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Bespoke and Grind

Restaurants

Fancy wheels and flat whites combine at Marrickville's fun new bicycle café

First published on 14 Sep 2011. Updated on 24 Feb 2012.

At the more industrial end of Marrickville Road, Bespoke and Grind is like a little ray of sunshine between an ad-hoc junkyard and a series of closed-down businesses. This happy little café was opened six months ago, apparently as a place for owner Stacey Giaprakas to indulge in his dual hobbies of roasting coffee and fixing bicycles.

The place is decked out with mismatched furniture, a wall rack of lovely vintage bikes and a leftover Peavey amp from the last community jam they hosted (that’s right - they also throw the odd party just to keep things interesting). The vibe is like your friend’s living room, which just happens to open out onto the street and serve great coffee.

The menu is tiny, confined to things that can be made in the wee corner kitchenette. There is a BLT, a chicken burger and a vegetable pie if you fancy a hot lunch, or simple but hearty-sounding sambos with tuna, ham or salad. The vegetable pie is a golden pastry pocket filled with Indian spiced potato and lentils with yoghurt and sweet chilli on the side to lighten up the double-carbs. It also comes with a neat side salad for an old-fashioned touch. If you are one for the classics the BLT is pulling no punches - lettuce, tomato slices and bacon on a crusty white roll with mayo, just as the luncheon gods intended.

Considering the current banana prices the smoothie is of the mixed berry variety, and does a damn good job of it - not too sweet, and with just the right amount of yoghurt. But if you take issue with seeds in your teeth then you’re better off sticking to coffee.

In the market for a new set of wheels? Luckily for you all the lovingly restored bikes are for sale, or if you have one at home in need of some attention this café also provides bike services on the side.

Marrickville may well be on the up but happily the prices don’t seem to be. Everything at Bespoke and Grind comes in at under a tenner, which is another good reason to ride on over.

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Words by Emily Lloyd-Tait