Twenty & Six Espresso

Another year, another new cafe to check out in Melbourne. Now that I've moved away from the University, it's a lot more effort than it used to be to check out places in the inner north. Having heard good things about this newly opened cafe though, I organised a brunch catch-up with a friend that I've seem all too little of in the last year.

The cool cafe seemed like the perfect escape from a somewhat unbearably warm morning. As my friend was running late (it was a lazy Sunday after all), I settled down with an aromatic long black and the morning paper. The staff were attentive and polite, and the wait was actually quite pleasant. It didn't hurt that the decor is charmingly cute.

Hello Deer

When my friend did arrive though, it was down to the very important business of eating. I was tempted by many items on the menu (mental note that I need to try more of them!), but settled on the Raw Energy Salad with an extra poached egg. This was an educated decision based on 1. It was a very hot day and anything heavier would have made me very sleepy, and 2. I needed any energy I could get for a Chinese New Year performance later in the day.

Needless to say, I was very happy when this arrived:

Raw Energy Salad

That is a giant bowl of salad by anyone's standards. With a perfectly poached egg, a generous serving of pepitas, a touch of beetroot for sweetness, and a light but refreshing dressing, I could have eaten this for dinner as well. Mind you, the salad would have wilted in the heat, but this was certainly one of the best salads I've had in a long time.

My friend ordered the appropriately named Hulk Smash.

Hulk Smash

Now that is a heck of a lot of avocado, perhaps too much. Then again, the Hulk never did anything by halves. I had a bit of what he couldn't finish and it was very tasty, but I doubt I could have finished it either.

All-in-all, a nice addition to the North Melbourne cafe scene. I hope they get their outdoor seating license soon, though I'd rather sit outside in Autumn than in the middle of Summer.

Twenty & Six Espresso
594 Queensberry Street, North Melbourne
Thu-Tue 8am-4pm, Wed Closed