This little gem of a cafe makes me happy. It always seems to be a bright sunny day when we visit. The cafe is always buzzing, the menu is interesting and great value and they do delicious coffee. Being only TBS’s second outing in a week due to illness, Cheerio was just the ticket to revive our hungry and parched spirits.
Cheerio’s menu is concise and interesting with everything priced well under the $20 mark. The plates exiting the kitchen all looked incredibly appealing but it was the mushroom duxelles I settled on. It was a nice change from the usual sliced, creamy mushrooms. These funghi were minced and spread onto toast in a paste and then topped with globs of Meredith goats cheese, wobbly poached eggs and a sprinkling of basil. The mushrooms were light and complemented by the creamy, tangy goats cheese. God I love that stuff. The toast was quite thin but well suited to the dish as by the time I had finished it I was surprisingly full.
TBS’s porridge was mighty fine looking. Puddles of melted brown sugar, crimson raspberry and strawberry compote and a generous scattering of pistachios. I may have had slight food envy. TBS wolfed down the porridge. It was a great texture, creamy and incredibly satisfying.
The coffee is also one of my favourite things about Cheerio. Serving Seven Seeds espresso blend, my piccolo was silky, strong and downed all too quickly. TBS’s juice of apple, ginger and beetroot was reviving and refreshing. The ginger offered a wee kick which added to the enjoyment.
As always a charming visit. Cheerio may be small but it’s perfectly formed.
P.S If you’re in for lunch, Cheerio’s sandwiches are also ace.
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CHEERIO
CUISINE: Cafe Fare, Coffee
ADDRESS: 323 Lennox Street, Richmond
HOURS: Mon – Sat 7am – 4pm / Sun 8am – 4pm
FACEBOOK: cheerio
COFFEE: Seven Seeds