worthwhile getting a freshly squeezed juice simply due to the uber cute jars they come in.

At the end of the day, Devon Cafe is a success not just because it's a decent venture fine tuning a not-so-decent area in one of our trendiest suburbs, but because it combines Sydney talent with Melbourne ideas and has so far delivered it all from the moment doors opened. On ya.