North Sydney's latest cafe is already becoming the suburb's new go-to for great coffee and quality lunchtime meals. Glory Days is the first hospitality opening within the towering, glass-walled Dexus development and it's run by hospo guru Aaron Crinis — who is also responsible for two much-loved Wollongong venues, Diggies Cafe and Dagwood Bar + Kitchen.
The fit-out is pretty typical of what you'd expect from a lobby cafe — similar to the CBD's Cross Eatery and South by Dukes — with hotel lounge-like seating, timber accents, polished floors and (incredibly) high ceilings. But the menu is a far cry from most basic lobby-side eateries (bar the above, of course). Alexandria's Mecca has even roasted a special coffee blend just for the cafe.
Similarly to his previous venues, Crinis saw a gap in the market that he could fill — in the case of Glory Days, he saw that North Sydney's working masses needed fresher, more wholesome eats.
To this end, the cafe's menu consists of coffee, snacks and quick brekkie options for takeaway, with a focus on health-conscious bites and sustainably minded local suppliers. Apart from the coffees and cold-pressed juices, there are Tea Craft teas, Prana chai, Kombu kombucha (in ginger and lemon myrtle or raspberry and thyme flavours) and hot chocolates by Melbourne's Mörk — including one made with cacao, cayenne pepper and almond milk.
For food, there's Brickfields sourdough toast (with both gluten-free and charcoal options), topped with your usual selection of spreads, along with smashed avo and fresh tomato. Then there are Brooklyn Boy Bagels with schmear — at the moment, choose between cream cheese, chilli flakes and chives or smoked salmon with tomato and capers. And, because everyone deserves to live a little, Brickfields is also providing a tasty selection of pastries.
Come September, upstairs sister restaurant and bar Glorietta will open and the cafe's menu will be expanded, too.
Images: Trent Van Der Jagt for Buffet Digital.