Faraday’s Cage is hidden away off the main streets of Fitzroy. It still offers that bare brick wall, edgy Fitzroy feel, but in a bright open venue, with a rear courtyard, friendly staff and some amazing food. Until you see the bright umbrellas of the outdoor seating you probably wouldn’t even realise Faraday’s Cage was there, but with the advantage of actually being able to park nearby (or a short walk from PT if you prefer) it’s a really great find. We were invited to try out some dishes from their new spring menu.
Faraday’s Cage is loud and lively – not from over the top music, or because it’s a tiny venue, just because it’s so clearly popular. Even at the ungodly hour of 8:30 on a Saturday morning, most of its tables were full, and there was a steady stream of customers for take out – which is no surprise when you see the fab range of pastries they have on offer. We were warmly greeted and talked through the menu – which has lots of great options to suit everyone. We tried a good range of dishes from the menu: Chilli Scrambled Eggs, House-made Granola, Ricotta Pancakes and Eggs Benny, along with bread and pastries, which we took home to enjoy later.
Starting from the top, the chilli scramble was a very enjoyable dish, and probably the favourite for all of us (although, it was a tough choice), it had a good warmth without being overly spicy. Served on their in-house baked bread, it was a flavourful and easy to eat dish. The House-made Granola, served with saffron poached pear, thyme labne and seasonal berries was super fresh and despite my initial reservations on reading the ingredients, the thyme flavour actually blended beautifully with the fresh fruit and granola, giving it a stand out taste from many other granola bowls out there. It also looks absolutely stunning and is the perfect way to brighten your morning.
The real hero of the eggs benny is the beautiful chipotle hollandaise, making this a surprisingly spicy dish. The eggs are well poached, the pork is delicious, but this sauce just blends everything on the plate together perfectly; another creative twist on a classic dish. Finally we sampled the ricotta pancakes. The pancakes are rich, but very light and are again served with a good range of fresh ingredients and some beautiful caramelised white chocolate. For me, they were a little sweet to eat alone, but perfect as a shared dish, M.B. on the other hand loved them, and was pretty happy to shove the granola bowl to our side of the table and keep the pancakes all to himself.
In addition we also tried bread, pastries and cakes. Made fresh in house, the rye had a lovely flavour and was very moreish. The pastry on my danish was light and crispy and the chocolate brownie was divine (if you’re a chocolate lover make sure you sample this). It’s no surprise when Faraday’s Cage reveal the chef is actually the owner – you can see the extra level of TLC that goes into every dish, every item that comes out of their kitchen.
What you’ll remember most about Faraday’s Cage is the food: fresh, tasty and beautiful – but most importantly, creative. Most of the dishes we tried offered something unique, a different flavour, or blend of ingredients to make it really stand out in your mind. Faraday’s Cage has definitely become my new benchmark now, that I’m subconsciously comparing all the cafes we visit to it. The atmosphere and service are wonderful too, and it was ticks all round from all of us here at Suzie Scribbles. A must visit, and I can’t wait to go back!