Alice N.
Yelp
Mary Street Bakery should be a staple on anyone's list. I mean really, their coffee is incredible, their food is great and it's always busy.
I love Mary's, but you do need to be comfortable with a constant air of chaos. It's not a calm venue, but I like that. Split across four spaces (split level inside, upstairs and outside) each space is individual and feels a little different.
Outside you have this wonderful feel of being separate to the rest of the venue.
Inside (entry level), you have the feel and buzz of a busy cafe, but you've got heaps of room to relax and this works perfectly for bigger groups.
Inside (down a couple of steps) is your quintessential cafe feel. Lots of tables, lots of people, and lots of atmosphere.
Upstairs (by the counter) is my favourite spot. With only space for three(ish) people to sit, this spot overlooks the rest of the venue. I love to settle in here for a couple of hours, eat, drink coffee and write.
Onto the food.
I really like the food. It's a good mix of simple and creative. My staple is avocado with siracha on sourdough with a green juice and a double espresso. They do things that make me smile, like toast soldiers and boiled eggs. Their menu is pretty diverse, at the moment they've got mescal cured salmon on there, pork sniztchels, and leek and manchego omelettes. The only thing I don't like about the food is that the bacon is a little thick for my liking, but that is purely a preference thing.
Their counter food is also outstanding. I'm not going to go on and and on about their doughnuts but just go and buy some. They speak for themselves.
Beverages.
Right. Juices. Now I am not a health freak. Sometimes I have pizza, like four times in two days, but I have fallen in love with their green juice (from The Juicest) $8 is not cheap, but it;s 250ml of pure kale heaven. Kale, Cos, Silverbeet, Apple, Celery and Lemon. GET. IN. ME.
Also, their coffee is bloody good and they are fully equipped with beers, ciders and bloody mary's galore. Also, their wine list is pretty killer.
Prepare yourself for a possible wait, especially on a weekend, but I promise you, it's worth it.