The Counter
Worth the short wait, this cafe is a pioneer of Petersham's cafe culture.
Overview
There's been a gradual takeover in the inner west cafe scene over the last few years of smaller, well designed cafes that focus primarily on coffee. Which, of course, a good cafe should.
Not all of them however get the rest of the mix right, so it was a delight for locals that the newly opened the Counter in Petersham has managed to include all the right eggs in its basket.
Complete with interesting design that includes pallet tables outside, bench seating inside and interesting interior touches such as distressed metal chairs hanging from the wall, this cafe has made the inhabitants of Petersham wake up and smell the coffee. And that's Single Origin or Coffee Alchemy coffee, with a house blend also from Australian Independent Roasters.
Breakfast options are simple but with added tasty flares such as sourdough bread or homemade mayonnaise. The Smith's Sister ($14) is a classic option of slow poached eggs and bacon on sourdough, but with the added herb side salad, though a little wilted, and delicious cuts of bacon, it was a satisfying choice.
To spice it up a bit, you could choose the Mr Smith Sambo ($9.50) which mixes a soft egg, bacon, tomato relish and mayonnaise between toasted sourdough; this sambo is a well-balanced combination with the right mix of flavours.
The smashed avocado with Danish feta and two slow poached eggs on toast ($14) also looked like a good option if you want to mix up the traditional eggs on toast, or you could try the piled high roasted mixed mushrooms on toast with crispy prosciutto and a poached egg, topped with tarragon hollandaise ($15).
If you can, save room for breakfast or lunch dessert as the collection of mostly in-store made cakes, muffins and baked treats looked mouth watering.
While there is limited space and you might find yourself having a bit of a wait for a table, the delightful staff and fast service means you won't be frustrated by this smaller cafe.
Overall it's lovely to see an addition like this just off Petersham's main drag that offers something pleasing, simple and tasty.
Photo: Aidan Corrigan
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