Burton Road has never been short of places worth knowing. Even within that metric, Carrot Cafe is a stand-out. It’s the kind of spot locals instinctively drift towards for a weekday coffee, a slow weekend brunch, or a quick catch-up that somehow turns into staying longer than planned. And while it looks like a friendly community cafe – and very much is – it’s also super-slick when it comes to breakfast, lunch and inventive drinks.
That comes down to Joe and Karin, the husband-and-wife team behind the counter. Between them they’ve spent years opening and running restaurants and cafes, and it shows in the details. Service is calm and confident, the kitchen runs like clockwork, and the menu feels properly thought through rather than padded out. Nothing here is obvious or half-hearted, especially when it comes to breakfast and lunch.
Nothing is obvious or lazy, from bagels loaded with a cream cheese, sumac, chive and sweet pepper dressing, to a zingy whipped avocado variety, and of course a smoked salmon offering that’s just a little bit different to what you’re used to seeing. It’s worth keeping an eye on their ever-evolving lunch offering too. Coffee is by the ever-reliable Allpress, so you know they’re not messing around.
The cafe space itself is really inviting, located practically on top of Burton Road tram stop, which is handy. That secret garden out the back really comes into its own when the sun comes out too…
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