The Brisbane cafe with a secret hideout

From the street, this eatery is a blink-and-you-miss-it affair but it’s what lies out the back that has customers intrigued.

As its name suggests, Little Hideout is the cafe diners turn to when they need a break from the mayhem of the world.

Located on Riding Rd in Balmoral, in Brisbane’s east, the eatery is a blink-and-you-miss-it affair from the street, with barely a handful of tables normally crowbarred into the tiny anterior area. But at the rear lies the star attraction – a cute, synthetic-turfed courtyard with timber bench seating built around a flag-wrapped tree, which protrudes from the centre of one of the tables.

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It’s a place for stillness and calm – to gather one’s thoughts and compose oneself, ready to tackle the chaos all over again.

While this suburban oasis has sadly been out of action since coronavirus restrictions kicked in, the cafe has now reopened the space for 10 patrons, attracting booked-out sittings.

Little Hideout owners Manish Shrestha and Sachin Kc. Picture: Mark Cranitch

Takeaway continues to be available, taking orders over the phone or in person, with a tight but quality-driven, all-day menu in play running from warm banana bread with butter or house made porridge crowned with caramelised pear, nuts, berries and coconut to the likes of
a breakfast brioche burger or eggs Benedict.

There’s also a glass cabinet jammed full of tempting sausage rolls, sandwiches and sweets, such as orange cake, chocolate brownies and muesli cookies.

The cafe proudly uses local businesses for its ingredients, serving strong coffee from Dramanti in Brisbane’s bayside, fruit and veg from Big Michael’s in Rocklea, and bread and croissants from New Farm’s The Bakeologists.

The latter provides the toasted pumpkin sourdough which accompanies the Hideout omelette ($19.90) and it’s simply terrific!

Crusted with nuts and seeds for flavour and crunch and boasting an airy, almost-brioche-like texture, the bread is tasty enough to eat plain but even better balancing the cheesy, tanned omelette hiding diced bacon, mushrooms and shallots (pictured is the crab version, new to the menu).

Crab Omelette dish. Picture: Mark Cranitch

That same bread acts as the foundation for the “one pan breaky hash” ($19.90) – a fry up of sliced chorizo, diced chat potatoes, kale, halved cherry tomatoes and turmeric-infused cauliflower capped with two sunny side-up eggs. It’s simple but well executed and banging with flavour.

As is the Tango smoothie ($8.50) blending strawberries, mango, milk and honey with just
a hint of banana. Other smoothies include banana, berry and green options, while fruit frappes and juices, milkshakes, teas and masala chai are also available.

One Pan Breaky hash dish. Picture: Mark Cranitch

With the world in a state of upheaval, the opening of this little cafe to hide out in may be just what we all need right now.