Square Peg Cafe – Making It Fit

By Dining Dave on March 13, 2014 in Food

As they say in real estate, the three most important things are location, location and location. I think being across the street from Coogee Beach qualifies as a great location. But a café is not a park bench; it has to have the goods, and the goodies, and the new Square Peg Café has hit the beach like a tsunami.

Lazily sitting on the corner of Carr and Arden Street at the south end of the beach, Square Peg seems to be all outdoor seating as the space inside is tiny – 18 square metres to be exact. And that’s where owner Gil Laishevsky says the name comes from. When doing the fit-out six months ago it was a struggle to squeeze a café inside, but they had to find a way to “make it all fit”.

The décor is mainly black, with black brick tiles along the walls and a blend of various antique shop pickings including two copper hanging lamps that look like they came from a railroad station one hundred years ago as the centrepiece.

Square Peg prides itself on its coffee, and so it should, as it sources its single origin and house blend beans from Little Marionette, resulting a brew that will soothe you and pep you up at the same time. And if you’re there for breakfast, be sure to try the freshly squeezed orange juice – a special separator keeps the peel and the bitterness out of the glass.

When I popped in I was absolutely starving and left it to Gil to choose the freshly prepared dishes. What came out was amazing: a chorizo and egg roll with Spanish sauce and mixed leaves; toast with avocado and Meredith Valley goats cheese, cherry tomatoes and cracked pepper; and a sickly-sweet serve of French toast (made from Challah bread) covered with maple syrup, cinnamon and fruit.

It makes it a special place when the owner delivers a generous serving of hospitality with the meal, and Gil is just that kind of owner. He really makes you feel at home.

Once Brooksy (the Beast photographer) and I started digging in there was no time for niceties, but thankfully each serving was big enough for two. The chorizo roll is not for the light-hearted, but it was absolutely delicious, with the free-range fried egg and plump sausage leaving drippings all over my plate. The smooth green and white spread of avocado and goats cheese on dark bread with a bit of a lemon twang was a great bridge between the roll and what was coming next: two slices of delish syrupy French toast with rockmelon, apple, strawberries and blueberries – there was so much food I needed two cappuccinos to finish it off with.

It’s a blessing that Square Peg has free WiFi for its customers, because after eating you’ll need to sit for a while before you’re able to move elsewhere. They’ve got plans to expand the seating area and offer more takeaway grub for the beachgoers, as well as extending their hours, so keep an eye on this place as the months go by.

It might be hard to fit a square peg into a round hole, but sometimes the struggle brings the greatest results. Square Peg Café certainly makes it all fit.

Square Peg Cafe

Address | Corner of Arden & Carr Street, Coogee
Phone | 0400 761 800
Open | Mon to Fri, 6:30am – 2:30pm; Sat to Sun, 6:30am – 4pm
Prices | $5 – $16
Seats | 15
Cards | All major cards
Licensed/BYO | No