Little Green Bean

By Rhys Kane on April 29, 2011 in Food

On an unassuming stretch of Clovelly Road in a quiet but swanky part of North Randwick lies a melting pot of cafes and bicycle shops. For quite some time the prime spot in amongst all this has been Parc cafe, one of my favourite eateries in the east. Of late, a couple of new cafes have been cutting in on the action – namely Nancy’s and the subject of this review, Little Green Bean espresso bar – forming something of a holy culinary trinity.

The first thing you’ll notice about Little Green Bean is that it certainly is little – just a few tables inside and a couple on the pavement – but it’s all perfectly neat, tidy and organised. More inner city modern than suburban disorder, they don’t expect you to sit on a milk-crate on the pavement a la Bondi, instead providing comfortable stools and a table.

Although it’s little, the owners set high standards with their ‘green’ credentials. They make a point of recycling, using sustainable materials, buying things locally and even planting native trees to offset their greenhouse gas emissions. It’s all very honourable and it certainly made me feel like I was doing my bit while enjoying a fantastic flat white made from their sustainably produced and fairly and equitably traded Vella Nero beans, which are freshly ground for every cup. You’ll even get a discount if you bring along your own reusable takeaway cup.

The menu is everything you’d expect from an Eastern Suburbs cafe. There’s a healthy variety of brekkie choices with lots of ‘house-made’ items thrown in and the Grumpy Baker bread is top-notch. I had the ‘Little Big Brekkie’, which was neither big nor little (arguably just right), and the quality ingredients were spot on. The vego version of the same offering came with a tasty bit of salty haloumi and the black Russian rye upon which it was served was outstanding -it was so dark my friend asked why I had smothered it in vegemite.

There is also a good list of lunch choices including classics like roast beef sandwich, the chicken ‘brie LT’, and even a peppered kangaroo salad. They have six different burgers available with the beef burger starting at a bargain ten bucks.

There is also plenty of stuff on the menu for the kids and parking nearby is easy, so it’s a great spot for mums who lunch.

Little Green Bean is on the right side of the road to catch the late morning sun and enjoy a cup of coffee and some great tucker. It’s hard to fault a café where everything is done so well and with such integrity and environmental conscience.

Little Green Bean
Address: 26 Clovelly Rd, Randwick
Phone: (02) 9314 5832
Open: Wed to Mon; 7am – 4pm
Seats: 22
Price: Mains $4.00-$16.00
Cards: EFTPOS, Visa, MasterCard
Licensed/BYO: Neither