Paddington Social

The Verdict

Residing in a converted Queenslander house, Paddington Social is quickly becoming a Brisbane institution. Delicious food, housemade pastries, unrivalled ambience and a damn good coffee to wash it all down—this place will not disappoint. 

The cafe and its pop-up Thai restaurant are brought to you by three insanely talented chefs—Gibbi, Tyler and Alex—who each bring their own little something to the table (no pun intended). Brekky and lunch by Tyler, handmade pastries and cakes by Gibbi and a Thai pop-up kitchen by Alex—these chefs have mastered their trades over the years and it shows.

Consider yourself a pastry lover? The offering at Paddington Social will blow your mind. While there’s more than just croissants, it’s these little beauties that we’re coming back for every week. Made lovingly in-house, each small batch takes three days to perfect, and they’re every bit as good as you can imagine. Flaky pastry and buttery goodness, you need to make these a regular occurrence in your life. Pair one with a coffee for an indulgent Euro breakfast or simply add it as dessert (or entree) to the incredible breakfast menu. Our top picks? The gruyere and mushroom potato cake or sticky date hotcakes, just to keep the sweet theme going. 

If you haven’t quite made it out of bed before noon, rest assured, brunch keeps going until 2.30pm so you’ve got plenty of time to get that hangover sorted. Get some goodness into you with a chicken chop salad, or go all out with the deluxe burger. No judgement here. 

Once you’ve worked your way through the pastries and brunch menu, it’s time to get excited for Paddington Social’s Thai Pop-up Kitchen which runs from Tuesday to Saturday each week. You can expect old favourites like massaman curry made with wagyu beef and the pad thai noodles that are always a crowd-pleaser. If you’re feeling a bit more adventurous, chef Alex has put together some dishes with a bit of creative flair. Think a creamy, sweet pumpkin curry, crispy pork belly with Chinese kale or larb made with crispy calamari. Yep, we’re salivating too.  

Pre-work coffee run, brunch or mid-week dinner—whatever the occasion, Paddington Social has you covered. Just be sure to get there before those croissants sell out. 

Image credit: Ranyhyn Laine & Paddington Social