Located on the busy Toorak Road, this new-ish bakery/cafe has made quite the impact on locals since opening their doors just a short while ago. We have walked past far too many times, so thought we would finally pop in and see what this bustling bakery had to offer.
ATMOSPHERE & SERVICE
Walking in, you are instantly drawn to the amazing display cabinet, stocked with freshly baked breads, pastries, fancy cakes and the like. There was a constant line of people waiting to order goodies to take home, and it was no surprise with everything looking so amazing. Behind the cabinet is a large window with cured meats, which separates the pastry kitchen from the rest of the cafe.
The decor is rustic, yet simple with concrete floors, exposed ceilings and brick, and large windows to let in an abundance of natural light. The furniture is simple with small wooden cafe tables and chairs, which wrap around the cabinets. Depending on where you’re seated, you can watch the masters in the kitchen baking away.
The service was friendly from the few different staff that looked after us. We did have a small wait (about 5 minutes or so) and the waiter apologised for the ‘long wait’ while taking us to our seats. The coffee did take a bit to arrive, however the food was quick to follow.
FOOD
Ned’s Bake create a range of 15+ different breads plus pastries, cakes and tarts, all available for take-away or dine in. Gourmet pizzas and pastas also fill the lunch and dinner menus, which all looked appetising. Since it was still quite early, we were after a delicious breakfast, perfect for trying their house made breads.
I ordered the ‘Smashed Avo’ served on house made sourdough, poached egg and feta. I was a bit disappointed that it was only one piece of bread, given the price. Although tasty, it did leave me wanting more.
MC ordered the ‘Baked Eggs’ served with two fried eggs, baked beans and served with fresh sourdough. Again another small portion size for the price, however the beans were well seasoned and the eggs cooked perfectly.
Overall, breakfast was tasty, however rather small. I think this is more of a place to pop into to for a light snack from their gorgeous pastry cabinet.
