Port Of Call

The Verdict

Talk about pedigree. The guys behind Port Of Call are the same ones that did (take a deep breath here...) Touchwood, Tall Timber, Coin Laundry, Left Field and Plain Sailing. Err, calm the farm, guys. Leave some cafes for the rest of us.

Port Of Call follows the same basic formula as Plain Sailing and Left Field—take a beautiful, light-filled space (this one used to be a real estate agency) and dish up breakfast classics and strong coffee.

This time the smashed av comes with roasted red pepper hummus (an excellent combo), and there’s even a cheeky cheesecake banana bread with whipped blueberry ricotta and banana chip crumbs. This thing is worth the extra treadmill session, trust us. The best sweet brunch we’ve had since Fledgling Espresso.

Interior designer Fiona Drago handled the fit-out in here, which we’d tentatively call ‘bayside breezy’. There’s less timber than Plain Sailing. Fiona (along with co-owners Steve Rowley, Matthew Vero, Kerrie Townley and Ryan Lording) have gone for a pastel geometric tile on the floor, muted greens and greys, hanging pendant lights and more windows than the average greenhouse (they actually had to knock through the back wall).

As always with these guys, the coffee comes from Niccolo. You can steam the usual variety of milk (soy, almond, coconut), along with the regular stuff that comes out of cows. Supagreens supplies the cold-pressed juices, and there’s organic teas and some toasty hot chocs to round out the drinks.

The nice thing about Port Of Call, and all the cafes from these guys, is that they don’t feel generic. There’s a formula there, but each venue has its own personality, it’s own spin on what brunch should be in a post-avo world.

The young professionals and families in Sandringham clearly agree. Consider this your new bayside port of call.  

Image credit: Jenna Fahey-White