Vanilla Bean and Lime Deli Cafe, Padstow

Everyone has their local haunt. A place where they love the coffee, the service is friendly, the vibe is cool and the prices are reasonable. My personal weekend haunt is Vanilla Bean and Lime Deli Cafe, the subject of this post



Name: Vanilla Bean and Lime
Where: 61 Howard Road, Padstow
Diners: HappyLeDiz and Moosh (aunt to Mr LeDiz)


I was blessed with a visit from my aunt-in-law today and, in true food loving fashion, we decided to go for lunch to catch up on the latest happenings in our lives.

Short on time but always in the need of a decent feed, we decided to head down the road to Vanilla Bean & Lime Deli Cafe.

The surroundings are lovely, in fact they have just repainted the restaurant to give it a more sophisticated feel. There are many tables and, although the place is always pumping on the weekend, you don't feel too crowded in there.

The waitstaff were prompt in welcoming us and giving us our menus once seated; after a quick scan of the menu I decided on the chicken schintzel burger and Moosh decided on the grilled chicken on toasted turkish bread, both of which are served with a choice of chips or wedges.

We immediately settled in to looking at photos of Moosh's newly born grandson (who, by the way, is absolutely beautiful) and before we knew it our meals had arrived.

Both meals were presented on large, round, white plates and were kept simple with just a pinch of chopped parsley decorating the plate. My burger was toasted and the chicken schnitzel was cooked to a golden hue which had a satisfying crunch when I took a bite. The chicken inside the crumb was good quality: soft, perfectly cooked and no gristle. The salad accompanying the schnitzel in the burger was fresh and in good proportion to the meat and bread. It was flavoured with cheese, aioli and sweet chilli sauce. The serve of chips accompanying were golden brown, not too oily and generous in size (but not over the top). Altogether it was a satisfying meal.

Moosh's grilled chicken on turkish was equally satisfying. Once again the chicken was perfectly cooked and of good quality. The salad was fresh and it had aioli and avocado as accompaniements. We were both happy with our meals.

Once we finish our meal we ordered coffees. These were really nice coffees, the beans were well roasted and the barista had packed it really well to get a beautiful crema on Moosh's long black. The milk in my skim latte a temperature that was hot but I could drink immediately and had a beautiful creamy consistency.

I would recommend anyone in the surrounding area to dine at Vanilla Bean and Lime. They are open from 8am each day and serve dinner on Friday nights. It is good quality food and good coffee at a price that presents value for money.