I had been to Pillar of Salt ages ago and loved everything about it. I decided to head back as we were in the area in hopes it would be just as amazing as last time we visited.
ATMOSPHERE & SERVICE
Located along Richmond’s busy Church Street, this corner cafe sees a number of locals and those on their lunch break grabbing a quick coffee before heading back to work. The cafe itself is quite small with tables placed rather close together to optimise the space, plus a gorgeous outdoor courtyard out back. Even on weekdays, you’ll find the cafe bustling and often have to wait a few minutes for a table to clear.
Exposed brick walls, polished concrete floors and rustic cafe style chairs fill the space to create a homely and welcoming vibe. Retro style white and red lighting and hints of greenery are seen throughout the space, added a touch of colour.
The service was friendly from the moment we walked through the door. There was a small que of people waiting to be seated, but within a few short minutes we were brought to our table with drink orders taken.
FOOD
Their breakfast/lunch menu has a variety of delicious classics as well as some signature dishes, all which can be pumped out of the kitchen quickly to cater for the large business clientele they see throughout the week.
I had the little one with me today, so decided to go with the classics, starting with the ‘Free Range Poached Eggs’ served on Rustica bakery bread with a side of kipfler hashbrowns with leek and gruyere. Our little one loves a gewy egg and these were cooked just to her liking. Paired with a different take on the traditional hashbrown, these little guys were packed with flavour, crunchy on the outside and piping hot inside.
I went for the ‘Smashed Avocado’ topped with roasted red pepper, black tahini hummus, chickpea sprouts, pine nut dukkah, and sautéed spinach. I must admit, this was probably one of the better smashed avo dishes I’ve had in a long time. I loved how they incorporated some delicious veggies instead of just a heap of avocado to try and fill you up.
I was pleased that our second visit to Pillar of Salt was just as good, if not better than our last visit. The space had a lively atmosphere without being overly loud, the food was delicious and the service was top notch.