By Sheree Bright
Industrial yet cosy. Modern and retro. Laid back and a little bit fancy. You would think a mixed bag like this would be a mess, but somehow the Atomic cafe in Kingsland pulls it off and does it well.
Situated in an old warehouse on the edge of Kingsland the cafe is revamped with black wood and polished concrete. The decor is modern and simplistic with a splash of retro thrown in every now and then, like a random orange stool and cute little preserve jars I remember from my childhood.
In the corner of the room, through a glass wall you can see the machinery and equipment they use to manufacturer their own coffee blend. Smaller scale coffee apparatus are displayed throughout the cafe with strict signage "Do touch".
Their new brunch menu is a little different. If your a standard "big breakfast" or "eggs bene" type of bruncher then this may not be the place for you. Yes there are eggs and porridge, but they are served a little bit different and a little bit fancy, but without the fancy price tag. The hardest part was trying to choose just one item from the menu, so we didn't.
Slow cooked pork and baked beans with sour dough toast, eye fillet on crispy polenta with field mushrooms and the toasted banana bread to share.
All of the meals were presented beautifully. The eye fillet was definitely on the lunch side of brunch. The homemade baked beans were a highlight. I’m not quite sure about the pork/beans combination and the pork was a little over-cooked.
Overall our meals were great, but neither could compare to the exquisiteness of the toasted banana bread. Served with banana, poached rhubarb, blueberries and lemon ricotta it was amazing. From the first bite I knew that deciding to share was a bad idea.
With friendly staff, reasonable prices and a modern cosy atmosphere it is the sort of place you could pop in for a quick coffee or have a leisurely Sunday with some good friends and good food. I will definitely be back - I want to try the buckwheat porridge with candied pecans and maybe some more of that banana bread!
Rating: 4.5/5