Addict has just opened in Fitzroy and I think it’s particularly well-named because clearly Fitzrovians are addicted to coffee and brunch for yet another cafe to open in the suburb. What makes Addict particularly unique in Fitzroy though is that it is genuinely kid-friendly (trust me, I’ve tried perching on a milk crate in an alley jiggling a baby and eating with one hand before and it’s not a comfortable experience).
Addict has removed all traces of the fluorescent lit, dingy Fitzroy Curry House and transformed the prime corner spot on Johnston and Gore Street with an airy, light-filled single room cafe. There are small tables, a long bench seat and a large central communal table – but the best seats in the house are the sun-drenched window stools facing Johnston Street.
There’s enough room to park a pram and there’s a high chair on offer too. I also liked the hanging macrame greenery to lend some life to the bare white walls.
The menu is short and sharp, with breakfast all day and lunch from 11:30am. While most of the standard menu is kid-friendly they do have a special kids menu consisting of mini pancakes with ice cream, eggs on toast and porridge with brown sugar and honey. They’re all priced at $6 which is very reasonable when I’ve been paying $10+ recently for kids meals.
Being a freezing gloomy day I ordered the pork belly with a classic combination of apple puree and a apple and walnut salad ($18). Unfortunately I found this cut not particularly well-cooked as it was laced with thick wads of fat and the skin wasn’t crisp. There wasn’t much meat to accompany the tangy snow pea tendril salad sadly.
K ordered the corn fritters with kasundi, haloumi and a coriander and mizuna salad ($17) plus she requested a change from poached eggs to scrambled as she was pregnant. The substitution was no hassle at all for the friendly staff (no hipster attitude evident) and the fritters were herby, corn kernel-stuffed fluffballs with just the right balance of flour in the mixture.
My lunch was finished off by a stack of wholemeal buttermilk pancakes from the breakfast menu ($16.50). These pancakes were the highlight of my meal and some of the best pancakes I’ve had in recent memory. The two pancakes were so light they almost levitated off the plate yet with a springy thickness and perfectly circular crust to ensure that the poached quinces didn’t turn the dish into a soggy mess. Don’t miss this dish.
I think that Addict will hold its own despite having some heavy-hitting cafes within spitting distance. The ambience is soft and relaxed, the menu is interesting without being scary and it’s a kid-friendly venue, a rarity in Fitzroy.
Features:
- pram access;
- high chair;
- kids menu; and
- standard menu suitable for kids.