Dandelion & Driftwood 2.0 cafe opens in Hendra

A new cafe in Brisbane’s north marries old-fashioned decor with hearty, perennial favourites

‘It’s the type of place my grandma would love,” says my breakfast companion. “I mean, it’s not my taste, but it’s nice for what it is.”

We’re at the new Dandelion & Driftwood in Hendra, in Brisbane’s north – a vintage-inspired cafe in an old Queenslander cottage, where tiny vases of baby’s breath and daisies top marble tables, an antique buffet and hutch sits alongside cream VJ walls and there are more frilly details than a haberdashery store.

Dandelion & Driftwood cafe in Hendra with its vintage-inspired fit-out. Picture: Mark Cranitch.

Despite using masculine hues for the contrasting contemporary chairs and banquette seating, and rock and timber lining the outdoor courtyard, the space is ripe with feminine energy.

This is, perhaps, a result of the significant design input from owner Penny Wolff of nearby Wolff Coffee Roasters, who – alongside husband Peter – is taking a second attempt at Dandelion & Driftwood in Hendra.

The couple originally opened a pared-back version of the cafe – barely bigger than a hole in the wall – with the same name, a bean toss away in 2010, before closing it in 2018 to focus on their wholesale operation.

But after watching several foodie ventures come and go from the tenancy on the corner of Doncaster St and Gerler Rd, they finally convinced the landlord to let them take over the space and last month opened their elaborate and enlarged adaptation of D&D.

For the first time the eatery is offering dinner from Thursday through Saturday with a vague English influence, plus a glamorous high tea during the week, in addition to their light lunch options. But it’s breakfast that it has always been known for.

The First Crack with a cheese and chive waffle. Picture: Mark Cranitch.

The range is just as traditional as the decor, moving from potato rosti with bacon and eggs to savoury mince on toast and eggs Benedict.

The First Crack ($19) serves up a cheese and chive waffle with an almost mozzarella-like stretch topped with streaky bacon, rocket, tomatoes grilled to the point of being unrecognisable and clumps of cream cheese. It’s a Hulk-sized portion and satisfying enough but for the spiral of smoked honey across the plate. It would perhaps be better leaving the sweet-savoury breakfast concept to the Americans and swapping the bee nectar for a chutney, hollandaise or even a hot sauce.

The Dandy Man ($19) is a returning dish from the cafe’s original menu featuring two almost butter plate-size corn and zucchini fritters alongside a duo of eggs cooked your way, avocado, rocket, pine nuts, cream cheese and sweet chilli sauce. Again it’s a serve worthy of a hungry superhero, but there’s room to make the fritters a little lighter and less gluey.

The Dandy Man featuring zucchini and corn fritters. Picture: Mark Cranitch.

Coffee and tea continue to be a focus of the venue, which boasts a paddock of specialty teas from melon to mango magic, alongside myriad coffee brewing methods. Their signature Dandelion blend comes heavily roasted and bitter when presented as a flat white. For a sweet treat instead, perhaps, try the Sicilian orange hot chocolate, which tastes like a Jaffa in a cup; or one of the venue’s old-school milkshakes or thickshakes, or even a yoghurt-infused smoothie or fresh juice.

The young, bow tie-clad team of servers have clearly been well trained and are trying their hardest to tick the boxes. No doubt with maturity and experience they will get there and help ensure the cafe becomes the local community institution the Wolff’s have always dreamed of.

DANDELION & DRIFTWOOD

20 Doncaster Street, Hendra

3667 8388

dandeliondriftwood.com

Open Sun-Wed 7am-4pm, Thu-Sat 7am-9pm

VERDICT – Scores out of 5

Food 3

Ambience 3.5

Service 3.5

Value 4

Overall 3.5