Pablo's Vice cafe truly is a hidden gem of the Surry Hills / Darlinghurst area. The unassuming shopfront is tucked away just off Crown Street down Goulburn Street, opposite one of our favourite evening venues Cafe Lounge.
The friendly cafe has been serving the area over 18 years, mostly from its staple menu of brunch favourites, and more recently extending into evening trading hours with happy hour drinks and tapas style snacks.
Before moving on it is worth noting the affordability of this venue - breakfast number cost you a good few dollars less here than at most places in easy walking distance of it, and there is no sacrifice of quality.
The menu is simple and mostly showcases a few varieties on the breakfast "stack" - there's the original Pablo's Stack with bacon, smashed avo, wilted spinach with aioli and a poached egg on sourdough ($12.50), a haloumi version that swaps the bacon for haloumi and the sourdough for rye ($13.50), and the Salmon Stack with fresh smoked salmon and the same trimmings ($14).
We try the Salmon Stack and it sure does stack up in the Sydney brunch stakes. The salmon and the avocado are as fresh and bright as we'd hoped for, and the eggs are poached perfectly. Aioli is applied thoughtfully sparingly, not drowning the dish, which suits me well though I'd guess others might want more. As usual, I would think about adding extra salt and some chili flakes... though I add those to everything and it's by no means everyone's cup of tea.
Another winner is Farmer Joe's Muesli - burnt fig, almond, honey and cinnamon muesli with fresh fruit, honey and Greek yoghurt ($11). Visually it's a beauty, and the taste doesn't disappoint either. Unadvertised mint leaves are an unexpected winner in this dish, really setting off the fresh sweetness of the strawberries. Ask for some milk on the side if you would like.
Further brekky options include Bacon and Egg roll ($9), fresh Fruit and Yoghurt ($9.50), a Mushroom Toastie ($10), the obligatory Smashed Avo (with feta, $11.50) and more.
Coffee is Campos and good. A current special of Sticky Chai ($5) is a good alternative, sweet but not sickly.
For lunch (11am - 2pm) Pablo's Vice offers three different burgers, a BLAT wrap ($8) and a seasonal salad (from $7). Burgers cater for most, with a classic Pablo's Beef Burger, a vegetarian Haloumi Burger (both $9) and the vegan Guilt Free Burger with a cajun spiced chickpea and cauliflower patty ($8.50).
The Haloumi Burger features a generous amount of that tasty grilled cheese, with roast pumpkin, caramelised onion, mixed lettuce and a delicious dill tzatziki with a good garlic hit. For $9, it's excellent value for money for a cafe lunch in this area. So you can see why the addition of some Sweet Potato Fries ($6.50) might be tempting. These and other light meals and snacks are available from 11am until close of day trading hours, including an antipasto platter (in small or large sizes depending on your group) that would happily complement their early evening happy hour.
Pablo's Vice is open every day for breakfast and lunch, with extended hours Thursday and Friday from 4.30pm - 10.30pm. It's an unassuming, comfortable, rewarding little venue and well worth a visit.
