The Overview…
Food: Chai Brioche and Housemade XO chilli scramble
The details…
Situated inside the entrance to a shopping centre, Braybrook has a bit of a different vibe to Northcote; it’s smaller and attracts much more takeaway business, but still offers a comfortable environment for those customers who do want to eat in. The large windows to one side overlook the carpark, and while they don’t offer much of a view, they do help keep the space light and bright.
The cafe revolves around a central communal table with a number of smaller tables. For a small space it actually accommodates about 40 people and the green decor inside makes it feel warm and welcoming. They’ve done a good job with the fit out. It’s always a challenge to make it feel sufficiently cafe-like when based in a shopping centre, but the stone floors and tiled exterior convey their tube station branding really well, and while it’s not fancy it’s a really pleasant and functional space.
For those who have visited Northcote STN, Braybrook has the same menu – offering all those classic brunch favourites and lots of classy little twists. We went for the XO chilli scramble and the chai brioche.
The chilli scramble had nice presentation. As with most of the dishes from STN cafes, there’s a lot of elements going on and it had a good kick of chilli. However, this was well balanced with the serve of fresh avocado, which comes as part of the dish, and really helped to cool down the meal.
The brioche is another great looking dish. It’s sweet, but pretty refined and doesn’t feel like a big sugar hit. M.B. felt there was too much mandarin on the plate, but I like the freshness of this. The peanut butter parfait was an unusual choice and it did clash with and overwhelm some of the other delicate flavours on the plate. It was a bit too strong to be a backing dancer in this act, but not quite strong enough to be the primary flavour and hero of this dish. Didn’t ruin it, but we definitely would have preferred it without.
The service was excellent and Braybrook was a busy little cafe, even midweek so it is definitely making a name for itself. Good move STN cafes! Looking forward to the next addition.
Everything else…
Website: https://www.instagram.com/stn_cafes/
Address: Shop 23, 65-67, Ashley Street, Central West Shopping Centre, Braybrook
Opening Times:
Mon 7am to 5pm
Tue 7am to 5pm
Wed 7am to 5pm
Thu 7am to 8pm
Fri 7am to 9pm
Sat 8am to 5pm
Sun 8am to 5pm
Note: Kitchen does closer up to an hour earlier than the above times.
Parking: Being in Central West Shopping Centre the big advantage is there is plenty of nearby parking and at most times of day you should be able to get a spot.
Getting here on PT: You can take a Sunbury Line Train to Tottenham station and it’s about a 7 minute walk to the cafe. From the city you can also take the 219 or 220 bus routes with a similar 7-10 minute walking time.
Disclaimer: We dined as guests of Braybrook STN. Reviews are honest and based on our own personal experiences. We cannot guarantee things at a restaurant won’t change (including, but not limited to, menu items and opening hours, so please confirm any details with the venue before visiting