VLOG!!!

We went back to Piccolo Me to compare from last time. This time however, we took a camera. See our masterpiece below

Chocolatta - Fall in Love

With a slogan like “Why fall in love, when you can fall in Chocolate” it’s hard not to be attracted to such a true statement. Chokolatta, located in Bankstown, prides itself on its desserts and cake, offering a wide selection of various scrumptious options to tickle any tastebud. You find that you’ll believe their slogan once you’ve seen their menu.

From Brownies, to ice Cream to waffles, it’s mouth-watering to even think of all the things you could get. From the moment you walk in, you are greeted with delightful staff that are the friendliest of people. We got a seat next to the windows, which are quite a enjoyable area to be seated. The breeze adds to the enjoyment, especially on a hot day like the day we went there. However, there are quite a few loud cars in Bankstown, so it disrupts some of the environment. Nevertheless, we ordered our food, in which I got a Banana Split. Knowing they’re renowned for their chocolate, but can’t resist a good banana split. Surprisingly, it didn’t take too long at all, roughly 10 minutes or so. It was quite a big serving, easily feeding at least two people. The vanilla icing was pretty good; as it was creamy but wasn’t too hard which is what ice cream should be like. This was in turn complemented by the nuts that accompanied the dish, adding a heightened texture to the dish. Furthermore, the banana and strawberry slices were great, as they were ripe and tasted beautiful. I really think they hit the nail on the head with this dish, as it was a perfect representation of what a banana split should look and taste like. I highly recommend this joint to any dessert lovers, as I am sure that their other dishes are on par with the one I had.

The tally:

Quality: 4.5/5

Cost: 4/5 

Value: 4/5

Service: 4/5

Atmosphere: 4/5

-Eranga 

The Spot Chocolate Bar

Liverpool isn’t really known for its café scene. However, situated in an alleyway, is a decadent, hidden piece of heaven. The Spot Chocolate Bar is not as well-known as other cafes or dessert places, but it should be. From the moment we arrived, we could tell we were in for a treat.

The décor has an Arabian and Egyptian feel to it, giving it a Middle-eastern feel to the place. It really adds to the experience. The waiters are by far the friendliest I’ve met. They joke around, and exchange conversation. Makes a huge difference to the comfort of the place, making it seem like they’re friends.

They took our order, in which I got a Fondue for Two and a Cappuccino. One thing to note is that there is a bit of smoke around from the Shisha (a form of smoking) so if you suffer from asthma, you might want to beware of this. It didn’t really bother me, but it may pose concern for some. After 15 minutes or so, the food and drinks came out. The fondue for two comes with an assortment of Banana Bread, Waffles, strawberries, bananas and marshmallows as well as a bowl of chocolate fondue. The marshmallows didn’t really appeal to me, but the rest of the items. They were indescribable accompanied by the chocolate. It was heaven in my mouth. The chocolate leaves a lasting taste for your tastebuds, and is the perfect consistency. Nothing short of perfect.


As for the cappuccino, it was pretty mediocre. Not the worst, but the best either. I couldn’t really fault it, but I couldn’t give it any props either since it tasted like every other coffee I have had. However, the Fondue made up for this as it was the highlight of the whole experience. All in all, if you wish you to eat a sensation like no other, I would recommend taking a trip to the Spot Chocolate Bar.



The tally:

Quality: 4.5/5
Cost: 4/5 

Value: 4/5
Service: 4/5
Atmosphere: 4/5

-Eranga

The Baron- Your Local Cafe

Castle towers has a wide range of cafes to choose from however there is  one known as The Baron that I’d heard good things about but never checked out of fear of wasting money and it always seemed too busy.

The Baron is a small café located outside Castle Towers shopping centre about 200 metres from Cosmo Coffees and has the same look and feel to it however it is usually occupied with young people as compared to Cosmos.

This morning was no different than the rest, as we arrived there was a small line at the register with most seats inside the café occupied and very few available outside, which hinted that this café might be worth checking out.  This gave us some time to analyse the menu and I ordered a small coffee and my friend ordered the bacon and egg roll to eat in and we were provided with a table number.  

The Baron Café has a very lively atmosphere and is great for a coffee or brunch with friends for younger generations as its classified as a more ‘hipster’ café. It’s generally quite loud with conversations in the background and cars which can be attributed to its location, however the friendly staff more than make up for this.

The staff at The Baron were quite the conversationalists and didn’t shy away from conversation; the food is exceptional with good value for money. I would revisit this café and recommend it to my friends and family as it exceeded my expectations for a café in the hills, and would definitely visit if you enjoy a coffee with a vintage feel to it.

The Tally:

Quality: 5/5
Cost: 4/5
Value: 4/5
Service: 4.5
Atmosphere: 4/5

-Sepehr Kaveh

Le Square Cafe Macarthur

In the heart of the MacArthur Square Food Court on third floor is a cute little booth type Cafe, called Le Square Cafe. To Start I'd like to add that this  Cafe was especially special as their menu have a gluten free section. As this Cafe is situated in the food court the atmosphere is obviously very lively and filled with people, the seating arrangement near the cafe its self is near the windowed area which shows a beautiful view of the outside area. 

After quiet a long shopping session,  me and my friend approached this booth, very much on purpose as my friend can only eat gluten free food, and she had heard from someone that this cafe had a gluten free menu. Just to be sure we asked the assistant that was serving us and yes this was true, the service was great, the waitress was very vibrant and happy to be serving us it seemed. i ordered a Latte and my friend ordered a gluten free chocolate cake. 

The coffee only took about 2 minutes to make, despite the massive line in front of this cafe there didn't seem to be a slow down point in service, which was very surprising, they even brought our orders out to us in our seats. If i was to rate the coffee it would be a 3/5 however as i feel there was too much water compared to actual coffee as the coffee was almost tasteless, so it was a tad disappointing, However my Friends Cake according to her was amazing, as she cant eat gluten, she doesn't really eat cake much as most delicacies in most restaurants are filled with gluten. So she really enjoyed her cake, which i guess made the ordering from the cafe worth it. 

So overall this was just a little cafe experience when out shopping with friends, as per usual if you were at MacArthur and are hungry i wouldn't really rate this cafe as its in centro of the FOOD COURT which has a lot of different other options, and the coffee wasn't that great, however if you're in the area and are looking for a gluten free menu this cafe is definitively a place to go!

The tally:

Quality: 3/5

Presentation: 4/5

Cost: 4/5

Value: 3/5

Service: 5/5

Atmosphere: 5/5

- Zawad Hossain

    

Bay Vista - Chocolate Goodness

When you find yourself craving something sweet on a Sunday night, with a group of friends packed in a car, you tend to have one hell of a time deciding on something to eat. However, in Brighton, there is really only one place to go to satisfy your sweet tooth. 

Upon the shores of Brighton Beach, Bay Vista is a renowned establishment that is known for their spectacular desserts and service. Right as we entered the door, a friendly waiter greeted us, guided us to a table for 5. Granted, it was a bit packed up together, as it is a very crowded area, but as it was a cold night it didn’t really bother us at the time. We all decided on what delectable things to get, me choosing to get the Hot Chocolate and the Waffles. The restaurant is an “Order and Pay at the counter” restaurant, so it was a bit inconvenient, but it was reasonable. The whole environment is quite bubbly and lively as providing a fun and enjoyable experience to pass some time. The time taken to make the food seemed to fly, in relation to the 20 minutes that it took to bring our food to us. But boy was it worth the wait. The hot chocolate is self-prepared, as you create add your own milk and chocolate amounts to suit you as well as the side of marshmallows.  The chocolate isn’t overpowering at giving an enjoyable and warm taste for a chilly night. In addition, the Waffles were amazing. I don’t eat waffles often, but these were the best by far. They had some crunch to them, but were soft inside the hardened crust. Moreover, the chocolate as well as the vanilla ice cream and fruits add to the deliciousness and heighten the experience, as an explosion of flavours erupt in my mouth. The hot chocolate and the waffles both complemented each other, and it was a well needed break from the outside. 

All in all, I would highly recommend Bay Vista as a place to divulge your taste buds in a whirlwind of fun and deliciousness. 

The tally:

Quality: 5/5

Presentation: 5/5

Cost: 4/5

Value: 4/5

Service: 4.5/5

Atmosphere: 5/5

- Eranga

Teo's On Oxford

In the heart of my home town Ingleburn, a brand new cafe was just opened a couple of months ago. From what I've seen over those couple of months as i walk by every day on my way to the station, the cafe has done very well for it self, regularly it is busy and the general public have had some nice things to say about this Cafe.

The general atmosphere and styling of the cafe is modern and reminiscent of trendy inner west venue. The main feature wall is decorated with silhouettes of staff members, with their signatures and dates. The quirky cafe even has its table numbers suspended from the roof. Which for me out of the Cafes i have been to recently is probably the best design. 

Teo's menu includes sandwiches, burgers, pasta, pizza and freshly squeezed juices. I was with a friend when i visited this cafe and we were seeking for some where to have brunch local to our Area code, we went around 2pm when the Cafe was slightly busy, however despite this busyness the service was no short of amazing. We were greeted by a very friendly waitress who took our orders and seated us almost immediately, on top of this great service the food didn't take very long to come out. 

I ordered the Smoked Salmon Sandwich, which consists of  Smoked salmon, Spanish onion, lettuce and capers are piled between two slices of toasted sourdough lathered with cream cheese. The food was very much like the service, Amazing, this sandwich was probably the best sandwich i have ever tasted, and it came as a shock to me that in my quest to find my favorite sandwich place, that it would've been one that is basically in my back yard.

Over all Teo's on Oxford is for me the best Cafe overall, the experience was the best out of the lot of cafe's I've been to, and i strongly recommend this cafe to everyone that is looking for a great cafe brunch experience.  

The tally:

Quality: 5/5

Presentation: 5/5

Cost: 4.5/5

Value: 5/5

Service: 5/5

Atmosphere: 5/5

- Zawad Hossain

Gloria Jean's Coffees

It’s the café we’ve all heard about and frankly most of us have been there at some point in our lives, but for me it is always been out of necessity rather than desire. The Gloria Jean’s Coffees I’m referring to is the one located in Cherrybrook Village in the corner across zest patisserie.

It was a Thursday night around 8pm after I’d finished grocery shopping when a friend and I decided to have a coffee but weren’t up to driving so we decided to go to Gloria Jeans. It was virtually empty and there was one staff member sweeping the floors as we walked in, we weren’t greeted by her and she hardly spoke when taking our order.

Although previous visits to the café have been substantially superior, their products have always lacked the flavour that you can expect from simple drinks such as a hot chocolate, or iced coffee. This time around we ordered a iced coffee and a banana bread, both which were lacking quality and taste and the atmosphere was “dead”. Overall I was left upset about the service and the products that we purchased and I will not be returning to this café in the future.

The tally:

Quality: 1/5
Cost: 3/5     
Value: 2/5   
Service: 1/5   
Atmosphere: 1/5

-Sepehr Kaveh

Vogue Cafe - Eating a Work of Art

During my time at attending Macquarie University, I’ve had my fair share of visits to Macquarie Centre. I’d wander the various floors for needless items that I needed to buy. Upon my wanderings, I’d always walk past this little cafe at the end of an alley, situated the entrance from the Myer car park on the second floor, called the Vogue Café. I’d heard that my friends had been there before, and told me that their drinks were to die for, but always thought they were over-exaggerating, so I didn’t pay it much notice at first, but curiosity got the better of me one day and I had to try it out.

From memory, the area is packed for the lunch time rush from 12 onwards, but from 3 the place starts to die down. I finished class at 3, so it was perfect timing. I walked towards the establishment, admiring the simplistic yet intricate design and décor, like something out of France. I loved that look about it as it made it feel like a more international experience rather than a regional feel, talking you away into a different place. I sat down at one of tables on the right hand side, giving me a view of everyone in the café. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves, talking amongst one another deep in conversation. I was alone, but I still felt like I had company as I overheard the hustle and bustle of everyone’s day. After looking at the saliva-inducing menu, I decided to order the Mixed Berry Smoothie. I usually make smoothies at home, so it seemed like a good option to base a comparison off. The staff is rather friendly; as I exchanged conversation with the woman serving me as my drink was being made, asking me about university and my degree. For 7 or 8 minutes to make my drink, it seemed to pass rather quickly as I exchanged conversation. The woman handed me my drink, and I was gobsmacked. It looked like a work of art. I wasn’t sure what to anticipated, but this was on a totally different level. An ice cream cone inside a smoothie wasn’t something that I’d expected. The Ice cream was decadent, not too sweet but appealing to the tastebuds and had just the right amount of vanilla flavouring. Getting to the cone, it was crunchy and had a sweet taste to it similar to cinnamon. Once that was all finished, the smoothie was all that was left. It was a pretty thick consistency, and it was a bit hard to get through the straw but the taste was amazing, a mixture of different berries. All in all, it was a great experience and I would recommend it to anyone who wants to eat a work of art!

The tally:

Quality: 4/5

Presentation: 5/5

Cost: 3/5

Value: 4/5

Service: 4.5/5

Atmosphere: 5/5

- Eranga

Vogue Cafe @ Mac Centre! Calling all milkshake lovers

After a beautiful lunch and a few hours of shopping it was definitely time for a coffee or milkshake. My mum and I have heard all the hype in relation to the little cafe tucked away in the corner of Macquarie Centre, over by Florsheim and have been eager ever since to try it out. 

For once there were tables and the queue outside wasn't long, we walked over and got greeted straight away by a trainee-worker who politely pointed out the specials of the day and soon had us both seated in a quiet but central spot - close enough to the kitchen where we could see all of the milkshakes being topped with sweets and flaked chocolate. 

As my stomach was still quite full from lunch, a decadent dessert treat was all we both felt like. The milkshakes which were made behind the scenes looked to be a work of art, the cones perfectly placed in the middle of the glass and inside were sour worms, maltesers in some and other variations of chocolate goodness. 

I ordered the peanut butter milkshake and my mum ordered just a regular latte. The wait was a little longer then expected as it took roughly 15-20 minutes to bring two drinks to the table. My guess was that there was some staff training taking place as I noticed two of the girls with a training badge on. 

By the time the waitress came around with the drinks I was absolutely parched but by the looks of the drink I could already predict what my thoughts were. My perception of the overall experience was a lot different to how it actually lived out. The milk was of room temperature and I was expecting the milkshake to be quite a cold beverage however it must just have been a rare occasion. My mum’s latte was nice, she described it as 'not the best but well-needed'. The shaky hands of the waitress caused the cup to spill a little and we opted out of eating just because we only wanted to stop and have a break for 20-30 mins. 

Overall, I have to say the experience we both endured at the Vogue Cafe was an interesting one. It was so great to try the milkshakes and see the design and creations in the cafe. I wouldn't say it has been the best drink I have tasted however presentation certainly does play a big factor in my overall critiquing and judgement and the presentation was of a high standard!

The tally:

Quality: 3/5

Presentation: 5/5

Cost: 3/5

Value: 3/5

Service: 3/5

Atmosphere: 4/5


- Olivia 

Paper Plane Cafe

Located on a small street off George st in Parramata, the Paper Plane Cafe is a another new up and coming metro cafe. The Cafe looked great from the exterior with a great rustic look, the giant chalk boar outside with the specials of the day written on it added to the great rustic experience.

We had a group of 6 enter the Cafe, and one for one of my Friends it was a special day as it was their birthday, so we
decided to have brunch at a special location for him, so we decided to try something new and enter this metro Cafe that we had seen before. As we entered the Cafe we were greeted by a great waitress who throughout our experience at the cafe was very helpful. After we were seated we were handed the menus and we proceeded to order our food.

The talk point of this cafe would definitely have to be its charm and environment. The Cafe emanates a lovely  charm and delight to sit and eat some great food with great company. The exterior draws you in, and the interior keeps you there with its very rustic design.

As for the food it was very disappointing, i ordered the poached egg, smoked salmon and chorizo meal and a chai  latte. the food looked amazing, however i wish i could said the same for the taste, the poached egg and the chorizos were mostly raw and had to be sent back, as for my friend who ordered the same meal, hes food seemed to up to standard, so it should be noted that there is a small inconsistency in the quality of food in this cafe.

Over all the Cafe was an amazing experience excluding the food it self, the over all atmosphere
and surroundings was charming and very metro, the service similarly was up to high standards as the staff were very helpful and very considerate of the customers.

The tally:
Quality: 3/5
Cost: 4/5
Value: 4/5
Service: 5/5
Atmosphere: 5/5

- Zawad Hossain

Rueban and Moore @ Mac Centre

After a busy Monday morning, I ventured down to Macquarie Centre to have lunch with a friend. After a small amount of discussion as to where to go to eat, we eventually settled on the decision of grabbing a table in the small but sweet restaurant 'Rueban and Moore'.  Upon arrival we were greeted by the beautiful smiles of the two staff members who stood by the front entrance and directed us to an empty bench overlooking the ice-rink.

We were soon to decide what order we would like to place and we signaled the waiter so our wait wouldn't be a long one. After hearing many great comments and stories from friends who have been here before, it was exciting to finally try it and see what it was all about. The wooden, rustic feel of the restaurant contributed greatly to the warm and inviting atmosphere.

For the whole entire day I was craving a nice, hearty meal and in an instant I knew that a burger would be the perfect option. The most popular meal served and put into the system would have to be 'The Rueban' which is a flavoursome combination of pulled pork, lettuce, pickles and mayonnaise, sandwiched between two thick pieces of sourdough bread. I knew this would be the meal I'd go for. I opted out of having the sauce on the sandwich as I have never been a fan of mayonnaise in general, however the generous serving of chips which was an additional order made this meal an exceptional one! The tenderness of the meat oozed a great deal of flavour and the taste was one which set the bar to a high standard especially when I next find myself at a cafe/restaurant ordering another burger.

My friend chose a slightly different meal which was somewhat like a destruction of the burger - just like a roast meal. The roast beef again was cooked to perfection and it was almost impossible to critique or fault anything about the overall experience or food quality. There was a generous serving of roast vegetables which filled the plate, allowing for a small taste of a bit of everything.

The tally:
Quality: 5/5
Cost: 4/5
Value: 4/5
Service: 4.5/5
Atmosphere: 4/5



- Olivia Ellis -

Oliver Brown

A blessing in disguise is one of the ways to describe Oliver Brown; a cosy café located in the leafy suburbs of Cherrybrook. At first, the café looks like any other ordinary coffee shop you would find in a shopping centre, however at closer inspection you will be surprised to find the friendly staff and amazing food is the point of differentiation.

Peak times aren’t a problem as seats are plentiful, with two sections. Indoors for those who like enjoy the warmth or outdoors for those like a little breeze with their coffee however there is one downside; the outdoor seating is a no smoking zone.

Overall the first impression so far has been great, however will they receive the same approval for their food? The menu has an extensive range of different coffees and Belgium treats. We ordered the hot chocolate with dark chocolate and for those who are wondering, you also have the choice of white chocolate as well. In addition to that, I ordered the Belgium waffles with ice-cream as it was suggested to me by the staff member taking my order.

Once we were seated, only five minutes had passed till the staff brought out our drinks and waffles. The hot chocolate was the one of the best I have tasted, unlike other cafes; you could really the cocoa and although it was sweet, I personally like my drink sweeter. However don’t let that fool you; it was perfect for my friend and the marsh mellow on the side was the perfect little treat.

The Belgium waffle was crunchy on the exterior but melted away in the mouth, I advise purchasing the ice cream because it helps balance out the sweetness of the waffle and chocolate syrup. All things considered I highly recommend the Oliver Brown café and will revisit soon for a tasty hot chocolate!

The tally:

Quality: 1/5 
Cost: 3/5      
Value: 2/5    
Service: 1/5     
Atmosphere: 1/5

-Sepehr Kaveh.

Blacksmith Cafe

Located in a very ominous alley in Surrey Hills, The Black Smith Cafe instantly gave vibes  of a rustic and olden day tavern type  nature from the display of its exterior and interior. further adding to the spontaneity to this cafe was the fact that my friends and I  had randomly stumbled upon this place, as we looked for a little cafe to indulge in lunch.      

Since we we arrived at the cafe just after lunch time it wasn't quiet busy, just a couple of customers having coffee, the waitress took us to our seats after some confusion finally seating us down and served us with the menus which were also very rustic. We decided to order food for ourselves, i myself ordered the chicken and Roughforked Avo, with a side of chips and a Vanilla milkshake.



We waited for about 20 minutes for our food to come out, but when it did it was clearly worth the wait, the food looked absolutely amazing, however the waitress had done a mistake by not registering my friends order at all so he had to wait another 20 minutes for his food. all in all the food was amazing and was really worth the trip.

The Decor of the Interior of the Cafe was stunning and really appealing to the eye as well as the quality of the food , however this alone did not make up for the terrible service, countless amount of times the waitress had shown signs of unprofessional-ism, which had hindered  the experience significantly. The food however was up to scratch and well worth the money and travel, if you're in the area and looking for a quality
meal to eat in a very nice environment, Blacksmith Cafe is definitely the place to go!

Overall Tally    
Cost- 4/5
Quality- 5/5
Value- 4/5
Atmosphere- 5/5
Service - 2/5

- Zawad Hossain
        

Cosmo Coffee

Cosmo Coffee is the perfect little café situated on the corner of old castle hill road and Castle Street, it has an old retro feel to it, making it the perfect place for a coffee with friends. However that wasn’t the reason we were there, we were looking for some delicious brunch and stumbled upon this café unexpectedly.

It was quite busy this morning when we arrived and we had to wait in line to order and there was staff running around cleaning up tables constantly, which hinted this café was the right place. We ordered two “Cosmo breakfast” and a large Cappuccino and were given a seat number, we chose the outside seats which were wooden blocks and although it was a nice touch they weren’t as comfortable as expected.

The Cosmo breakfast includes two eggs, crispy bacon, chipolata sausage, sautéed mushrooms, baby spinach, grilled tomatoes & hash brown served with Turkish bread. We were waiting around 10 minutes before one of the friendly staff brought out the coffee and some table water to go with it, and a further 5 minutes till the food arrived. The food was served on a small rectangular plate and everything on the plate was cooked to perfection and the atmosphere was excellent as it was quite with some background noise. However although the food was amazing, it can be pricey for someone looking for a cheap breakfast but if you’re after a nice brunch with friends with amazing coffee, Cosmos is the place!

The tally:

Quality: 1/5 
Cost: 3/5      
Value: 2/5    
Service: 1/5     
Atmosphere: 1/5


-Sepehr Kaveh.

MAX BRENNER

Situated at the bus bay and University entrance to Macquarie shopping center Max Brenner is the perfect place to go to indulge on some amazing chocolate treats and drinks. Max Brenner is a well-known chocolate café with over 49 locations worldwide. This chocolate experience can be found located in four states in Australia.

After an afternoon of assignments and study a chocolate fix was definitely needed, so where else best to go than Max Brenner. At the Macquarie shopping center location seating can be found out-side (a little loud from road and people traffic), inside the shopping center (also a little loud from the hussel and bussel of shoppers) or inside the store.

After narrowing down a hard decision from an amazing array of choices, we ordered a Classic Milk and White Hot Chocolate and tutti fruitti waffles, which come with strawberries, banana and choice or vanilla or chocolate ice-cream, to prevent a chocolate overload we got vanilla ice-cream. Not long after ordering our drinks arrived, nice and hot and moments later so did the waffles.

Max Brenner is usually busy with people, but staff are constantly walking around clearing plates and cups to ensure the store is clean and well presented. The food and drinks were amazing served quickly even in a busy rush period.

The Macquarie Max Brenner has friendly staff and great customer service ensuring every experience is enjoyable. The atmosphere in the café was happy and lively creating an enjoyable experience all round.

Overall
Cost:              4/5
Quality:          4/5
Value:           4/5
Atmosphere: 3/5
Service:         4/5

-Nathaniel Vala